Learn how to train David Austin Roses as a flowering wall. Find out how to get them to produce MORE Flowers and display them as a vertical flowering wall.
Source: Garden Splendor® Plants
Climbing roses are available in all popular rose varieties – hybrid tea roses, bourbons and English roses. Choose from double or single, thornless or scented – roses will live for decades, so you should buy right. Climbing plants can be grown on house walls, along garden fences, on pergolas or on large towers. Nearly all climbing rose species provide more than one bloom. The flowers are larger than the ramshackle roses.
How to grow climbing roses
Plant climbing roses in moist but well-drained, fertile soil, full sun to partial shade. Tie the stem into a spacious framework to maximize flowering. For plants in the spring fertilize balance. In the fall, remove fallen leaves to prevent the spread of fungal infections such as rust and black spot, then cover the soil with rotted manure, mold, or compost. Prune annually in winter.
Where to plant climbing roses?
Plant your climbing roses in moist but well-drained, fertile soil. Most climbing roses do best in full sun, but some tolerate shade better. Seek advice from a professional rose nursery if you’re looking for a shade-tolerant climbing rose, they’ll have several options for you.
You can buy climbing roses as a container plant any time of year, while bare-root climbing roses are available for purchase in the fall and winter – this is usually how expert nurseries send flowers. Pink mail order.
Plant your climbing roses on a dry, frost-free day. Dig a hole that is at least twice the depth and width of the root pot and add some rotting organic matter. Pull out the roots and drop the plant into the hole, making sure the plant is planted to the same depth as the pot, or look for “tidal marks” of soil on the trunk. Use your heels to fill and secure, while watering well.
Train your climbing rose on supports such as a wireframe, climbing trellis or calyx, and prune branches that grow in the wrong direction.
How to care for climbing roses
Roses truncate after flowering to encourage a second wave of blooms. Train new trunks regularly.
For plants in the spring fertilize balance. Clean up fallen leaves to prevent the spread of fungal infections like rust and black spot. Mulch the soil in the fall with rotting manure, mold, or compost.
How to prune climbing roses
For the first few years after planting, there is no need to prune climbing roses. Simply train the new trunks to support them.
As your climbing roses become mature, it is important to dig new branches horizontally each fall to encourage flowering. In this Gardener’s World video clip, Monty Don shows you how to tie in new tree trunks to create an evenly spaced, tangle-free frame that ensures no branches come loose over the winter:
How to train roses to climb on the wall
Prune climbing roses in the fall, after the plants flower. Leave the trunk’s main frame intact, unless they extend beyond their support. Just trim the side shoots into four healthy shoots.
When pruning vines, cut just above a bud in the direction in which you want a new stem. For example, avoiding cutting above a bud will direct plant growth into the garden path.
How to propagate climbing roses
Propagate climbing roses from hardwood or semi-ripe cuttings. Hardwood cuttings are taken in winter when the plant is dormant, semi-ripe cuttings are taken in late summer after flowering.
To obtain semi-ripe cuttings, cut just above the bud to remove mature lateral shoots, about 10cm long. Use a sharp asset pair. Cut off the soft tip just above the bud. Pour compost and water into plastic garden pots. Insert half of the cut into the compost bin to ensure that the cut is facing up.
Cover with a clear plastic bag and place in a place away from frost and light. By the following spring, the cuttings will have rooted and are ready to be potted.
Growing climbing roses: problem solving
Roses can rust easily. Small brown spots appear on the underside of leaves. This is a fungal disease spread by spores. To solve this problem, remove all affected leaves and cover with mulch in place to prevent any fungal spores in the soil from spreading through rain.
Some roses will produce suckers at the base. If not removed, they will take over. They are shoots that grow directly from the rootstock on which some roses are grown and are not of the right kind. Simply pull the sucker as soon as you spot it.
