by Nancy Wilson, U. C. Master Gardener
Climbing Iceberg
In our climate, many rose varieties can be encouraged to climb and grow with minimum effort. Bare-root rose season begins in local nurseries as soon as the holidays are over, and you will find a great selection of bare-root roses available then. Unusual climbers are available all year through mail-order nurseries.
When you are choosing a climber, pay particular attention to selecting a rose that will fit your site. Climbing roses may grow from 8 to 60 feet in height and as much in width. Do your homework. Bring home a rose that will fit into your garden, not one that will take it over.
Consider background when selecting a climber. A white rose against a white wall will be lost, but a red rose will be the center of attention. Contrast is best. Or plant two complementary roses together. One will bloom while the other is resting.
Look for a rose with healthy, well-hydrated canes and roots. For climbers it is critical that the terminal buds be intact. They are at the end of each cane and are where climbing growth originates. Lateral buds provide growth for flowering. Protect the terminal buds from wind damage, breaking, cutting or pruning for the first three training years.
Amend your soil with compost before planting. A ratio of 60 percent topsoil to 40 percent compost is good. Next, dig a hole about two feet square. Consider making a chicken wire cage to protect the roots from gophers.
Provide support for your rose: a tree, trellis, pole, fence, gate, wall or pergola. Also determine how you will attach the climber to your support. There are various kinds of fasteners, such as clips, twine, plastic ties or strips of fabric. Be sure to allow some give so the canes can grow, but not too much or they may break.
When you bring your rose home, soak the entire plant overnight. Check for broken or flimsy canes and roots. Remove these or cut them back to healthy tissue. Cut off any black canes, which are dead. Spread the bare roots over a mound of dirt in the hole. Add soil to fill the hole. Gently tie the canes to the support.
Follow the guidelines in rose books for training and pruning climbers. Regular pruning keeps roses healthy and encourages growth and flowers. Frequent deadheading—removing spent blooms—will keep your roses strong. Use sharp, clean, scissor-action pruning shears so you do not crush the canes.
Winter pruning should take place in January and February while the plants are dormant. Remove dead or diseased wood. Healthy canes have green bark and white pith. Unhealthy canes are brown or black.
For the first few years, you will be training your climber. Take the canes as high as they will go before training them horizontally. Or, if growing around a post, begin winding and training upward immediately. At the beginning of the second season, you may cut back the lateral branches to two or three buds. Do the same at the beginning of the third season. After that, thin out some of the main canes or remove some lateral branches as necessary. Once-blooming ramblers should not be pruned until after they bloom in the spring.
Climbing roses can provide height, softness and interest in your garden. They are often in bloom before the trees leaf out. Try this new way of bringing the beauty of roses into your garden this year. Chances are you'll be back for more climbers in the future.
To learn more about rose pruning and to practice in the garden, bring your pruners and join Napa County Master Gardeners for free public workshops on the "Tools & Techniques for Pruning Roses." The same workshop will be offered, rain or shine, on two dates and in two locations from 10 a.m. to noon: Saturday, January 7, in Calistoga at Mount St. Helena Golf Course Clubhouse, Napa County Fairgrounds, 1435 N. Oak Street; and Saturday, January 14, in Napa at John's Rose Garden, 1020 Mt. George Avenue. (In event of rain, Napa workshop will move to the University of California Cooperative Extension Meeting Room, 1710 Soscol, Napa). Call 707-253-4221 for reservations.