Climbing Roses

~ by Jus Kuntree ~

I have never had much luck with roses here where we live. We're on a rise, and the winds can be very harsh at times, and the soil conditions leave a lot to be desired. I long ago gave up entirely on trying to grow hybrid tea roses of the short type, but have had pretty good luck with climbers. I must tell you though, that 1/4 of a mile from here, down slope, where I grew up, we always had roses, and there are an abundance of wild roses up here on the hill.

There are many varieties of climbing roses to think about. Some may bloom only in the spring, and others will bloom all summer. So there's the "time of bloom" factor to consider, as well as varieties that may be defined as Grandifloras, Floribundas, Tea, Polyanthus, and yes Hybrid Tea climbers.

When choosing a spot to plant your climbers, keep in mind that they will need some kind of support once they get growing, and you will have to secure them to the support. Always the recycler, I nabbed some crate parts from a local store that sells riding mowers. They won't last forever, but the wood is hard, and will last probably as long as I do. Other options you may want to consider, is training them to grow on fences, arbors, or other structures. Let some creativity be your guide! Another thing to remember, they do really need space to breathe. In other words, allow room for air circulation around the plant.

Generally speaking, most roses do best if they receive at the minimum, 6 to 7 hours of sunlight each day. But, if you have a spot that receives partial shade that you're considering, there are some that will do well in those areas. It's important to check and make sure they are the right ones for that though.

Also, check the height and width of the rose at maturity before planting. There is a wide variance of sizes in climbers, and you won't want to plant one that grows to 30 feet in a spot where it will end up being cramped.

You'll need to dig a hole deep and wide enough, to not crowd the roots of the plant. A little extra isn't a bad idea, and then you can work in some good compost, and maybe a few banana peels, before putting the plant in. Yep, climbers like any other roses, love banana peels, and they're a great addition to encourage a healthy and happy plant. Something I like to add to the hole when planting is some aged rabbit manure. It makes a wonderful fertilizer, and even when more fresh, is not as "hot" as most manures.

Once your climbers are growing, you'll need to secure them to whatever it is that they're climbing on. Here's another instance of where you need to be kind. Don't tie them tight with a thing string or such, it will cause damage. Tie them a little loosely, and use something like old panty hose, plastic, or a thick twine type material. And if gently done, it might even be possible that you can weave the canes into the support as they grow, depending on just what it is they're growing on, such as lattice for example.

Here's an example of one of mine that I have woven through lattice as it's grown.

And a little closer view of one of the blooms. It has an exquisite scent!

Here's a climber I planted several years ago. It was slow starting,
but is making up for it now!

Here's part of a Seven Sisters rose that grew from a cutting that I was given.

Here is another one that has a most wonderful scent. As you may notice,
with this one, and some of the others, I have used crate parts as a support.

Now, back to the Seven Sisters rose. It's my understanding that sometimes these can be hard to come by, so I would like to try to start some more plants from cuttings. And, I figure if it works for that one, it ought to work with some of these other ones too, right? I happened across a link that not only was enjoyable to read, but very informative in regards to starting new roses from cuttings, so I thought I'd share that with you.

New Roses from Cuttings

         

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