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| Hi everyone
Plant sales abound in our area & I just purchased a William Baffin Explorer Rose. Couldn't resist it at $3.24 (tax included) & was in the market for a climbing rose. I realize that William Baffin is technically a large shrub but I am choosing to train it as a climber as others have shown possible to do. We are planning on re-doing the exterior of our house therefore now would not be a good time to start the rose against the house. We have many very tall, old pines of over 40 to 60+ feet tall. Their trunks are bare as telephone poles up to heights of 25+ feet and have diameters that I cannot reach around to touch finger tip to finger tip. Has anyone trained climbing roses on tree trunks in this way? If so can you share your experience(s) & recommendations as to whether this is a good option or not. Thank You in advance for your input. |
Follow-Up Postings:
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| I have two climbing a pecan tree. Both have been there for almost ten years so they are huge. One is climbing Clotilde Soupert and the other is Madame Leonie Vieonet (sp), they get enough sun and I feed them just like my other roses and they are beautiful.
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| mrskjun: You're response & photo are very encouraging. It appears you have been very successful in training your roses up a tree. Can you tell me how you are going about attaching your stems to the tree? I'm trying to come up with ideas on how one might do that ... Thank you for your input. I really appreciate you taking the time & for encouraging me by seeing your successes. |
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| Actually kanuk, what I did was pick up a couple of old iron corner posts from an antique shop. They were very cheap, about 8 foot tall. I attached them to the tree and then planted the roses to climb, |
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| Thanks again mrskjun. Sharing your info has been very helpful to me. |
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- Posted by idixierose z8b Coastal SC (My Page) on Wed, Jul 4, 12 at 12:55
| I've grown several roses up into mature, established trees. Generally, I've had more success with climbers that are vigorous, tough and able to survive on their own. It may be different and easier when both the tree and the rose are small. Most recently, last year I banished a Silver Moon to a spot where it could grow up a tree. Now, with 15 months in its new home, the rose appears to have settled in and is putting on new growth. Sometimes the soil around a tree is full of roots and low on organic matter. I put lots of compost in the planting hole and also a couple of gallons of old potting soil. This spring, I put some cotton burr compost around it and heavier mulch on top. One concern in planting a rose to grow up a mature tree is that of keeping the rose watered. Trees take their water first, which may leave the rose a bit dry. Be prepared to water your rose every day for a year or two. Silver Moon is a thorny beast with stiff canes -- not conducive to much tying and training. My helper and I arranged the canes against the tree trunk, threw a couple of canes up through a crotch of the tree and tied it all in place with stout nylon twine. The twine is the color of the tree trunk and is almost invisible. Some of the canes wrap around the tree, some form large arches that are supported by the tree. Good luck with Wm. Baffin! |
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| idixierose~it's so nice to hear that even with the challenges of competition for nutrients & water when planting under larger established trees one can be successful . My hope was that this reportedly 'vigorous' rose, William Baffin, could fend for itself reasonably well under such conditions. Giving it extra attention for the first few years is valuable advice. Your description of tying up your Silver Moon has me putting thought into how I will attach this one. Imagine if you will tree trunks that are in fact used to make telephone poles. Straight with no branches to heights far above where this rose is capable of growing. I'll plant it first & evolve the support issue as needed. Thanks for your time & for sharing your experience. |
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- Posted by the_morden_man (Z4-Z5) Newmarket, O (My Page) on Fri, Jul 13, 12 at 11:38
| As long as it receives enough sun and some extra water since pines are very thirsty, WB will have no issue competing with mature pine trees. I have a couple of WB's that i planted into very large cedar barrels on either side of my garage a number of years ago. They have since grown their roots through the bottom of the barrels and into the actual cracks in the asphalt and to the soil below it. You can grow WB up the side of an igloo and it would just laugh at you. |
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| morden man~LOL ... now wouldn't that be pretty ... a climbing rose on an igloo. You won't believe this but after I purchased the WB I searched images to see how others had grown it & (without a lie) the photos of your WB grown in your cedar half barrels was my biggest inspiration to go ahead with training it as a climber. I even pulled out a half barrel that I had but regrettably it was starting to rot around one of the metal rings. I thought I would plant it into a plastic liner pot that fits the barrel until I get a new barrel... It's roots were coming out the bottom of the pot I purchased it in so until now I've repotted it into larger nursery pot & pruned it down to 6 canes. I even went as far as to 'peg' the canes to force lateral growth for this growing season. I'm leaning towards planting in ground but your trellised WB remains my inspiration which I hope to accomplish either up a tree trunk or a wall. BTW ... if you have any updated photos of your WB's I'd love to see how they've progressed. The last ones really came up as the best image reference for this rose in the entire 'google world'. Thanks for sharing your advice here & especially for inspiring me with your photos. |
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