If you’re looking to add a little bit of excitement to your garden, then climbing roses are the perfect addition. These beautiful flowers can liven up any outdoor space.
Depending on your preferences, climbing roses can also be trained to grow in particular ways. Here’s how to train a climbing rose the right way.
Climbing Roses – The Basics
Climbing roses are a type of rose that is grown to climb up a support structure, such as a trellis, arbour, or fence. They are popular among garden owners because of their stunning blooms and delightful smell.
Climbing roses can be trained to grow in various ways, depending on your preferences. They can grow tall and spread out, or they can be grown as a hedge, which means they will grow shorter and more compact.
Adding these rose trees to your garden is a great way to add colour and fragrance. They are also a great way to add excitement to an otherwise dull outdoor space.
Climbing Rose Varieties for Your Garden
There are many different types of climbing roses that you can choose from. They make great companions to standard roses, and they can even be used to create beautiful rose topiaries.
Let’s take a look at some of the most popular varieties:
Belinda’s Dream
Belinda’s Dream is a great option for those looking for a climbing rose with beautiful pink blooms. This rose will grow up to six feet tall, and it’s known for its delicious scent.
Knock Out
If you’re looking for a climbing rose that can be grown as a hedge, then the Knock Out is an excellent choice. This rose bush grows to only three feet tall, making an excellent privacy barrier or border.
New Dawn
Another popular climbing rose is the New Dawn climbing rose. This rose will grow up to twelve feet tall, and it’s known for its beautiful pink blooms.
Old Garden
The Old Garden Rose is another type that’s great for adding fragrance to your garden. This rose will grow up to five feet tall, and it produces a gorgeous deep red flower.
Ways to Train Climbing Roses
Many people will start training their roses as soon as they are planted, but you can also train them later on if need be.
Newly Planted Climbing Roses
If you plant a new rose, it will often require some initial training to become established in your garden. A common way to do this is by using canes or stakes as your climbing rose supports.
You will need to push two canes or stakes into the ground on opposite sides of the new flowering plant so that they are about two feet apart.
Next, you’ll want to tie them together at the top, where they meet with some twine. This will help support the plant while it becomes established, and it will also direct the growth of your plant so that it grows along with the canes or stakes.
Once your new rose has become well-rooted in place, you may choose to replace the twine with a trellis or other permanent structures.
Training Climbing Roses Later On
You can also choose to train a rose bush later if need be. If you have an established plant, then you can use the same process as before by using stakes or canes and tying them together at the top with twine.
Keep in mind that your chosen structure will become permanent, so make sure that you choose something that will not obstruct your view or clash with the overall style of your garden.
This does require considerable effort, but it can also be gratifying in the end when you see how beautiful your climbing rose has become.
How to Train a Climbing Rose on an Arbour
Roses can be trained to grow on different structures. Here’s a step-by-step guide on training climbing roses on an arbour.
Step 1: Build Your Arbour
The first step is to build your arbour. Creating one requires wood, metal or even bamboo reeds.
If you are using wood, measure out the dimensions of your arbour, checking that it is big enough to accommodate the rose plantings.
Remove any excess wood and sand down both sides with an electric sander. Brush off any sawdust and paint the outside of the arbour in a colour that fits well with your garden. Finally, paint the inside of the arbour in vivid colour.
If you are using bamboo reeds, ensure that they are large enough and sturdy enough to hold up your plants. Drill small holes at regular intervals along each reed and thread some twine through to secure it.
Step 2: Plant Your Roses
Make sure that you purchase suitable quality varieties in large quantities so that you always have plenty of new blooms come spring and summer.
Select a position close to the arbour where there is lots of sunlight and fertile soil. Create a hole of about 18 inches in depth and place the plant inside, ensuring that the roots are well spread out.
Cover the hole with soil and tamp it down gently, but ensure that your climbing rose is not buried too deeply. Water the plant thoroughly after planting until water comes out of the drainage holes at the base of your arbour.
Step 3: Train Your Climbing Rose Bush
Gently tie some string around the branches of each plant. Once tied, ensure it is secured to the beams of your arbour, using nails or hooks as necessary.
Train your plants into an upright position as they grow by tying their stems around the strings that are already in place. Prune your plants back if they grow too long or thick to encourage spectacular blooms.
Step 4: Replace the Twine With Cables or Beams
Once your roses have started to grow along the arbour, you may choose to replace the string with more permanent structures such as metal cables or wooden beams.
How to Train a Climbing Rose on Fences and Walls
Climbing roses can be trained up walls and fences. Fanning out the rose stems into the wall or fence space will encourage the growth of side shoots. Aim for good coverage by tying in at regular intervals using jute or hemp twine.
When training roses up walls and fences, begin by choosing the right type of rose. This takes some effort since there are wide varieties to choose from and some are better suited than others.
Climbing roses need to produce long flexible canes that will wrap themselves around supports. Choose thorny, healthy shrub roses with lots of young growth in spring. This should have between 3-5 healthy canes to start with.
Frequently Asked Questions About Training Climbing Roses
How Do You Train a Climbing Rose on Walls?
There are several ways to train rose bushes, but the concept is almost always the same: function as a supportive structure.
Plant the rose in a large, deep hole within 1 to 2 feet from the wall and ensure no other shade-producing vegetation is located between the tree and its support structure.
How Do You Train a Climbing Rose on a Trellis?
The first step is to secure the trellis against a wall, fence, or other sturdy vertical surfaces. If needed, create a broad base using bricks or wood planks.
Plant your rose in a large, deep hole within 1 to 2 feet from the support. Then, train the rose to grow over the trellis by wrapping new shoots around it as they appear. You may need to hold them in place with plant ties or twine.
Can You Train a Rambling Rose?
You can train a climbing or rambling rose, but you will need to restrict its growth. Start by planting your rose in a large, deep hole within 1 to 2 feet from the base of a wall or trellis.
Wrap the new shoots around it as they appear. You may need to secure the rambling roses with plant ties or twine.
Planting and Training Climbing Roses
Climbing roses are a beautiful addition to any garden. What’s great about these plants is that even if you’re new to gardening, you can learn how to train your climbing rose the right way.
We hope that this article has given you some helpful advice on how to get started planting, growing, and training these roses in your garden. If you have more questions about growing roses, please comment below.
