Climbing Roses - How to Grow

photo by morguefile

Climbing roses feature large fragrant flowers that will bloom continually from June until frost.  They grow quickly up a trellis support or a chain link fence and within three years the climbing rose will cover the trellis. The climbing rose bush will be a feature area in your yard that will be admired by all.

Photo by: Johnston The Gardeners Dirt ncsu-edu

Climbing roses are easy to grow provided that you plant them in full sun, rich well drained soil, hydration and fertilizer in the early spring.

Grow climbing roses on a garden arbor in a viewing area.  The roses vine will add curb appeal of your home.

When to plant climbing roses

The best time to plant is in early spring.  Plant a bare root climbing rose bush as soon as the soil is warm enough that you can dig up the soil.   It is best to plant directly after the threat of spring frost has past.

Where to plant roses

Roses need sun to grow so choose a garden site that has a minimum of six hours of direct dun.  The soil needs to be well drained and fertile.  If your soil is poor or medium amend the soil with compost or manure. 

Climbing roses put out trailing stems that can grow upward or they can grow across and be used as a ground cover.  Trailing rose stems with a profusion of flowers looks lovely when grown down a sunny slope.  

How to plant bare root roses

Soak the bare root rose bush over night in a bucket of water.  Fill the bucket so the root of the bush is emerged.  Loosen the soil with a shovel and work the soil so that the texture is fine and lofty.  Amend the soil with organic matter; compost or manure will enrich the soil.   

 Plant the rose bush so that the bud union is half buried in the soil.  If you are planting more than one climbing rose bush then allow a three food space between rose bushes.  Plant the climbing roses in front of a support.

Care for Roses

1. Water well after planting the rose bushes and then monitor the soil so that the soil stays evenly moist during the growing season.   If the soil should dry out then this will cause the roses to wilt and to have stress.  Plan to water the climbing roses deeply once a week; 1 inch of water is better than watering them lightly throughout the week.  The inch of water will get to the roots and will keep the rose bushes hydrated.  
2. If your summers are very hot then you will need to water the rose bushes more frequently.  Test the soil with your finger.  Stick your index finger into the upper soil and if the soil is dry at two to three inches then water the rose bushes.
3. Apply three inches organic mulch; shredded leaves, pine needles, grass clippings or chipped wood around the rose bush but do not set the mulch on the stems of the rose bush. The mulch is to help retain moisture and to deter weed growth.  
4. Fertilize when the leaf buds appear.  A time released fertilizer is preferred for growing climbing roses.
5. Prune climbing roses in the spring to remove dead or damaged branches. Otherwise let your rose bush mature and become established in your garden.  A climbing rose bush is considered mature in two years.

Learn more about pruning a climbing rose bush by viewing this YouTube video:

 

Planting Tulip Bulbs

Plant a tulip bulb garden in the fall season and the flowers will bloom in spring. Tulips are attractive when planted in masses along a walkway, close to your entrance, or as accent plants in your yard and in a container.

For an informal tulip garden, you may want to plant your tulips in masses mixed with other spring bulbs; daffodils crocus and hyacinths are a few that look lovely when grown in masses. 

 

Plant a formal tulip bulb garden by choosing a color theme that will compliment your home and landscape. A garden around a tree with a color theme of red and white looks nice or purple and yellow will certainly make your feature garden pop.  Then plant tulips in stately urns and set the urns close to your home entrance. The tulip gardens will add color and curb appeal to your home. 

Things you will need to plant a tulip garden

• Tulip Bulbs
• Compost
• Bonemeal
• Organic Mulch
• Garden hose
• Garden gloves
• Shovel
• Tiller (optional) 
• Water soluble fertilizer

Choose large tulip bulbs that are firm to the touch.  Refrain from selecting bulbs that are soft or have mold. Purchase quality bulbs, and you will grow healthy tulip flowers.

Select a garden site that has full sun with well-drained soil. A garden that is raised is a good choice because tulips need soil drainage, they will not grow if the bulb is sitting in water. 

Tulips will tolerate part shade at the end of the day but do require a minimum of seven hours of sun per day.  If growing under or close to a tree, plan on buying early spring blooming tulips.  These tulips will bloom before the leaves on the trees open.  If the garden has good light the stems will be straight and tall and will not bend toward the light. 

Plan your tulip garden by drawing the design out on paper. Use colored pencils to indicate the planting location for the tulip bulbs. For an informal garden of mixed spring bulbs, you would add these flowers to your garden plan. The garden design is very helpful when you are planting tulip bulbs as a color theme.

For massive plantings of tulip bulbs dig trenches that are twelve inches deep. The easiest way to do this is with a tiller. Remove the soil from the trench. Use your hands to loosen the soil until it is a light texture.  

Mix compost with the soil and fill the hole to 8 inches from the surface.   

Sprinkle bonemeal in the bottom of the hole. Plant the tulip (flat side down, pointy side up) at a depth of 3 times the size of the bulb diameter. Space your bulbs six inches apart. Cover the bulbs with soil and water well.

Tips

Water the tulip gardens one inch per week until the first hard frost.

When the ground starts to freeze, you would then cover the gardens with six inches of organic mulch; pine needles, or chipped tree bark.

In early spring remove the mulch before the tulip stem starts to come up.  If the spring is dry begin watering tulips gardens, with one inch of water per week.  Deep watering is good as it will get to the bulb.  After the tulip blooms cut back on watering.

When the tulip foliage breaks the ground, feed with a water-soluble fertilizer.  I use miracle grow bloom booster and have good results.  Remember to fertilize when the tulip starts to come up but not when the tulip is ready to bloom.

 Allow the tulip to die back naturally.   You can add mulch around the tulip after they have bloomed to retain moisture and deter weed growth.

If your summers are dry then water the tulip gardens.  Even though it is not blooming it is still alive under the ground and needs hydration. 

You can plant tulips as late as November.

Autumn Lawn Care

Autumn is the season when you ready your lawn for winter by fertilizing, weeding and thatching.  It is also the time to start a new lawn and repair an old lawn. By taking care of your lawn needs in early September through October you will prolong the color and have a healthy lawn that will resist weeds. 

When spring comes your lawn will be dense with no bald spots and grass will be lush and green.


Fertilizing Lawn
Here in the central states fertilizing your yard is best done the first week of September.  My lawn is a combination Kentucky blue grass and perennial ryegrass.  The cool season grass grows fast in the spring and the fall.  I fertilize my lawn once a year with a quality lawn fertilizer that has a slow-release of nitrogen.  By fertilizing in early fall my grass stays greener longer and come spring my grass comes back quick.

If you are going to fertilize your lawn with a winterize then apply a fertilizer that contains at least 20 percent more nitrogen and less phosphorus and potassium. 
Follow the directions on the winterize lawn fertilizer and water well after application.  

The best time to winterize your lawn is from October through early November. 
If you are unsure of how much nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium is needed then I would recommend getting your soil tested.

Weed Control-Thatching
In late August mow your lawn to the height of two inches and then treat it with a pre-emergent weed killer to get rid of the common broadleaf weeds; clover, sow thistle, dandelions, bindweed, plantain. 

In about ten days the weeds will have died back and you would then remove the weeds and the thick tangled dead grass roots from your lawn by thatching.  Thatching rakes have curved tines which enable you to clear your lawn quickly and to loosen up the top soil. 

Care for your lawn in autumn

Planting Grass Seed
After you thatch your lawn it is now ready for reseeding your lawn or to fill in bare spots.  The best time to seed your lawn is in early September.  The cooler weather is agreeable and the grass grows quickly.

Irrigating Your Autumn Lawn
Keep your lawn watered especially if you have a dry autumn or winter seasons.  Even if your lawn goes dormant it is still living and needs water to survive throughout the winter months.  Grass needs an average of 1/2 inch of water a week to stay healthy.  You can go 2 weeks without watering and then water your lawn 1 inches of water. This deep watering will get to the roots and benefit your lawn.

Measure the water by setting an empty tuna fish or cat food can next to the sprinkler.  When the water fills the can then you have reached your lawn watering requirements.

Tips
Kentucky bluegrass and perennial ryegrass lawns in sun should receive 1 to 4 pounds per 1000 square feet of nitrogen every year.

Fertilizer used in the fall should be higher in nitrogen then potassium and lower in phosphorus. Grasses fertilized this way have shown greater survival during winter months than those fertilized with high phosphorous.


Learn more about fertilizing lawn in fall here: http://www.colostate.edu/Depts/CoopExt/4DMG/Lawns/mythwint.htm

Fall Container Garden Ideas

 

Fall is the time when you pull out the summer annuals from your container gardens and replace them with colorful fall shrubs and flowers.

September and October have been warm here in the central states, and my annuals are still blooming. However, the foliage is starting to fade due to the cooler nights.

Today I removed the annuals from the containers and refreshed the soil by adding compost to prepare for fall plantings.

In the fall, I like to add color and interest to my container gardens by planting shrubs, pansies, grasses, groundcovers, and chrysanthemums. I also enjoy planting urns of purple and yellow cold‑hardy pansies. Pansies are a wonderful way to add long‑lasting color to your fall containers.

These plants will create a container that lasts until Thanksgiving. If your winters are mild, the container may last throughout the winter season and keep your home’s entrance warm and inviting.

Watch: Creative fall container garden ideas

Tips

• Replace fading mums: When your chrysanthemum blooms fade, remove the plant and replace it with a fresh one to maintain continuous color. Plant the spent mum in your garden.

• Add dwarf coral red barberry: This compact shrub adds rich fall color. It features orange spring flowers and ornamental bluish‑black fruit in fall.

• Try caramel coral bells (Heuchera): One of my favorite fall plants. The foliage turns gold, orange, and pink‑variegated in autumn, making it a standout in containers.

• Accent with pumpkins and gourds: Place pumpkins around your fall containers to create a warm, seasonal display.

Elephant ear containers look beautiful in the fall as long as there is no hard frost. Pair them with yellow chrysanthemums for a bold seasonal look. Leave the elephant ears in the container until it’s time to cut them back, dig them up, or bring them indoors.