Training roses on a climbing support

Many people are unsure how to plant a rose at a trellis and how it should be trained on the climbing support. There are not always standard answers; it depends above all on how you want to design your garden.

Our explanations apply to all kinds of trellises for roses, whether a rose obelisk, rose arch or wall trellis. Only rambler roses need no special “training”; they may grow freely!

As a rule, do not plant the rose in the middle of the post (even though you often see this). It makes it harder to train the rose properly, and sooner or later (usually after 4 years at the latest) the stiff rose canes will lift the post slightly so that it leans. Plant the roses from the outside, about 30 to 40 cm from the post itself.

To achieve a lush effect right from the start we recommend three roses per post, or four to six roses per arch (two or three roses on each side, depending on the space and the size of the arch).

It is quite a matter of taste whether three roses of the same variety or different varieties are planted at an obelisk. In gardens smaller than 3000 sq m (and most will be), a single variety at an obelisk looks calmer.

The same applies to rose arches and house walls. By limiting yourself to one variety planted in larger numbers, the planting looks generous and lush.

Shrub and climbing roses must be carefully trained on the trellis.

Never pull the soft canes straight upwards; instead guide them horizontally, slightly angled upwards: the rose will thank you with plenty of blooms.

Climbing roses in particular often shoot up quickly and then become bare at the bottom, a rather ugly sight. You avoid this by training consistently as described.

As a rule, do not pull the still soft canes through the lattice of the frame, but always tie them on from the outside. Use raffia or other soft material that does not cut. The reason is that in a few years these canes will be as strong as small tree branches and will eat into the trellis, and depending on how the trellis is anchored, may easily lift it.