Training Climbing Roses
Growing climbing roses of any variety can be hard when they are not trained in early stages. Rose gardening tips for caring for roses of this type are general at best, and are the same rose gardening tips for all other types of roses with the exception of how they are planted. Growing climbing roses from the smallest plant is the best option, as you are able to personally create their pattern of growth according to your support systems.
Support systems for growing climbing roses include fences, trellises and arbors. Any time you are training your growing climbing roses, you will need to use the utmost care when intertwining or fastening the roses to your support system. For all varieties of growing climbing roses, it is recommended that twine be used to connect the roses to the support system. Twine should be tied loosely to the support system and around the stem of the growing climbing roses. It is also recommended that when rose planting or caring for roses, the areas of contact with the twine be checked for damage. If tied too tightly, this can cause your roses to not receive enough nutrients to continue to grow, and if tied too loosely, the growing climbing roses will grow erratic and not to the pattern chosen. When tying the twine, fit two fingers between the twine and the rose vine to ensure that it is not too tight, nor too loose. Any knot to secure the twine is acceptable. Twine should be placed in sections according to the type of structure used and the pattern of growth. Do not bend or pry the vines around in a direction they are not growing, as this can cause irreparable damage.
Place your supporting structure an average of 1 foot away from the base of the growing climbing roses. This allows the support system room to be secured without damaging the root system of the rose plant. Allow the vines to lie the way they are growing, and begin by securing to the closest area of the lowest portion of your support system. If using a trellis, wrapping the vines around the legs in a circular pattern and securing every 6 inches is appropriate. If using wooden fencing, wrapping is not recommended at all. The vines should be allowed to grow straight up the fencing in this instance, and secured every 12 inches. For plastic or metal fencing that allows enough room for wrapping, the vines can be intertwined through the links in the fencing or any blank areas. Secure the vines at every point of turning, loosely as described above.
Do not tug on the vines or pull them taut when training them to grow in any pattern. This can cause damage to the root system below as well as the vines above. This is the number one reason of stunted growth in climbing roses.
Lewis Paul is a rose garden enthusiast and enjoys helping others get started in this amazing hobby. For more great information on growing climbing roses, and to receive a Free 10 Lesson mini-course, visit http://www.rosengardenbasics.com.