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Guidance starting a new climber

Posted by mikerizzle9 PHX, AZ (My Page) on
Sat, Sep 29, 12 at 16:39

Specifically a Don Juan I bought from local nursery. It's in a 5 gal with a healthy bud union, however it is pruned and the branch structure is similar to an HT. I'm going to plant it at the base of my home's front entry pillar and I need it to put all new canes to train around it.

When I prune in January, how should I do it? There are 3 fat canes, but all have been snipped and are probably no more than 8". How many canes should I try to entice out?

I guess this would be similar to starting a bare-root climber, which I've never done. Being in AZ, I've only ordered own-root or Fortuniana. Maybe somebody has a link?


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RE: Guidance starting a new climber

Climbing roses can take 2 to 3 years before they start putting out long climbing canes. If this were mine, I would NOT PRUNE it at all - I would let it sit there and it will spend a season growing roots, and some new growth for energy, but not much. Then it will put out new canes, but they may very well be short wimpy looking ones. Again - DO NOT PRUNE IT - it needs this growth to thrive. Then after that, if you wait a while, it will start putting out the very long, vigorous, climbing canes that you can train on your pillar.

The rule of thumb for climbing roses is:

"First year sleeping
Second year creeping
Third year leaping"

Jackie


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RE: Guidance starting a new climber

  • Posted by seil z6b MI (My Page) on
    Sat, Sep 29, 12 at 17:54

Jackie's advice is good, patience is the key with all climbers. Don't fuss with it for at least the first 3 years and let it build up a good root ball and cane base to start to climb from. One thing you want to do when you do start to get those longer canes is to try and get them to go as horizontal as possible. That will give you added lateral canes that will give you more blooms!


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RE: Guidance starting a new climber

Patience ::sigh:: ... I have plenty of other things to worry about in the yard so I really should be able to ignore pruning. Thanks for the tips.


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RE: Guidance starting a new climber

My mom has a beautiful Don Juan growing up a pillar in her Phx metro garden. As the others said, don't prune now and it will be beautiful in a couple years.


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