Not only ramblers and climbing roses need clever support, many shrub and noble roses, but especially standard roses, should also be tied (the expert calls this “stakes”). Especially the modern, very large-flowered varieties of English roses (e.g. from David Austin) cannot do without reasonable support.
Which supports are suitable for roses and how do you attach them correctly?
Rose supports should be stable, weatherproof and safe. Rose arches, obelisks or lattice structures are ideal for climbing and shrub roses, while noble and standard roses often use a metal or wooden stick. Use natural materials or covered wires for tying to avoid shoot injury.
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. The same supports can also be used for slightly larger shrub roses, which - if grown correctly - bloom even more luxuriantly than in their natural shrub form. Noble roses and standard roses, on the other hand, are usually satisfied with a simple stick made of either metal or wood, which, however, has to be firmly anchored in the ground.
What should rose supports be like?
Wooden rose supports 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 the case with large roses such as climbing or some shrub roses simply. On the other hand, metal rose supports (€22.00 on Amazon), which are ideally made of powder-coated and hot-dip galvanized steel and have tubes with a diameter of at least 15 millimeters, are better. These are stable and do not rust easily, but should be secured to the ground with a special anchor. Support aids made of simple, ungalvanized iron, on the other hand, are usually not very stable and also rust quickly.
Attaching roses correctly 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 these can injure the shoots. It is better to use natural materials such as raffia or similar, which, however, deteriorate after a while and need to be replaced. But plastic straps or covered wires are also very suitable; they are also more stable. In addition, never thread the rose shoots through the support, as this can also cause injuries. Rose shoots should always be tied.
Tip
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, metal irons can be used wonderfully - in a straight or curved state. The latter also have the advantage. that they are almost invisible later in larger bushes.
