What are the roses you have planted? There is so much variation in climbers. I grow and know a great many. I'd be better able to answer knowing what they are.

It's a long wall with a tool shack in one end. I have climbing Lady Hillingdon, Gloire de Dijon, Fortune's Double Yellow hoping it will make the shack disappear, Crepuscule and a Teasing Georgia thrown in for small change.... Part is not planted yet but I will probably plant another couple of similar roses. Yes I know my planting is chaotic but that's me..
Nik

Nik, I have always put my horizontal wires about 10" to 12".
That's about 25cm to 30cm apart.
I have used the same measurement all my life for any climbing plant. It works well.
Once, many years ago, I put the support in after the roses had started to grow. Never again. That was a nightmare!
Daisy

Thanks Daisy. I was hoping I could get away with 50cm (20"). Would that be too wide with the canes ending up flopping all around until they got long enough?
Nik

You could do 20" apart. It depends on how you want it to look.

With TG and Crepescule, they will fill up that wall pretty quick.

I think the 20" would work.

Do you have to use wire for climbers ? I am going to be planting some on a arbor with lattice attached to where my roses will be growing. Nik I like that you are planting a variety of colors, makes it more interesting I think.

I have used up to 24", but most important, I like to use black plastic coated wire. Best, Nick

Hi Nick, yes plastic coated would be better and better looking too (I have dark green plastic coated chainlink fencing around here) but over here it is much more expensive and hard to find so I'll probably go with galvanised.
Nik

Yeah, I use galvanised wire a lot - the ties you use to attach the roses to the wires are probably more essential to avoid rubbing and chilling (I use jute fillis or even old nylon tights and never, ever tuck the canes behind the wires)....and space the wires at 12 -15inches for roses. I know it is another expense but please try to find strainers for each row length of wire - they will pull the wire tight and keep it tensioned throughout the lifespan of the framework. You can, of course, use very long vine eyes, tightening them into the masonry once the wire is attached (use a screwdriver as leverage) but, ime, the wire always loses tension (because of the ductability of metal) and needs constant adjustment.

boncrow, yes lattice will work great. Just don't weave the canes through the lattice, tie the canes to the lattice with twine or twist ties or flexible green tape. use a figure 8 tie, one loop around the cane and one loop around the lattice. That will prevent the cane from being damaged by the tying.

So I finally managed to buy the hardware. How low should I start stretching the wires?
Nik

I use galvanized wire that's meant for electric fences, cheap and meant for use outdoors. Never yet had a wire fail because of weather exposure (weedwackers are another story, however.) My wires are about 18" apart in between boards of a 4-board pasture fence, with the first one being about a foot or so off the ground. When the rose(s) are more mature, you won't use that bottom wire much, but it's necessary in the beginning to get those new baby canes off the ground.

Training ramblers and climbers this way is my favorite ... it's easy to go horizontal, almost espalier, and the flowers are more at a height where they can be enjoyed. This said, there's also something pretty wonderful about climbers and ramblers trained over your head (into trees, even).

OK thanks I'll do the same. I will stretch the first wire at about 35cm off the ground. I must say I'm not looking forward to drilling all these holes into the tough concrete retaining wall.
Nik

If you put wooden battens on the wall, vertically, at 2-3m intervals, you can fasten the wire to the timber battens rather than having to drill every fixing hole into concrete. 3 screws, top, bottom and middle of each batten will do.

Not a bad idea Camps. It will save lots of work and hassle (with all the rebars in the concrete I won't have to locate and avoid). I will have to use tougher plugs though since the load will be concentrated on fewer wall fixings. Three meters though sound too long to me for an unsupported wire stretch. I will think about it.
Nik

If you use tension strainers and 3 (or,4,5 )ply galvanised wires, you can maintain considerable breaking strength and adjust the tension as the weight on the wires increases, reducing bowing, especially if using a ductile, single gauge wire. .....but yep, 2m would be better than 3m......and it is less onerous to set a closer wire distance, having to just fasten into timber. I like to go as narrow as 25 - 30cm between horizontals.

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This post was edited by nikthegreek on Mon, Apr 14, 14 at 3:42