If a single rose is enough to suggest romance, consider the impact of climbers.Their first shoots instinctively flirt with a picket fence or post.Gaining maturity, they'll overtake a trellis with a billowing bouquet of buds.Plant a bare-root climbing rose; and it'll start romancing your landscape this summer--and increasing its charms for years to come.
Climbers are the most vigorous forms of many kinds of roses, from polyanthas to hybrid teas. Climbers won't clutch and twine without help; they need tying when canes are long enough to move into position.Though some rampant growers develop canes as long as 60 feet, others are compact and easily trained; choose one that's right for your situation.
STRUCTERS FOR CLIMBING ROSES:
Climbers bloom off old wood and may take a few years to establish; the same is true of Lady Banks.Choose a structure that's large and sturdy enough to support the plant at maturity.Use pressure-treated wood for posts, and set the posts in concrete.If you build or buy a structure like an archway or pergola, construction must be solid and the base long enough to set 2 feet into the ground.Some prebuilt units are not hefty enough for climbing roses.You can place a trellis in front of a masonry wall and train the rose on it, or secure plant attachments directly in the wall.
TRAINING THE CANES:
All climbers bloom best when canes are trained horizontally.This causes growth buds to emerge and grow upward, producing an abundance of flowering branches.Roses that do best on pillars have flexible canes to about 10 feet.These climbers need little space, yet give a dramatic display, especially if you twist the canes around the post. Although small, stiff-caned bushes like 'Altissimo' can be trained to a post, they bloom better when canes are fanned or horizontal. In mild climates, where canes grow rapidly, you may need to start training the first year the rose is in the ground.In colder regions, growth may stay in bounds without training until the second year.To attach canes to the support, use a stretchy, strong material like plastic nursery tape or strips of old nylon stockings; avoid wire or cord that can cut into branches.
PRUNING:
For the first two or three years, just remove faded flowers to promote repeat flowering.Once some wood has matured and strong climbing canes are established, prune to stimulate growth of new canes and flowering laterals.Each winter (at the same time you prune bush roses), shorten flowering laterals to 3 to 6 inches long, or to two to four buds.Remove weak or dead wood at the base,and keep as many productive shoots as possible.
Climbers' other needs are water, fertilizer, and pest and disease control are similar to those of bush roses.Climbing roses are an important type of rose, fulfilling the need for roses which take up less space and can act as a vine.Many people also prefer the look of climbing roses, as a wall of roses can be very visually appealing. Climbing roses are a different type of rose from rose bushes and shrubs, and thus climbing rose care is different from care of shrub roses.
As with any other rose, climbing roses need flower fertilizer, plenty of sunlight, and well drained soil with lots of organic material.Some types of climbing roses do not need as much sun as other types of roses, which could be easier to fit into a typical flower garden.The lighter color climbing roses generally tolerate shade better than the darker color climbers. For more information: http://www.acauzee.com/Roses/
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Climbing Roses are preferred by more people. For more information: http://www.acauzee.com/Roses/
