Trellising is a technique used to train climbing and rambling roses against a vertical structure, guiding their long, flexible canes. Roses require external support to grow upward because they do not naturally cling to surfaces like true vines. Directing the growth pattern allows gardeners to control the plant’s size and shape while maximizing its flowering potential. The goal is to create a stunning vertical display of abundant blooms.
Identifying Climbing Roses and Suitable Supports
Effective trellising begins with understanding the rose’s growth habit, which falls into two categories. Climbing roses have stiffer canes and generally produce repeat flushes of larger flowers, making them suited for flat trellises or pillars. Rambling roses are more vigorous, featuring long, pliable canes that produce one profuse display of smaller flowers in early summer. Ramblers require substantial structures like arches, large pergolas, or mature trees to support their sprawling size.
The support structure must be sturdy enough to bear the weight of a mature rose, especially when wet. Flat trellises and walls require horizontal wires spaced about 18 inches apart for securing the canes. For three-dimensional supports like obelisks or arches, canes are wrapped around the structure in a spiral fashion to encourage flower production along the entire length. Choosing the correct support for the rose’s ultimate size ensures the plant thrives and prevents damage.
Preparation: Tools and Initial Pruning
Before training, assemble specific tools for clean work and to prevent plant damage. Sharp, bypass-style hand pruners are necessary for precise cuts, and long-handled loppers may be needed for thicker canes. Sturdy gloves are recommended to protect hands from thorns when maneuvering the canes.
The tie-in material must be soft and flexible, such as soft jute twine or purpose-made garden ties, to avoid cutting into the expanding cane over time. Initial pruning involves removing any dead, diseased, or damaged wood. Thinning out weak, spindly canes directs the rose’s energy into the healthy, strong canes that will form the permanent framework.
Step-by-Step Training for Horizontal Growth
Trellising for maximum bloom relies on exploiting apical dominance. When a cane grows straight upward, plant hormones concentrate at the tip, pushing all the growth and flowers to the top of the plant, resulting in a “bare legs” effect at the base. Bending the primary canes horizontally, or at an angle no steeper than 45 degrees, disrupts this hormonal flow and distributes the growth evenly along the cane’s length.
This horizontal positioning forces dormant buds along the cane to develop into flowering side shoots, known as laterals. The first step is to gently spread flexible, young canes in a fan-like pattern across the support structure. Secure these canes loosely using soft ties, leaving a small loop to allow for future cane expansion without girdling the stem.
Newer canes are the most flexible and should be prioritized for training. Older, rigid canes that cannot be bent without snapping should be left in their current position. The continuous, sweeping curve of the cane, especially when spiraled around an arch or pillar, encourages a dense production of these bloom-producing laterals. This technique transforms vertical lines into a wall of flowers by multiplying the number of points from which blooms can emerge.
Ongoing Care and Seasonal Pruning
Once the rose is established and trained onto the support, the focus shifts to cyclical maintenance to sustain the bloom output. Routine pruning must be performed each winter or early spring while the plant is dormant to maintain the framework and encourage new growth. This annual task involves shortening the side shoots, or laterals, that flowered the previous season by cutting them back to two or three buds from the main horizontal cane.
The main, thick structural canes tied horizontally should be left in place, as they form the permanent skeleton. Check the soft ties regularly and replace any that are cutting into the expanding cane. New, vigorous canes that emerge from the base should be woven into the existing horizontal pattern to replace older, less productive wood rotationally, ensuring the plant remains robust and floriferous.