How to Train Roses

With training, you can create a rose canopy like this one.

Training roses to climb or cover a supporting structure is an exciting gardening project. Climbing and rambling roses make beautiful additions to any traditional garden. Whether you choose to grow them over a standing trellis or along the wall, training them to climb and hold on to the supporting structure is not difficult. As long as you secure the canes of the roses to the supporting structure and prune them regularly, you'll have a strong rose bush.

Things You'll Need

• Climbing or rambling rose bush
• Trellis, fence or wall as a supporting structure
• Shovel
• Fertilizer
• Pruning shears
• Flexible plant ties

Instructions

1. Understand the difference between rambling roses and climbing roses. Rambling roses bloom for four to six weeks in the spring. They can grow very tall and need to be trained to cover stumps, posts or other solid structures. Climbing roses have heavier stalks and provide blooms throughout the growing season. Climbers can be trained to climb the walls, fences or trellises.

2. Make sure your supporting structure is strong enough to support future blooms. If you're opting for a trellis, make sure that it's sturdy. The rose bush is going to grow in lots in the coming years and the trellis will have to stand up to the weight of the plant. In addition, it will also need to support the structure of the plant in rainstorms and other inclement weather.

3. Consider the durability of the supporting structure. If you’re training your roses over a fence or trellis, give some thought to the materials you select. A trellis made from wood will be hard to replace if it starts to decay in a few years.

4. Install your trellis or fence first. Place your supporting structure several inches away from any permanent barriers (like the wall of your house) to allow for air circulation. Make sure that it is firmly anchored into the ground. Test it out by shaking it gently. If your structure begins to wobble, you need to dig deeper.

5. Plant your rose bush. Dig a hole that is two times wider than the spread of the bush’s roots. Make sure the hole is 2 feet deep and at the center is 18 to 30 inches away from your supporting structure.

6. Cover of the roots of the rose bush gently with soil. If you're in a warm climate, leave the graft union (the point where the stalks meet the roots) slightly above the soil level. If you're in a cold climate, make sure that the graft union is two to six inches below the soil level.

7. Water the rose bush and cover the surrounding flowerbed with a compost and fertilizer.

8. Notice the difference between the two types of stalks on the bush. The structural canes are thicker and will sprout the climbing tendrils. Secure the structural canes to the supporting structure with flexible plant ties. Balance the canes on your structure and leave some space between them.

9. For the first two years after planting, let the bush grow freely and just remove dead or damaged stalks.

10. After the initial growth period, tie down any new structural canes and prune the old ones down to the base of the plant.

Tips & Warnings

• Encourage the growth of your roses by placing the supporting structure in a shady area.

• Don't overprune your structural canes until you've established a lot of coverage on your supporting structure.