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Climbing rose blind canes
shariloeHJ4ZDVMY
Posts: 5
in Plants
Hi all, new gardener here, have planted two climbing roses in a long planter under the edge of my deck the latter part of last summer. One is a Don Juan climber that is blooming like crazy this year. The other is an Eden Rose climber that is mostly sending up blind canes with (so far this summer) only one bloom on a fairly thin branch towards the bottom of the plant. I read too much nitrogen can lead to no blooms but the Don Juan is in the same planter so. Is it just that this is the first year? Any advice?
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What you need to do is to bend the canes horizontally and tie them in to the framework.
When you do that, the whole cane is at the same height so there is no top and flowers will appear along the whole length of the cane.
If I get a blind stem I just prune back to a leaf or 2 below. That should cause a new shoot to develop.
But most important is to get the canes horizontal for lots of flowers.
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
This is a link to the thread - it gets updated 'seasonally' , but the girls usually do a link when it changes
https://forum.gardenersworld.com/discussion/1071462/roses-spring-summer-2023/p398
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
What strikes me immediately is that you have one rose too many for that space, either can grow canes 3-4 metres long. In fact, I’ve seen Eden grown up and right over a 4m high and wide arch! To do just one justice and not be constantly fighting it with your pruners, you do need to gently and gradually (to avoid breakages) bend the canes near horizontal to get lots of flowering lateral shoots all along as Pete says. For that you need space.
Personally, I would consider relocating Don Juan in winter. I’ve heard it said that the Don’s blooms are best appreciated from above, so is there a space you could plant it below your deck and grow it as a pillar rose? That way, you can train Eden all along and even wrap around the front of your balcony balustrade, enjoy the Don from above and not worry too much about espaliering his canes.
Climbing roses do need around 3 years to reach their full size and blooming potential and Eden in particular is known as a rather shy bloomer to start with. Both of yours are actually doing really well for first year roses 😃
As for moving the Don Juan per Nollie’s suggestion - since I posted it has started coming up over and through the railing so I am getting some beautiful top views. I do have one additional trellis to train it to the right to start wrapping it around the front, and thinking to add one on the left of the Eden climber and train it along the steps. But I will think on moving it… there definitely is space in the middle of the bed in front of the deck where I am allowed to plant, behind some spiria that will provide nice shade for the roots…
It'll be next year that all the flowering buds appear on the horizontal canes - it'll look FAB
Train any new canes that come from the ground in a similar manner then when you get too many canes prune out the oldest as near to the ground as you can - that'll keep it all looking fresh.
Mine would too if I followed that advice 🤣
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.