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Growing a good rose arch

FireFire Posts: 19,096
in Tools and techniques
I have planted five rose climbers planned to cover this large arch.


I am hoping for something along these lines (without the pink furniture):


but suspect the reality will something more like this:



I will train the canes along and around the horizontals of the arch. But surely this will mean that as the hormones will flood upwards into the side shoots (towards to their tips) I will get lots of flowers but several foot up from the arch (as pictured). I have been experimenting with pruning techniques this year and it seems that if you cut the shoots short (towards the cane) it hugely delays flowering.

Thoughts welcome.

Posts

  • amancalledgeorgeamancalledgeorge Posts: 2,736
    Five seems to be an excessive number for that arch...I'd have thought a couple of vigorous growers would have done the job. 
    To Plant a Garden is to Believe in Tomorrow
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    Possibly. I want to cover it quickly. I have very particular colours and habit in mind. The arch is a metre wide and 4 metres across. I put in roses to see what would happen. Sweet fa is happening at the moment but next year should give a chance to see how things shape up.
  • edhelkaedhelka Posts: 2,351
    I think it depends on the rose - some have only short side shoots and some produce long, people eating, canes. In your pictures, the red rose has short side shoots and looks like a good choice for the arch while the other one looks like a mistake.
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    Thanks
  • Papi JoPapi Jo Posts: 4,254
    Hi @Fire I was amused to see that you used a photo of my garden to illustrate your post. ;)
    You cannot really compare that pic of a Madame Alfred Carrière rose with that of the un-named red rose which would be your ideal rose arch climber. Madame A. Carrière actually grows more like a tree, and can reach heights of 3 to 4 metres. It's not fit for a rose-arch, much too vigorous. I'm sure other rose specialists will give you good advice for your project; but you should really give the names of those 5 rose climbers of yours, it might help.
    PS.- I'm relieved that you are not contemplating adding pink furniture to your rose arch.
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    Ah, Jo, I wasn't criticising your rose - I was just using the pic to demonstrate what can happen with arches - I've seen it happen to a friend, with the rose shoots growing sky high above the arch, rather than along the structure. Yours looks like it's happily growing on a trellis, perhaps.

    The advice is well taken about choosing the rose wisely to suit the purpose and the structure. We live and learn.
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