Climbers versus ramblers
Both groups grow long canes that need tying to a support. Roses have no tendrils and no clinging roots, so they rely on you. The two groups differ mainly in vigor, flowering and pruning.
| Climbers | Ramblers | |
|---|---|---|
| Canes | Fairly stiff and upright | Long, thin and flexible |
| Flowers | Larger, in small groups | Smaller, in big clusters |
| Flowering | Many repeat through summer | Most flower once, in early summer |
| Vigor | Moderate to strong | Often very strong; some cover a small tree |
| Best support | Walls, fences, pillars, arches | Large pergolas, old trees, long fences |
| Main pruning | Late winter or early spring | Just after flowering |
Choosing a support
Pick a support that is stronger than you think you need. A mature climber, wet after rain, is heavy, and ramblers get heavier still. Good options include:
- Horizontal wires on a wall or fence. Run them about 12 to 18 inches apart, held a few inches off the surface so air can move behind the leaves.
- Arches and pergolas. Use sturdy posts set deep in the ground. Plant one rose at each side of an arch.
- Pillars and obelisks. Good for shorter climbers. Wind the canes around the pillar in a loose spiral.
- Trees. Only for strong ramblers and only on a tree that is healthy and sturdy. Plant a few feet out from the trunk, where there is more light and rain.
Plant a climber about a foot or more away from a wall. Soil at the foot of a wall is often dry because the wall blocks rain.
Training canes sideways
This is the single most useful thing to know about climbers. A cane growing straight up tends to flower mostly at its tip. A cane bent toward the horizontal sends up lots of short side shoots, called laterals, along its length, and each lateral can carry flowers.
- Let the new rose grow for its first season or two with only light tying. Climbers often take a couple of years to settle in.
- As long canes form, bend them gently out to the sides and tie them to the wires or frame in a fan shape.
- Use soft, stretchy ties and leave a little slack so the ties do not cut into the canes as they thicken.
- On an arch or pillar, spiral the canes around the support instead of running them straight up.
- Bend canes while they are young and flexible. Older canes can snap.
Pruning climbers
For repeat-flowering climbers, prune in late winter or early spring, at the same time as other repeat bloomers in your area.
- Keep the main framework canes. Remove any that are dead, damaged or very old and woody, cutting them at the base.
- Shorten the side shoots that flowered last year to about two or three buds.
- Tie in new canes to replace any you removed.
- Through summer, deadhead spent flowers to encourage more.
Pruning ramblers
Ramblers flower on wood made the year before, so prune them soon after flowering. On a young plant, do very little. On an established plant, cut one or two of the oldest canes to the ground each year and tie in strong new ones. On a rambler grown into a tree, many gardeners simply let it be, removing only dead wood they can reach safely.
Working on ladders with thorny canes is risky. Wear thick gloves and eye protection, keep a helper nearby and leave tall or tree-grown roses to someone with the right equipment.