Roses - Climbing
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  (March) We have three climbing roses planted a little over a year and six months ago.  They are bout half way to the top of each trellis.  Should I prune them back now or just let them continue to grow?  I want to do what is correct for the best health of the bushes.

  Many climbers only bloom in the spring, from flower buds they set the previous fall. By pruning yours back for the winter, you cut off their flower buds. The lack of flowers allowed more energy for growth, that is why you now have such long canes. Avoid any pruning now, and see if you have flowers in the spring. Hopefully, you have it planted in plenty of sunlight. Prune your climbers after spring bloom.

  (March) We have a beautiful antique climbing rose in our yard. It is a Cecile Brunner. It has grown to epic proportions. It is now up high into an oak tree nearby. Naturally, it is quite lovely when it blooms. However, we were ignorant to the fact that we should prune out the dead canes right away and have consequently let it become overgrown. How do we prune it now? Do we cut it down to a manageable height and start over? Please advise.

  Most Cecile Brunner roses only bloom once in the spring, so enjoy your spring floral display before you begin to reshape. Then you can take it back as far as you want to. They can be prolific growers, and if space is not an issue, you can let them grow. Thinning out older, woodier canes annually after flowering, will keep them more manageable.

  (March) I was given a garden arbor for Christmas. I would like to grow climbing roses over the top of the arbor but I am not sure how many roses I should plant to get a full profusion of roses across the top. My arbor is about 4 to 5 feet wide and about 7 feet tall.

  I would say two climbers -- one for each side should cover the arbor in no time. There are several good antique roses that should do the trick, including New Dawn, Cecile Brunner, and Iceberg. I am not a rose variety authority, and there are many more options, so get some catalogs to peruse all the attributes, and check local nurseries for availability. Sometimes the vigor of these roses, surpasses our arbors.

  (March) We have a trellis which gets about 5 hours of sun a day, from around 10 until 3 p.m. Can you recommend a climber which would have pretty flowers, be easy to care for and is disease resistant. We have a sprinkling system, so it will get watered on a regular basis. Also, would there be something that might stay green in the winter.

  You have several options. Carolina jessamine would work well, has beautiful yellow flowers in the spring, and the vine is evergreen. There are numerous clematis vines with gorgeous flowers, but they may not be as vigorous, and all but one are deciduous. You could also use various old roses, which do lose most of their leaves in the winter, but some bloom off and on all season. The antiques do not require the spray schedule of the hybrid teas.

  (April) I have a lady banks rose draped across my brick mailbox. It is about four years old and has bloomed beautifully in the past. I have had to trim it each year - rather severely. It is beginning to bloom now, but some of the leaves have black spots and it does not look as full as it did in the years past. Want to know if it is alright to fertilize now and what should I use. If not, when should it be fertilized? I live in Monticello.

  Lady banks rose is one of those wonderful old-fashioned roses that seem to only get better with age. I have never heard of it being plagued with disease--in particular blackspot. Maybe you should move it to a location where you don't have to prune as severely, and let it prosper. In Monticello, you could have an amazing bush if you didn't prune. This thornless rose only blooms in the spring, but the larger it grows, the more impressive its bloom season. Fertilize after bloom.

  (April) We purchased a Lady Banks Rose in Louisiana last year. We kept it inside this winter and put it back outside this spring. It is doing well but no flowers. They told us it is not rated for our zone. We live on the mountain just past the Maumelle exit on I-40. Will it prosper if we leave it out all year?

  Lady Banks rose should do fine in North Little Rock. I would not think it was happy being indoors for the winter. Plant it outdoors in a sunny location. I have seen some huge plants all around central Arkansas, and they were spectacular this year. Further north of central Arkansas, they may get nipped back--in the 80's we had some winter damage on them even in central Arkansas, but not lately. Plant them now, make sure the drainage is good, and you should have a great blooming plant next spring.

  (August) I have a climbing rose at the front entrance to the house and it is out of control, and it still has flowers and buds. I believe pruning in the fall will result in no blooms next year, should it be pruned back now?

  Climbing roses can bloom all season, but they often have their best display in the first flush of flowers in the spring. Severe pruning late in the season can interfere with the spring show. If they need some general shaping now, do it soon. In the future try to prune as needed after the first floral display.

  (October) Can you please tell me if running or climbing roses need to be pruned? If so, when and how?

  Most climbing roses benefit from some pruning every year. Timing however, is different than with bush roses. Climbers--even those that bloom all summer--often have their best display of flowers in the spring. So treat them like a spring bloomer, and prune after bloom. The main pruning would be rejuvenating pruning--removing one or two of the largest and oldest canes down fairly low. This will encourage new canes, and will help to contain the vines somewhat, but also keep new growth coming on, which should have more blooms the next spring. Hope this helps.

  I have a climbing rose that I bought at a local discount store last year. The first year it bloomed some. I cut it back for the winter. It came back very strong this summer, but it hasn’t bloomed at all. It never sets buds, just grows long canes. What’s wrong with it? (Little Rock)

  Many climbers only bloom in the spring, from flower buds they set the previous fall. By pruning yours back for the winter, you cut off their flower buds. The lack of flowers allowed more energy for growth, that is why you now have such long canes. Avoid any pruning now, and see if you have flowers in the spring. Hopefully, you have it planted in plenty of sunlight. Prune your climbers after spring bloom.

  I have a climbing rose bush in my back yard that is going on four years old, and has never had more than a bloom here and there. It gets full sunlight. I prune it along with my other roses in late February, and fertilize it monthly. My bush roses are close to this bush and bloom profusely. Is there such a thing as a sterile rose bush? What suggestion can you give me? I am ready to pull this plant and start over. (Conway)

  Many climbing rose bushes only bloom once in the spring, from flower buds set the previous growing season. By severely pruning it in February, you may be removing all of its flower buds. This year allow it to grow. Don’t prune it until after you have allowed it to grow next spring. Hopefully you will have plenty of blooms. Prune it after bloom.

  I have a rose problem. I have five climbing Don Juan roses. They are 30 or more years old. In the first 20 years, they bloomed beautifully. But now, they have grown straggly and most of the blossoms are in the top. Would it help to prune them severely this fall? I do not want to lose them. Please advise how much to prune and when. Some of the leaves get brown spots. What spray do you advise?

  Climbing roses benefit from a yearly pruning, however, we normally don’t have to prune them as severely as we do the hybrid tea roses. Since yours is so overgrown, I would recommend pruning them back by one third after they put on their main flush of blooms in late spring. Avoid severe pruning now, since this may encourage new tender growth that won’t have a chance to harden off before winter, plus it will expose the plant more, possibly causing more damage. The brown spots are more than likely the common black spot fungus, which is the most common disease on roses. Weekly sprays of funginex or daconil will prevent the problem. Fertilize your roses monthly from April through August.

  About four years ago, I purchased a New Dawn climbing rose. Since my garden is small, I wanted a plant that would bloom all season, as I had read is characteristic of New Dawn. However, the plant has never produced more than one glorious show in May. I have even gone so far as to climb on a ladder and totally dead-head all the spent blooms. Is it possible I was sold New Dawn’s "evil twin", or am I doing something wrong? Near the rose there are daylilies that have also not bloomed for the past two years. (Pine Bluff)

  New Dawn is listed as an everblooming rose, but it tends to bloom heavily in the spring, then rest during the summer with only sporadic blooms, and then to repeat with a good fall show. Two things I would check in your yard--one is sunlight. The more sun the better for roses. It is possible that you have deciduous trees which have sunlight getting through early in the season, but heavier shade during the growing season. This could account for few blooms after early spring. Also, how often are you fertilizing? Everblooming roses benefit from monthly applications of fertilizer during the growing season. Daylilies not blooming is a concern, since they are usually reliable bloomers even in light shade.

  I planted a bare root Cecile Brunner this spring, and was hoping to have some blooms. The plant has grown well, but I only had a handful of small blooms. I thought this rose bush was supposed to be a repeat blooming antique rose. Did I choose the wrong plant, or what have I done wrong?

  The Cecile Brunner rose is an outstanding choice for Arkansas gardens. It has a profusion of blooms in the spring, and should repeat bloom off and on all summer. New plants, especially bare root ones, spend time getting established. As long as it is getting sunlight, you should have a showy plant next season. Just be a little patient.

  My rose bushes started growing before the magic pruning date of late February. So I decided I had missed my opportunity to prune. My mother said I have to prune anyway, or I will be left with a mess this year. I have a feeling she may be right, since these bushes are almost six feet tall already from last season. Should I prune, and if so, how much of the old growth should I take off? I don't know for sure the variety, but they are a hybrid red bush and bloom all summer long. Will I lose flowers by pruning so late?

  As usual, Mother knows best. Most peoples roses had begun growing in early to mid February, due to mild weather. If you don't prune, you will have some grossly overgrown rose bushes by mid season. Remember, hybrid tea roses bloom on the current season growth. If you allow them to simply grow, you will be supporting a huge bush, and all the roses will be at the tips of the branches. Prune the bushes back to within 18 inches of the ground. You may miss one of the early rose buds that are forming now, but your bushes will more than make up for that this growing season. Be on the lookout for late frosts, which can damage tender new growth.

  Today my husband and I uprooted a rose bush ,with a bud, from a vacant house next door. It has a root that is 3" in diameter, 7 to 8 " long, and has 5 or 6 pencil size roots going off of it. We planted it in a 5 gallon bucket, hoping to put it into the ground soon. Within 2 hours , we saw symptoms of shock. Do we need to add a root stimulator? I have watered it real good, and have already added Miracle grow. Please help!

  The plant is definitely going through shock. Even though you got a good section of root, it will continue to look peaked for a while. I would try, if at all possible, to get the plant in the ground as soon as possible. In the container, the soil will be warmer and it will be much more difficult to keep it watered. Plant it in the soil, mulch it and keep it moist--not wet. You will probably have some dead tips before it is all over, and the plant will look wilted and awful for at least two weeks. No fertilization should be needed, just water and time. August is not the peak month for transplanting plants, so be patient.

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