Climbing Rose Bush Care
To add a beautiful dimension to your garden, consider growing a climbing rose bush. Although contrary to its name, climbing roses do not produce vines like ivy or grapevines, but instead have long, arching canes that you must train by tying over a trellis, wall or fence. Most climbing rose bushes will grow up to 25 feet tall, and will sprawl along the ground if they're not tied to an upright support. Caring for a climbing rose is relatively easy and results in a gorgeous display of a wall of roses. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Fertilizer
- Pruning shears
- Green stretchable garden tape
- Soaker hose
- Fungicide
Instructions
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Grow your climbing rose in a location that receives full sun all or most of the day, with some afternoon shade tolerated. Although climbing roses are fairly hardy plants and can grow in most soil types, the best soil for optimal growth should be well draining and amended with organic matter before planting the bush.
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Water your rose bush consistently once a week with a soaker hose or drip irrigation running for 20 to 30 minutes so the soil becomes thoroughly saturated. During hot summer months, water every few days if necessary to keep the soil moist.
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Fertilize your climbing rose in early spring when the leaf buds are swelling. Work 1 tablespoon of all-purpose rose food into the soil around the base of the plant and water in well. Apply another application after the first blooms appear and then one last application in late summer.
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Add a layer of mulch to help the soil retain moisture, keep weeds down and add an aesthetically pleasing look. Use shredded bark or pine needles.
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Prune your climbing rose in either late winter or early spring and only do a major pruning after the third year, so the plant has had time to grow long, sturdy canes. In the first three, years prune only to cut off dead or diseased canes, and select four to six main canes that will form the basic structure of the plant. Remove all other canes at the base of the plant. Trim any flowering shoots that appear along the main stems to about 2 to 3 inches long. These shoots will produce the roses.
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Train your climbing rose bush up a trellis, fence or along a wall by using green stretchable garden tape to tie the stems up. Train the canes upward by crisscrossing them at the bottom and working upward to the top. This ensures that you will have a wall of roses instead of tying each cane straight up, which leaves roses only at the top and bare canes at the bottom.
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Watch for diseases and pests on your climbing rose bush, with the most common being black spot and mildew, and aphids and mealy bugs. The best prevention for leaves infested with black spot or mildew is to cut off the infested leaf right away and use a fungicide specifically for roses, which is available at your local gardening center. If aphids or mealy bugs invade your rose bush, wipe them off with a damp cloth and use an insecticide for roses if necessary to keep them from coming back.
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Tips & Warnings
You can use a garden hose in place of the soaker hose or drip irrigation, just allow the water to trickle out slowly.
Do not fertilize in the fall or winter months.
References
- Photo Credit Rose image by Viktor Khomenko from Fotolia.com
