Climbing rose question??

**tightwadmommy** · 05-05-2005, 07:52 PM

I've just bought my first climbing rose. It's a Don Juan. It has red roses.
Does anyone have any suggestions on the best way to care for it.
I've always wanted a rose garden but have not had much luck in the past. Hope I don't kill this one!

**forestdale** · 05-06-2005, 04:16 PM

Jean, you'll need a strong fence or trellis for it to grow on and it will benefit for full sun. When you plant it make sure you carefully trim off any damaged leaves and roots. Prepare a hole twice as wide as it is deep and add in some compost. Place the root crown over the compost and fill in the hole. Make sure you don't bury the graft. You'll notice a knobbly bit down near the roots. That's where the rose was grafted. That bit should be about inch in above the soil. Is it a bare rooted rose? If so, don't fertilise it until after you notice the first new shoots. If it's in a pot with soil, you can fertilize it about two weeks after planting. Make sure you loosely tie the rose to its support structure.

All roses like a rich soil and they are very heavy feeders. They will grow without feeding but if you want roses, you'll have to feed it either specialist rose food or if you're organic, like me, feed it bone meal - to produce lush green growth - and sulphate of potash, for health roots and lots of flowers. Potash stimulates the formation of flowers.

It will need enough water to keep the soil slightly moist but not wet. Probably about every two days would be fine until it's established, then water it slightly less. I have a huge white climbing rose and it only gets rain water. Try to water in the morning too as this reduces the risk of black spot - a big problem for roses.

You'll proably prune it enough each time you pick roses for your house but if it gets overgrown, trim it back after flowering each year.

And good luck.

**tightwadmommy** · 05-08-2005, 03:59 PM

Rhonda.
Thanks so much for the advice. I did put bonemeal when I watered this morning.
How often should I add bonemeal?

**forestdale** · 05-08-2005, 04:13 PM

Bonemeal takes about 4 weeks to break down properly and start working. Apply it again in about 8 or 9 weeks time. If you apply too much bome meal, you'll have a beautiful green and bushy rose but no flowers. Bonemeal is only one half of your fertilizing program. Don't forget the Sulphate of Potash, it's organic too, and it will promote the formation of flowers.

**tightwadmommy** · 05-09-2005, 01:39 PM

Thanks!

**Jerseygirl** · 05-15-2005, 05:29 PM

I have a don juan and it is doing well, follow the directions you have already gotton, and also make sure the climbers have enough air circulation, they get black spot so easy and I find that they grow their best and stay healthy when they are pruned through simply cutting your flowers during the summer then giving it a good cut back in the late fall and a clean-up snipping off anything that died over the winter in the early spring.
If your looking for another comparable climber that seems indestructable try The Fairy-light pink, strong growth, it comes as a shrub and climber, I have both and prefer the climber.