Gardening Tips for Climbing Roses

Getting some height into a garden can bring it to life. Even if your garden is on the smaller side when it comes to space at ground level, going upward the sky is your limit. Well, perhaps not quite that high.

There are many climbers you can use to achieve a good effect but if you do have a small plot take care not to overpower the rest of your garden. In that situation for instance, a rambling rose would be far too vigorous. A well trained climbing rose on the other hand would be a welcome addition.

A word of warning, you may look at the wall space, frame or whatever is going to support your rose and think you need two or three roses to fill the available space and I have seen this happen. You probably do not need as many as you think as you will be training the climber out sideways as well as upwards and with a bit of patience will fill your allotted space.

Climbing roses usually have long strong shoots and can have flowers appearing singly or on small clusters. Most flower once in summer but there are some that will give you a late summer to autumn show.

Supporting Climbing Roses

Wherever or whichever situation you have decided to plant when growing roses one thing is certain, you must provide a good supporting structure. There is nothing disheartening than seeing your well grown and well trained rose become too strong and heavy for the support provided. It will at best look a mess and at worst it will collapse. Neither is desirable as you will give your self a lot of work and a thorny and difficult job.

If planting against a wall or similar structure, train the rose along horizontal wires that are about 18inch (45cm) apart and held in place by vine eyes or similar. The wires should be at least 3inch (7cm) away from the wall to allow air circulation. Bad circulation of air can encourage disease.

Aspect

Roses need a site that is in the sun, deep under trees will not do and waterlogged soil should be avoided.

There are roses that grow well against a north facing wall and the best yellow climbing rose I have used is Golden Showers.

Soil

Climbing roses will grow in most types of soil. As for any permanent planting, ensure you clear the plot of weeds especially perennials. When planting roses, remember that you should not use a plot for two or three years where roses have previously grown as there is a danger that your new rose will suffer from rose sickness.

Bare Root or Container Roses?

I have planted and had success with both.

At one time when buying roses mail order you would receive them bare rooted but these days rose nurseries will deliver in containers also.

Bare root roses are in a semi dormant state with the soil washed from the roots. A big advantage of the bare rooted roses is that they are cheaper to buy than container grown. The downside is that they have to be planted in late autumn, early winter or early spring whereas container grown can be planted any time the ground is not frozen.

Fertilizing / Feeding Roses

Roses are gross feeders and quickly exhaust even a well prepared deb. Rain leaches out many essential minerals and roses need regular feeding if they are to flourish. The best advice is to purchase one of the proprietary feeds produces especially for the job.

In the spring when the soil is moist, sprinkle a handful of fertilizer around each rose, rake in lightly and keep away from the stem. Apply again later in the summer when there are signs of a second flush of blooms on the way.

Do not feed late in the year with a general fertilizer. It is tempting when caring for roses to give your precious charges a nourishing feed to prepare them for the winter ahead and a good start in the spring. Unfortunately this practice encourages soft growth that can be damaged in the winter and introduce disease.

Mulching Climbing Roses

A mulch (about 3inch) applied early spring after pruning can help to retain moisture in the ground and suppress weeds. Well rotted horse manure is ideal but bagged substitutes are acceptable and available at garden centres. Do not mulch when the ground is very dry as you will defeat the object, locking precious moisture out rather than in.

Pruning and Training Climbing Roses

Pruning roses to many seems a big mystery. Climbing roses require minor pruning but regular training. They are not self supporting and if not trained correctly may not flower freely and become bare at the base.

In their fist and second year, unless they have made a lot of growth, do not prune except to remove any dead, diseased, weak twiggy growth.

Begin training as soon as the new shoots are long enough to reach the support. Train sideways along horizontal supports to encourage flowering.

Prune in the autumn after flowering. Leave the strong main shoots unpruned unless they are outgrowing their space. Otherwise simply shorten side shoots. Train in all new seasons' growth while it is still flexible.

If the base becomes very bare, cut back one or two of the older main shoots to within 12inch of the ground level to encourage vigorous new shoots to develop.

When tying in remember the shoots will thicken with age so leave a little slack in the tie otherwise you will "strangle" the shoot.

You can train a climbing rose up a pillar, arch or pergola by twisting the main shoot around the upright support which will encourage flowering shoots to form low down. Once at the top of the support, prune regularly to keep in check, cut side shoots back to three or four buds in the spring.

Climbing rose pruning and training is not difficult, with a little care your rose climber will be a great addition to your rose garden.

Best Climbing Rose?

There are so many rose plants available today that you cannot only choose the best colour for your rose garden, you have your choice of scented climbing roses and thornless climbing roses. Thornless roses can be useful if growing roses next to a path. Fragrant roses for me are desirable in any situation so to have a fragrant climbing rose to me is a great bonus.

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