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Roses are ever-popular favorites that are loved worldwide for their fantastic blooms and scent. As well as shrub, modern, or hybrid tea roses, gardeners can also use climbing roses to bring extra height and drama to a backyard.
Climbing roses can be trained to grow up a variety of supports, including walls, fences, arches, trellises, and more. They can be used as features in rose garden ideas and also cover unsightly areas that are usually bare of planting.
Whatever you want to train them up, the general method of how to train a climbing rose remains the same. You always want to select the best stems and tie them to the chosen support to fill the space and put on a dramatic show of blooms.
Climbing roses are prized for their ability to be trained to grow vertically. When grown against walls and structures, their long, flexible canes allow them to cover large areas with cascades of beautiful roses. However, brick and masonry walls can pose some challenges for attaching and supporting climbing roses.
With the right techniques though, you can successfully train climbing roses to flourish on brick. Here are tips on selecting varieties, setting up supports, planting, initial training and ongoing care for gorgeous roses on your brick wall.
Choosing the Right Climbing Roses
When selecting a climbing rose for a brick wall, consider:
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Growth rate – Faster growing varieties like ‘New Dawn’ will cover more area quicker. Go for a prolific bloomer.
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Mature size – Check the mature width and height to ensure the rose will fit the space
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Bloom time – Pick a variety with a long blooming window for maximum color.
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Fragrance – Many have fabulous fruity aromas when grown near walkways or doors
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Hardiness – Choose a variety suited for your USDA zone. Most tolerate zones 5-9.
Some great climbing roses for brick include ‘New Dawn’, ‘Eden’, ‘Joseph’s Coat’, and ‘America’.
Preparing the Growing Area
Before planting your climbing rose, assess the growing area:
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Ensure the wall receives at least 6 hours of direct sun daily for best flowering. East or west-facing walls work well.
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Check for soil quality and drainage. Roses need nutrient-rich, well-draining soil amended with compost.
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Remove any plants, debris or obstructions in the space needed for the mature rose.
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Plan where you’ll attach support hooks or anchors for training the canes along the wall.
Setting Up Support for the Canes
Climbing roses produce long, flexible canes that can be gently trained onto hooks, anchors or a trellis against the wall. Here are some options:
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Screw hooks – Use screw hooks anchored into the mortar joints to support canes horizontally. Space hooks every 12-18 inches.
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Eye hooks – For heavier canes, secure eye hooks into mortar joints and tie canes directly onto the hooks.
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Trellis – A trellis attached to the wall provides excellent support for climbing canes to weave through.
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Wires – Secure galvanized wires horizontally with eye hooks. Tie canes loosely to the wires as they grow.
Install supports at planting time. Adding them later risks damaging established plants. Space supports regularly up to the rose’s expected mature height.
Planting the Climbing Rose
Follow basic planting guidelines when installing your rose:
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Dig a 16-18 inch deep and wide hole 8 inches from the wall.
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Amend the soil removed from the hole with compost to improve drainage and nutrients.
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Place the rose in the hole after removing it from its pot and loosening circling roots.
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Backfill with amended soil, forming a mound for drainage. Water thoroughly after planting.
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Spread 2-3 inches of mulch around the base to conserve moisture and suppress weeds.
Initial Training of the Canes
Roses form new flexible canes from the base each year that can be trained onto supports:
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Tie main canes loosely to horizontal supports using stretchable ties.
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In spring, gently tie new canes emerging onto hooks or wires to encourage horizontal growth.
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Position ties loosely to avoid constricting growth.
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For denser coverage, carefully weave canes through a trellis attached to the wall.
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Remove any canes growing away from the wall and redirect new canes toward supports.
Ongoing Care and Maintenance
Once established, climbing roses on walls need:
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Watering – 1-2 inches weekly if rainfall is lacking. Avoid wetting foliage.
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Fertilizing – Apply balanced organic fertilizer in early spring and after first bloom flush.
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Pruning – Remove dead canes in early spring. Prune to shape and improve air circulation.
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Training – Periodically check and adjust ties and attachments to support vigorous growth.
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Weeding & Mulching – Keep area around base clear of weeds. Replenish compost or wood chip mulch annually.
Troubleshooting Problems
Watch for these potential issues and take corrective action:
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Minimal blooms – Increase sunlight. Apply organic rose fertilizer to boost flowering.
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Leggy growth – Prune back outer canes by 1/3 to encourage fullness.
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Poor drainage – Improve drainage by adding compost and replenishing mulch.
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Diseases – Improve air flow. Remove and destroy afflicted foliage. Use organic fungicides.
Enjoying Your Climbing Roses on Brick
With proper care and training, climbing roses transform dull brick walls into stunning vertical garden features. Choose varieties suited to your climate and support the flexible canes. Train new canes gently onto hooks, trellises or wires. Climbing roses offer endless beauty and fragrance right where you can enjoy them most!
How to train a climbing rose up a post
A climbing rose can be trained to grow up a post or pillar to create a fantastic-looking vertical structure. These pillars can make a real statement when in full bloom, giving vertical color to a flower bed. The pillar must to be well anchored and wires need to be run up the pillar. Train the stems of the rose in a spiral around the post, tying them to the pillar around every eight inches.
How to train a climbing rose on an obelisk
An obelisk offers another great opportunity to grow tall plants when you do not have walls to utilize. They can come in many styles or materials, from woven willow to sleek metal, and can be used as a centrepiece in backyard ideas. This metal garden obelisk from Amazon would work well in both modern and more traditional gardens.
When it comes to training climbing roses on an obelisk, the experts at David Austin Roses advise to ‘train a couple of the main stems straight up to the top of the structure’.
‘Then spiral the other stems around the structure, tying-in as you go – this encourages flowers from the ground upwards. Once the stems have reached the top, regularly prune to keep them within bounds.’
An obelisk can provide drama in among beds( credit: Getty/brytta)
How to train climbing roses to encourage many more flowers
FAQ
How to support climbing roses on a brick wall?
First, find the appropriate place on the wall and drill a hole into the mortar joint with a 1/4 inch drill bit. Then place a lead anchor into the hole and tap it in to make sure that it is secure. To hold the canes use a number 8 screw hook and twist it into the lead of the anchor.
How do you train vines on a brick wall?
I used little trellis anchors that I attached to my brick wall with a dab of construction adhesive. I also used some string with the anchors to help my vine climb a wall. I found this worked best because I didnt want to have to drill into my masonry.
How to train a rose on a wall?
Training climbing and rambling roses
Roses do not cling to the wall themselves like some plants do. Therefore they will require tying in. On a wall it is a good idea to put up trellis or wires for this purpose. As the rose grows it should be encouraged to grow horizontally outward and upward.
Can climbing roses climb walls?
By training a fabulous, fragrant climbing or rambling rose up a wall or or fence, you can convert a dull, even unsightly area into one of the most stunning features in your garden. It draws the eye up from the ground, providing colour and blooms at eye level.
Can roses climb a brick wall?
Although you can grow climbing roses up a brick wall safely, without fear of it damaging your brick, for the best results, your rose is going to need some support. Climbing roses actually don’t ‘climb’ by themselves – they need support for all those big, heavy beautiful blooms. So they need something to effectively grow around, or be held up by.
How do you attach climbing roses to brick?
Plastic brick clips with wire support are the safest way to attach climbing roses to brick. These tips will help you to create a climbing rose wall that not only wows everyone who sees it and scents your home or garden beautifully, it will help protect your brick and mortar too! Will Vines Damage A Brick Wall?
Can a climbing rose be trained against a wall?
Training a climbing rose against a wall is a fantastic way of utilizing an otherwise bare space and turning it into a stunning feature. The roses can bring color and fragrance to the wall, or alternatively it can be trained against a fence in the same way.
How do I prevent climbing roses from damaging my brickwork?
In order to prevent climbing roses damaging your brickwork, use a trellis to establish growth, prune carefully and be sure to choose a species that is less invasive. Plastic brick clips with wire support are the safest way to attach climbing roses to brick.
Can a rose climb a wall or fence?
By training a fabulous, fragrant climbing or rambling rose up a wall or fence, you can convert a dull, even unsightly area into one of the most stunning features in your garden. There are a number of ways of supporting your rose as it ‘climbs’ the wall or fence, we recommend setting up straining wires or using a trellis.
How do you train a climbing rose on a trellis?
Climbing roses can cover otherwise blank and unsightly spaces The method to train a climbing rose on a trellis is the same as outlined above for walls. Any trellis should be placed around 3-5 inches from the wall, as that allows shoots to climb behind it and for air to circulate behind the plant.