Pointers For Planting And Caring For Your Climbing Roses

Climbing roses can be a beautiful addition to any garden. Climbing roses grow on trellises or other supportive structures. They are relatively easy to grow and have simple instructions on how to maintain and care of them.

There are two types of climbing rose. The large blossom climbing roses have thick, sturdy canes and have flowers that are two to six inches wide. They usually grow ten to fifteen feet tall. The rambling climbing rose has thinner more flexible canes. Their blossoms are smaller but appear in thicker clusters. These climbing roses are usually ten to twenty feet tall.

Both types of climbing roses require the same kind of basic care. First, like all roses, they require regular and deep watering especially in hot or dry months. There should be sufficient draining where the roses are planted. Excess water should drain quickly to avoid the roots becoming soggy. If possible you should avoid wetting the foliage of the rose plant to help prevent fungal disease.

While a traditional rose bush can get away with one major fertilizer feeding in the beginning of spring, climbing roses need supplemental feedings throughout the summer. This is because they bloom for a second time later in the season. Try to select a fertilizer that has a slow release of nitrogen and follow the instructions on the label.

In addition, it is important to keep the area surrounding your climbing rose free from weeds. This is because weeds can prevent water from being evaporated in the soil and making it to a roses roots. For this same reason, it is important to spread a layer of mulch several inches thick around your plant. Mulch will help keep the soil hydrated and prevent disease.

Furthermore, it is important to train your climbing roses to grow upward. This can be done by hand fastening the canes to a trellis or another support structure. Keep in mind that climbing roses need room for air circulation so make sure that the vertical support is spaced at least three inches away from any wall or other structure.

Pruning climbing roses should be done sparingly. In fact, exerts recommend that you do not prune the large flowered climbers at all during the first two years except to remove completely dead pieces. Ramblers can be pruned immediately after their first bloom. You should trim back any damaged, diseased, and dead parts. Then remove any excess foliage in an effort to shape the plant. A good rule of thumb is to avoid pruning more than one third of a climbing rose at a time.

Climbing roses are slightly more difficult to protect from winter harshness than a traditional rose bush. Typically the entire plant should be covered in soil to shield it from strong, drying winds. The plant should be carefully removed from it supportive climbing structure. The canes should be softly bent all the way to the ground and covered with several inches of soil and mulch.

If covering the entire climbing rose is impossible then you can wrap the canes together with straw. This will keep them insulated. The climbing plant should still be pinned to the ground and tied together in bundles.

When spring comes the excess soil and mulch should be removed. If cold weather creeps back into the early months of spring then you should recover the rose plants until it warms again.

Though caring for a climbing rose is relatively simple, as with all plants, the more time and attention you devote to them the more the will thrive. Keep your eye out for insect infestation and disease. At the first sign of either you should invest in a pesticide spray.