Don Juan Rose - train or don’t train

5 years ago

I am wondering if anyone here grows a Don Juan climbing rose. Mine is 4 years old now and this year I had quite a few flowers on it that’s just lasts and lasts and they smell so wonderful. Blooms on both old and new wood. It’s kind of between a rose bush and a climber and that is where I am having some problems knowing what to do with it. The older wood I have is shorter (3-4 ft)and it sends up new shoots regularly about 1ft high with flowers at the end. I trim the spent flowers in a way that the next shoot grows outward, and creates a cone shape plant. Last year’s branches quickly turn woody and do not bend. the new shoots that came out of the base this year are somewhat flexible but also feel fragile. They grew to a graceful 7ft cane with a flower or two at the end. - so my question is do I try to train those horizontally for more laterals and if yes how do I do it so I don’t break those fat fragile canes? Or do I just leave them swinging put up with less flowers and prune the bush back in the spring into a shorter 4ft bush?

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Comments (5)

callirhoe123
5 years ago
Is there something in place to which you can tie it?
seil zone 6b MI
5 years ago
If you have the room go ahead and spread it out for more bloom. Find something, a trellis or obelisk, to tie it too. Start bending those canes early when they are very young and flexible and short. As they grow out keep bending them in the direction you want. You have to keep at it consistently as the cane grows. Once it has hardened off it's too late. Your roses and photos are gorgeous!
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Stephanie, 9b inland SoCal
5 years ago
Beautiful roses! Have you checked YouTube for training videos. They might not be exactly what you want since it sounds like you are almost doing a shrub shape on bottom and climber up higher but could give you some ideas.

Heirloom Roses’ channel:
https://youtu.be/iNfSaH5fLUM

Paul Zimmerman’s channel:
https://youtu.be/1o-o_FHPoEU
Maria Kovacs
Original Author
5 years ago
Callirhoe123 yes. I have just installed an experimental horizontal trellis behind just with twine. I bent down the 3 longest canes. Left the rest standing upright. It looks kind of odd though.
Maria Kovacs
Original Author
5 years ago
Stephanie, yes I did. I actually did find Paul Zimmerman’s site. He talks about the various roses and how to tie them up but this rose is such a weird mix of a climber and a hybrid