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No matter how beautiful other flowers are, they cannot compete with a rose. The popularity of this flower all over the world is steadily growing, it never goes out of fashion, it’s just that today hybrid tea roses are in favor, and tomorrow, perhaps, there will be groundcover. In recent years, interest in climbing roses has increased, but has subsided. This is primarily due to the fact that many new varieties have appeared that combine the best features of multi-flowered and large-flowered varieties.
Growing climbing roses on private plots has become commonplace, but many complain that, unlike other varieties, these beauties behave capriciously and do not live up to the expectations placed on them. The thing is that you need to care for them a little differently, and the support for a climbing rose is of great importance, it needs to be made of the right material and placed in the right place, and not just anywhere. In this article we will try to answer most of the questions that arise when caring for climbing roses.
General introduction to climbing roses
When we talk about climbing roses, we usually mean a plant with flexible long branches. Today it is impossible to trace varietal climbing roses to their wild predecessors. It is the end result of centuries of selection and crossing of both pre-existing varieties and different types of rose hips.
The classification of climbing roses is currently at the stage of formation, since the old one has finally lost its relevance, and the new one has not yet fully taken shape. By and large, all climbing roses are divided into two very broad subgroups: small-flowered and large-flowered.
Small-flowered climbing roses
Representatives of this subgroup are distinguished by long flexible branches about 4-6 meters and numerous small flowers collected in large clusters. They usually bloom only once per season, but very profusely and for a long time on the previous year's stems. Climbing roses of the small-flowered group must be grown on supports.
Large-flowered climbing roses
These plants differ primarily in that flowering occurs on the branches of the current year, several times per season.Typically, large-flowered climbing roses have stems that are more powerful and shorter - about one and a half meters; the flowers are much larger than those of the previous subgroup. As you can see in the photo, they can be single or collected in loose brushes of several pieces.
Climbing or climbing rose
The question often arises of how to distinguish a climbing rose from a climbing rose. The answer is very simple - not at all. Speaking from the point of view of a biologist or gardener, there is not a single climber varieties of roses. The stems of this plant are not able to wrap around a support; they are attached to it. A rose does not have tendrils capable of grasping anything on its own.
They may object to us that they have repeatedly seen in the country from neighbors or in a magazine in a photo climbing rose, which climbs a tree and there is no garter in sight. This is explained simply - the young shoots of a climbing rose are directed upward, and they droop when they reach a certain height. The spines of such plants are usually very large, they cling to a nearby tree, young side shoots grow upward and to the side, bypassing the obstacle in the form of branches, and then grab onto them. As a result, the tree and the climbing rose are so intertwined that even with a strong desire it will not be possible to separate them.
Both terms have a right to exist and, by and large, do not contradict each other.
Modern climbing roses
Although modern climbing roses are currently not officially divided into groups, traders, landscape designers and owners of summer cottages, for their own convenience, have already divided them into ramblers, cordes, climbers and climbers. It may be a few years before some of these names are officially approved.
Ramblers and cordes bloom on last season's branches and are a modern variation of the small-flowered climbing roses. But more and more re-blooming varieties are appearing, and cordes have quite large glasses. Look at the photo to see what wonderful flowers modern varieties have.
Climbers and climbers are similar in that they bloom again, like large-flowered climbing roses on new growth. But the climbers are a bud mutation of the floribunda rose, hybrid tea or other groups. They resemble a climbing rose in everything except the glass, which is inherited from the original variety. True, remontance is not always inherited by them.
Agricultural technology of roses
To get a beautiful, healthy plant, you need to systematically care for it properly. Fortunately, roses are hardy plants, but do not like to be left unattended. Caring for climbing roses should be systematic - they will manage without it for a while, but then you will notice that the once beautiful variety has degenerated - it has become untidy, rarely blooms, and has lost its repairability.
Planting climbing roses
Proper planting of a climbing rose is the key to its health and long-term abundant flowering. These plants can live on the site for more than 20 years, therefore, they need to be placed thoughtfully and correctly.It happens that we bury a seedling in a hole, and then we wonder why the same plant at our neighbor’s dacha has covered the entire wall in two years, and is constantly blooming, but ours has produced two poor flowers and looks as if it is going to die.
Selecting a location
Climbing roses have their own requirements for growing conditions:
- The place where the flowers will grow should be well lit most of the day. The plant tolerates light shading well in the afternoon, but in deep shade at first it will bloom poorly, become sick, become difficult to care for, and eventually die without replanting.
- Fortunately, climbing roses are undemanding when it comes to soil. And although slightly acidic, humus-rich, well-drained loams are most suitable for them, they will grow on almost any soil. Where climbing roses should not be planted is in extremely acidic or alkaline soils. On poor and very dense clay soils, you need to add organic matter. And to improve soil drainage for climbing roses, sometimes it is enough to loosen the soil twice before planting.
- What plants absolutely cannot stand is wetlands. They cannot be planted in places where the groundwater level rises above 1.5 m. If you have just such a site, before growing climbing roses, you need to make a raised flower bed or terrace for them.
- You cannot plant young plants where roses have previously grown for more than 10 years - the soil there is depleted and contaminated with pathogens and pests.What to do if you definitely need to plant climbing roses in this place will be described below.
- These plants do not like low-lying, open areas blown by strong winds.
- In order for them not to get sick, they need space.
Planting time
It is believed that climbing roses can be planted at any time. It is possible, but to avoid problems in the future, it is better to do it at the right time. A bare-root plant in regions with cold, damp climates and poor soils is best planted in April or May. In the southernmost regions, climbing roses are planted in November, and a little further north - at the end of October, when Indian summer ends.
It doesn’t change from year to year, make sure that when planting the plant the soil is not already or still frozen or waterlogged.
But container plants can be planted throughout the season.
Soil preparation
Planting a climbing rose and caring for it in the future will be much easier if you prepare the soil in advance.
- The area for the rose garden must first be dug twice to a depth of 50-70 cm, this is especially important for heavy clay soils.
- On poor soils, when digging, add 10-20 kg of organic matter (manure, humus or peat compost) per 1 square meter.m, the more, the worse the soil condition.
- In very acidic soil, add 500 g of dolomite flour or lime per square meter.
- On chalk soils or in places where roses have grown for more than 10 years in a row, dig planting holes 60x60 cm 45 cm deep. They are filled with a planting mixture consisting of equal parts of turf soil and peat with the addition of half a liter jar of bone meal per two buckets of the mixture.
- Small pebbles can be left in the soil, but the roots weed must be carefully selected and discarded.
- It is recommended to allow the soil to settle for 6 weeks before planting climbing roses.
Preparing the plant
It happens that purchased climbing roses with bare roots cannot be planted immediately; they need to be preserved somehow. To do this, dig a V-shaped hole and place labeled plants along one side. The recess is filled with soil and lightly compacted.
Immediately before planting, the roots of the plants are soaked in water for a couple of hours. It is good if root or heteroauxin is added to it. If the stems of the plant are wrinkled, the climbing rose bush is immersed entirely in water.
Make sure that all old, broken or too weak shoots are removed from it, and when planting in spring, also old leaves. If there are rotten or broken roots, remove them, and if they are very long, shorten them to 30 cm.
Planting a rose
Whether caring for and growing climbing roses will be easy largely depends on proper planting. First of all, we note that if several plants are planned to be planted, the distance between them should be at least 2-3 meters.Otherwise, climbing roses will simply interfere with each other, and caring for them will be difficult. Other plants should not be planted closer than half a meter from the rose bush.
Planting a bare-root climbing rose
If you are planting a plant with bare roots, dig a hole 40 cm from the support with a bevel in the opposite direction from it. The hole should not be deep or too shallow, the standard length of the planting hole is 60 cm, depth - 30. Adjust its dimensions depending on the shape and size of the plant's root system.
Pour several handfuls of planting mixture into the bottom of the hole (how to prepare it is described in the chapter on preparing the soil for planting), place the roots of the climbing rose in the direction opposite to the support. Sprinkle them with two shovels of soil and gently compact it.
Place a board across the hole, making sure that the root collar of the plant or the grafting site is flush with the soil surface. Fill half the volume with planting mixture and lightly compact the soil again.
Fill the hole completely, squeeze the soil again and water the climbing rose generously. Even if the soil was damp when planting the climbing rose, you will need at least a bucket of water per plant. When it is absorbed, add planting mixture. As a result, the root collar or grafting site will be buried by 2-3 cm. This is the correct planting of the plant.
Even if you plant climbing roses in the spring, add a small mound of soil to cover part of the stem. Now all that remains is to tie the branches to the support.
Container climbing roses
Of course, a container plant that can be planted at any time of the year.Planting it is not as difficult as one with an exposed root. But here another problem may lie in wait for us - the roots are quite comfortable in the nutritious peat mixture and they may not be in a hurry to grow into the garden soil.
We will tell you how to properly plant a rose from a container. Dig a planting hole that is 10 cm larger than the size of the pot on all sides. Place a layer of planting mixture on the bottom, carefully, trying not to disturb the earthen ball, take out a climbing rose, place it in the center of the hole so that the upper part of the earthen ball is flush with the edges landing hole.
Fill the empty space with planting mixture and compact it gently. Water the plant generously, and when the water is completely absorbed, add soil.
The first time after leaving, the plant needs to be watered abundantly and often, and if you planted them in the spring, then shade them in the first days. You can simply cover them with newspapers at noon.
Garter of climbing roses to supports
A climbing or climbing rose has long flexible shoots that often need support. What does often mean? Are climbing roses really not always tied up?
Plants that do not need support
Large-flowered varieties of climbing roses really do not always need support. If the plant has powerful, erect stems that droop after reaching a certain length, and there is enough space on the site, you don’t have to tie them up. They can be used to form an excellent hedge on a large plot that does not require special care. You just need to take into account that climbing roses have free growth, therefore, it will not be possible to give such a hedge a strict geometric shape.
A climbing large-flowered rose with beautiful leaves and an attractive crown can act as a tapeworm (single focal plant). Look at the photo how beautiful she can be.
But some large-flowered climbing roses may require support after a few years. To do this, dig several pieces of reinforcement or wooden posts around the plant, connect them either with strong thick rope or crossbars. Flexible branches will cover the supports, and the plant will become more stable and beautiful.
Forming a bush in the form of a fan
Usually small-flowered climbing roses are formed in this way, but large-flowered varieties formed along a wall, hedge or trellis will look impressive.
Remember that gartering climbing roses is not an easy task; you need to form the plant from the moment of planting. To do this, a support grid is installed near the wall of the house at a distance of at least 7.5 cm, or hooks are driven into the wall in even rows and a strong wire in a plastic braid is pulled tightly. Hooks for tensioning the wire are driven in at least every 1.2 meters; the distance between the rows of wire should be no more than 50 cm.
If possible, the main shoots of a climbing rose should be directed horizontally or in the form of a fan. The side shoots will grow upward and will beautifully drape the wall. You need to tie the shoots to the support with a strong wire in a plastic braid, and not very tightly - this way it does not injure the stems when they become thicker.
Caring for a climbing rose tied in this way will not be easy. It is even more difficult to cover such a structure for the winter, but a wall decorated with beautiful fragrant flowers will be so impressive that it will more than pay off all the efforts.
Small architectural forms
MAFs (small architectural forms) are all architectural decorative elements located in our garden and serving to decorate it. They often perform purely utilitarian functions.
Climbing roses can be used to decorate many of them: gazebos, trellises, pergolas, arches. From the very beginning of the growth of shoots, they are carefully guided along the support, tied with strong wire in a plastic braid.
Pillar support
Around a pole or tripod, young shoots of climbing roses are simply wrapped in a spiral and neatly tied.
Tree as a support for a climbing rose
Sometimes it happens that a large plant disappears or loses its decorative appearance on a site, and it is not possible to uproot it. Plant a climbing rose on the windward side of the tree and tie it until it grows to the branches. In a couple of years, with proper care, you will get a very picturesque composition.
Caring for climbing roses
There is no other plant whose care has been the subject of so much controversy. Rose growers around the world agree on three things: climbing roses need to be regularly watered, fed and loosened the soil under them. True, mulching the soil around plants has recently become very popular, which does not allow for frequent cultivation, but helps retain moisture and protects against weeds.
Watering
Climbing roses, especially grafted ones, have a powerful root system. Old plants can go a long time without watering, even in the hottest, dry summer. But it’s still better if you water them as the soil dries out.
It is best to water the plants in the evening or early in the morning at the root. When moisture gets on the leaves, it can cause fungal diseases; climbing roses especially often suffer from powdery mildew. It's even better if you have the means and the ability to install drip irrigation.
What you should not do is water the plant little by little and often. You will wet the top layer of soil, the moisture from which will quickly evaporate, and the main roots that feed the plant will suffer from a lack of water. Water rarely, but a lot. You need to pour at least 15 liters of water under the climbing rose.
Don't kid yourself that all is well if the old rose bush looks attractive and blooms continuously in hot weather. The plant will take revenge on you next season - in the spring it will be difficult to emerge from the dormant period, it will give weak growth and poor flowering. In addition, a climbing rose that was poorly watered the previous summer usually has smaller flowers than it would normally have under normal conditions.
Top dressing
If climbing roses are not fed, they will grow and bloom, but this will affect the growth rate of shoots and the quality of flowering. A plant that has not received the necessary nutrients will produce weak growth (and this is unacceptable for climbing varieties), will be more susceptible to diseases, and may even lose its remontability (the ability to bloom again) for the season.
Plant nutrition is divided into root and foliar.
Root feeding
Specialist rose growers root-feed climbing roses up to 7 times a season. Immediately after opening, they are fed with ammonium nitrate; two weeks later, the feeding is repeated. During the budding period, the plant is given a full range of mineral fertilizers, and it is better to take a special one intended for roses.
Immediately before the first wave of flowering of climbing roses, which is usually the most lush and massive and requires a lot of effort from the plant, feed the bushes with an infusion of mullein or bird droppings, diluted 1:10 or 1:20, respectively.
After the first wave of flowering, which usually ends at the end of July, climbing roses are fed with full mineral fertilizer and at this point fertilizing containing nitrogen stops. If the plant continues to absorb nitrogen, the shoots will continue to grow; they will not have time to ripen by winter and will freeze very much. Sometimes a climbing rose with immature shoots dies in winter.
Starting in August, you need to give the plant two more feedings. Previously, potassium monophosphate came to the rescue - in addition to saturating the climbing rose with phosphorus and potassium, it helps the shoots to ripen, strengthens the root system, and helps the plant prepare for winter and survive it safely. Today there are new fertilizers on sale that do not contain nitrogen; when purchasing, consult with the seller which is best suited to your conditions.
Foliar feeding
Foliar feeding is called fast. It is carried out directly over the crown of the plant from a garden sprayer.Experienced gardeners do such treatments once every two weeks from the moment the leaves of climbing roses bloom until the end of summer.
Root feeding acts for a long time, but does not reach the leaves and buds immediately, while foliar feeding is immediately delivered to the soft tissues of the plant, its effect is felt by the climbing rose on the same day. In addition, microelements that are vital for a perennial plant are better absorbed with foliar feeding.
It is best to use a complex mineral fertilizer, highly soluble in water, a chelate complex and epin at the same time. Everything is poured into one container and mixed well. To do this, just leave a little empty space in it and shake it well.
The beauty of foliar feeding of climbing roses is that at the same time you can treat the plant against pests and diseases by simply adding the desired preparation along with fertilizers, unless this is prohibited in the instructions.
Foliar treatments of climbing roses should be carried out carefully and only early in the morning or in cloudy weather.
Mulching
Mulching allows you to retain moisture in the ground, inhibits the growth of weeds and can serve as additional nutrition for the plant. The soil can be mulched with peat, well-rotted manure, mown grass, leaf humus or chopped tree bark.
Loosening
Loosening is intended to protect against weeds and to improve soil aeration, that is, to provide oxygen access to the roots of the plant. You cannot loosen the soil under climbing roses deeper than a couple of centimeters, otherwise you risk damaging the thin sucking roots.
Removing faded buds and root shoots
In order for remontant climbing roses to bloom better, you need to promptly remove wilted flowers. They need to be removed using pruning shears, making a cut above the second or third leaf. Only a very short section of the shoot is removed from a young plant.
If a climbing rose blooms once a season and has beautiful fruits, they are left on the bush. Before covering the plant for the winter, the fruits also need to be removed.
Root shoots are shoots that grow from the rootstock, and not from the grafted varietal plant. If you do not remove them in a timely manner, they will simply choke the bush. In order to remove root growth, it is not enough to cut it at ground level - this way it will grow back even better over time. You need to dig up the root a little and trim off the excess shoot at the very root collar of the plant, and this needs to be done as early as possible.
Trimming
Pruning is one of the most important stages in plant care. For climbing varieties of roses, it is especially important - because both the appearance of the plant and the abundance of flowering depend on timely and correctly pruned shoots. An incorrectly pruned climbing rose may not bloom at all.
The purpose of pruning is to promptly remove old shoots, which stimulates flowering and the formation of new plant stems.New stems also need to be regulated, otherwise we will end up with a tangle of thin branches interlocking with each other, and we will wait for flowering for years.
When to prune
The main pruning of climbing roses is carried out in the spring, during the swelling of the buds, immediately after you remove the winter shelter from the plant. Pruning stimulates the opening of buds, and if done too early, there is a danger that the blossoming leaves will freeze during return frosts. If you delay pruning, unnecessary shoots will draw strength from the plant and weaken it.
Climbing multi-flowered roses are pruned after flowering. Remember that they bloom on thin shoots from the previous year - if you cut them all off, you will wait a whole year for new buds.
Trimming methods
By and large, climbing roses are not pruned, but dead ends on the shoots are removed. There are three options for pruning climbing varieties:
- All weak and dried shoots are cut out from the plant.
- All weak and dried shoots are cut out from the plant. Side shoots are cut off by one third.
- All weak and dried shoots are cut out from the plant. Side shoots are cut off by one third. Some of the main and skeletal branches are cut out by one third.
What to remember when pruning
To avoid trouble and unnecessary work, do not forget the following:
- All pruning should be done only with sharp, sterile garden tools.
- All plant stems more than 2 cm thick must be trimmed with a special pruner to remove thick branches or sawed off.
- The cut should be even and smooth.
- The cut should be oblique and located 1 cm above the kidney.
- The direction of the cut slope is that the bud is at an acute angle.
- The bud should be directed towards the outside of the plant.
Propagation of climbing roses by cuttings
Almost all climbing roses, except for climbing roses, which are nothing more than a mutation, reproduce well by cuttings. The advantage of this propagation is that bushes grown from cuttings do not produce root shoots - they are completely cultivated plants.
In September, cut well-ripened shoots of the current year to the thickness of a pencil. Climbing roses are not obtained from cuttings from the tips of the shoots - at this time they are either not ripe or are still thin. Make the top cut straight, at a distance of 0.5-1.0 cm from the leaf, the bottom cut oblique, 1 cm below the bud, and it should be on the pointed side of the cut.
Remove all the thorns and the two lower leaves and place the cutting in the phytohormone solution for 2 hours. In a shady place well protected from the wind, dig a hole with one flat side approximately 15 cm deep. Fill it a third with sand and place the cuttings in the groove at a distance of 15 cm from each other, leaning them against a vertical wall so that the bottom sheet is above the surface soil.
Fill the hole with soil and compact it well - neglecting this rule is the most common cause of death of young plants being grown. Water the planting generously. In the future, care will consist of regular watering, shading from the midday sun and plucking out the buds - you cannot allow a poorly rooted cutting to bloom. In autumn, the young plant is ready to be planted in a permanent place.
We told you how to grow a climbing rose from a cutting yourself, we hope that you are convinced that it is not at all difficult.
Conclusion
To properly care for climbing roses, you need to work hard.But the result is simply enchanting. We missed one point - for climbing roses to be beautiful and healthy, be sure to love them.
