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boncrow66

Questions about pegging and climbing roses.

boncrow66
9 years ago

I have 2 seperate questions. The first is about pegging. I had never heard of this before I joined this forum. I watched Zimmermans video on YouTube so I now understand the process, my questions is this ....can you peg the "octopus arms" on DA roses?

My second question is about my climbing pinkie. I have 3 that I just planted to go up the poles on the end of my arbor and I also watched the video by Zimmerman on training a cl rose on a pillar. My question is since my pinkies are really just babies then that means that I need to wait a few years before the canes are ready to climb or can I start tying them around my pillars now as they grow? He really didn't touch on a new rose. Thanks for any advice!

Comments (23)

  • campv 8b AZ
    9 years ago

    Start tying and training them as they grow. Use something you can untie and retire. Strips of old knee-highs work good for this and you can make them fairly thin. They stretch and can be tied in a small bow. Once they get to about 3 feet or so you can use other kinds of more permanent ties.
    Don't know about the other question.

  • boncrow66
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thanks Campv! I am trying hard to get this right :). I am inspired by all the gorgeous pictures of everyone's roses and I hope mine will be just as gorgeous.

  • diane_nj 6b/7a
    9 years ago

    Yes, you can peg the Austins, or any other rose that sends out long, flexible, canes. Many of them want to grow as climbers anyway, and a number of people do peg them to try to keep them in line. You'll want to ask about the varieties, though, because some do stay small.

  • boncrow66
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    I just planted 2 DA"s, Evelyn and Golden celebration, from what I understand both get fairly tall.

  • boncrow66
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Forgot to say thanks Diane!

  • hoovb zone 9 sunset 23
    9 years ago

    What happens with climbers (at least here) is that the first canes are what I call "juvenile"--they are not nearly as long as the ones that a mature established plant produces. So you can start right away training, but those first canes are smallish and once you start getting mature-sized canes, you'll want to use those "adult" canes for your structure and get rid of the juveniles. I've found that true of every climber I've grown here.

    Of course, that is how they grow here. Your climate may do things differently.

  • boncrow66
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Hoovb, thanks for the information. I am new to growing climbers so every word of advice helps.

  • andreark
    9 years ago

    boncrow66,

    I have Tradescant and Golden Celebration that I received as bare roots. a couple of months ago. After they had been potted and grown a bunch, I planted them in a sunny spot in my front yard by the drive and am starting to train them on a split rail fence that is in 2 pieces at 90 degrees to each other. They were only planted 3 weeks ago and are already doing well.

    From what I've learned here on the forum, they should do well.

    I am in the San Francisco Delta area. I don't know where your are and I also don't know what a 'pinkie' is.

    Let us know how yours are doing and I will also post my young one's progress.

    andreark

  • diane_nj 6b/7a
    9 years ago

    "Climbing Pinkie" is a polyantha, and a very pretty one.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Climbing Pinkie at Helpmefind.com

  • seil zone 6b MI
    9 years ago

    I've had my Golden Celebration peg for many years. It gives me much more bloom that way.

  • boncrow66
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Ok so now that I know I can peg my Austin's my next question is this......after the octopus arms bloom do I dead head them and will the canes keep growing? I know these are dumb questions but I am new at this and not sure about what to do. And btw I am in SE Tx in zone 8. Diane that picture of the pinkies in the link you posted is my goal, they are a beautiful plant and are are supposed to do well in my zone.

  • hoovb zone 9 sunset 23
    9 years ago

    do I dead head them and will the canes keep growing?

    Yes, because deadheading tends to improve rebloom.

    The canes keep growing, but after bloom at the tip of the cane, they branch or grow laterals (smaller side branches) from the main cane, rather than just getting longer and longer. The laterals growing off the main cane can be very long, or stay relatively short---it depends on the cultivar, and the culture (rich conditions or not).

  • iris_gal
    9 years ago

    Failed to find the informative post I read about this very subject. Here's what I learned. Some Austins will respond to pegging, some not. The pegged cane eventually dies back to the point where its horiz. began to head downwards.

    Tying a cane horizontally does not result in die back. Gertrude Jekyll, Othello and Golden Celebration were the most mentioned as being sucessful. Also ramblers.

    I had an octopus cane on 'Evelyn'. Pegged it and no laterals developed in a year. It didn't have die back either. Eventually pruned it.

  • boncrow66
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thanks everyone! I will peg GC for sure and probably leave Evelyn to do her thing. As always I appreciate everyone's advice.

  • jjpeace (zone 5b Canada)
    8 years ago

    I will be experimenting with pegging this year. I want to try it with Golden Celebration and Teasing Georgia. At this moment they have buds at the end of the canes. Do I wait for them to finish blooming, dead head and then peg? Or should I do it now at the expense of the current blooms?

  • Buford_NE_GA_7A
    8 years ago

    I grow GC and TG as climbers, so it will do well pegged. I would wait for the current blooms to fade.


  • fragrancenutter
    8 years ago

    If you search the post 'Evelyn looking Horrid', there is an excellent link provided by sultry_jasmine on pegged Evelyn and the photos are magic!

  • jjpeace (zone 5b Canada)
    8 years ago

    Thanks for the response guys. I was thinking of pegging after flowering but just need some confirmation. ^^ Thanks for the link fragrancenutter, now that is one heck of a rose. I am anxiously waiting for my Evelyn to grow and peg her. Wish me luck.

  • AquaEyes 7a NJ
    8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    I peg a few of my roses. What I find easier and more attractive is to peg before they leaf-out -- this way, the leaves come in oriented the right way to catch the sun. Pegging now will mean they'll have to twist around to face the sun again. New canes that emerge in Spring are allowed to grow as they wish, and are then pegged the following Spring. Some new canes are too soft to train without causing them to kink their first year.

    If you don't want to wait, I'd suggest pegging progressively -- bend them in increments toward the way you want them to eventually be. This way you won't have as much of an awkward period before the leaves and buds re-orient themselves.

    :-)

    ~Christopher

  • jjpeace (zone 5b Canada)
    8 years ago

    I would love to have pegged them earlier but in colder zones one needs to wait till they grow again from severe spring pruning. The great thing about most Austins that I grow up here is that they will catch up pretty fast.

  • michaelg
    8 years ago

    I want to add a cautionary note to the first reply above.

    With some roses, the vigorous basal shoots are very brittle and fragile. You can easily break them if you try to bend them at all. Usually these have a glassy look. Wait until they are fibrous and bend them then, but before they get too stiff and old. Usually you can wait until a climber basal grows out to its full length, 8' or so.

    Usually a climber will not be strong enough to produce these long canes until six months in the ground or more. It will make shrubby growth and bloom. These small canes will not turn into climbing canes. They will be bypassed. So usually, no training is needed. The shrubby growth canl be useful in hiding the climber's legs.

  • jjpeace (zone 5b Canada)
    8 years ago

    Thanks Michaelg. I have new climbers this year too so I will heed your advice. Good to know.

  • R pnwz8a
    8 years ago

    Could some of u experts post pics of ur trained climbers .. That will help me train my young golden shower climber .

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