- Which support for which roses?
- How should rose supports be designed?
- Properly attach roses to a support
Not only ramblers and climbing roses need a clever support, also many shrub and hybrid roses, but above all standard roses should be tied (the experts call it "rods"). Especially the modern, very large-flowered breeds of English roses (e.g. by David Austin) cannot do without a reasonable support.
Rose arches not only support roses, they look chic too
Which support for which roses?
Rose arches are ideal for climbing roses, but support grids in the form of obelisks, columns or pyramids or a simple grid structure are also ideal. Incidentally, the same supports can also be used for somewhat larger shrub roses, which - if they are cultivated correctly - will bloom even more luxuriantly than in their natural shrub form. Hybrid tea and standard roses, on the other hand, are usually satisfied with a simple stick made of either metal or wood, which must be firmly anchored in the ground.
How should rose supports be designed?
Rose supports made of wood look natural, but unfortunately the material has a serious disadvantage: it weathers after just a few years and then has to be replaced - this is not so easy with large roses such as climbing roses or some shrub roses. On the other hand, metal rose supports are better, which are at best made of powder-coated and hot-dip galvanized steel and have tubes with a diameter of at least 15 millimeters. These are stable and do not rust so quickly, but should be fixed in the ground with a special anchor. Supporting aids made of simple, ungalvanized iron, on the other hand, are usually not very stable and also rust quickly.
Properly attach roses to a support
In addition to the actual support, the fastening material is also important: If possible, do not tie roses with metal wires, as this can damage the shoots. It is better to rely on natural materials such as raffia or similar, which, however, deteriorate after a while and need to be replaced. But plastic straps or coated wires are also very suitable, they are also more stable. Also, never thread the rose shoots through the support, as this can also cause injuries. Rose shoots should always be tied.
tips
Instead of buying expensive rose supports, you can make them yourself out of wood or metal. For self-made wooden supports, simply screw a few square strips together in the desired shape, for metal supports you can use iron reinforcements - straight or curved. The latter also have the advantage. that they are later almost invisible in larger bushes.