Care of Climbing Roses

Overview

There are many varieties of climbing roses; some are trailing and others are classified as ramblers. The flowers on these plants can be just as different, from tiny tea roses to very large blooms, and they come in many colors. Care for the climbing roses is more difficult in some aspects than that of traditional rose bushes and less involved in others. Some of the more vigorous climbers can grow 30 to 40 feet in one season. There are cultivars that will grow in every planting zone in the U.S.

Step 1

Water climbing roses once a week, unless it is extremely hot or dry--then increase to twice a week. Totally saturate the soil when watering so the roots grow deeper. Roses are prone to mildew problems, so water early in the morning to give the foliage time to dry before the sun goes down.

Step 2

Cut back the tops of the branches to 6 inches in the spring, if you are just planting the rose and the nursery has not trimmed it already. If it has been growing for a while or you are unsure if the nursery cut it back, allow it to grow without pruning until fall.

Step 3

Tie cotton string loosely around the stalks to the trellis, fence or support you are training the rose to climb. Climbing roses do not have tendrils and will not climb by themselves. Tie about half of the canes to climb and leave some at the bottom to produce blooms in a bush-type fashion.

Step 4

Apply a fertilizer made just for roses once a month. Refer to manufacturer's directions for amount to use. Twice a year, once after spring pruning and once after the first bloom, apply well-rotted manure to the soil around the plant. The manure will leech into the soil with each watering so there is no need to dig up the soil.

Step 5

Place mulch around the plants in the spring to conserve moisture and to keep the weeds from growing in the bed. Keep the mulch at least 4 inches from the main trunk of the rose.