What are some good tips for climbing roses outdoors?

I live near the ocean and most of my backyard is sand. I want to plant some climbing rose bushes out back against our fence. I have never done this before and i need some tips in order to keep them growing and blooming the correct way. How do i get them to grow against the fence ? What month is best ( in Florida) to plant these. Help please.

What are some good tips for climbing roses outdoors?
I don't know where in Florida you are, but if you are close to the coast, you will need to amend the soil with some organic matter like compost so the soil will hold water and nutrients. Sandy soil is pretty sterile otherwise, and roses are fertilizer pigs.





You can plant roses any time except the height of summer. They will adjust best in fall through late spring--now is a great time to get them started.





You already have a fence, so decide what you want to use for support. You can purchase a separate trellis, or just attach some heavy wires to the fence to train the rose canes (branches) through. Be sure the supports are sturdy thought. You want the canes to be secure so a good windstorm won't knock it over. If you opt for a trellis, be sure to wire or bolt it to the fence, or find some other way to keep it in place.





Once you have some type of support for the canes, then amend your soil and plant your rose being careful not to bury it--the stems should be above ground where the soil was in the pot. Lots of people bury plants by putting them in the soil too deeply, just keep the soil level the same as it is in the pot.





Once rosa is planted, apply a nice mulch on the top of the soil to keep down weeds, conserve water, and cool the soil. Be sure to have some sort of boundary between the rose bush and the grass--it is no fun weeding among thorns.





As the bush grows, weave the canes through your supports so it is trained to look how you want. Despite their reputation, roses are very sturdy. I moved three rose bushes 1,000 miles in a sealed box in a moving van and eight years later they are still alive and well. You won't kill it by training it. If a branch breaks, cut it cleanly with pruners and try again with the next one.





Roses do die of thirst and neglect. They are hungry and must be fertilized regularly in order to bloom. Florida has several different climates based on location, so I would talk to your local nursery about when you should fertilize, and when you should let the plant rest. There are hundreds of books on rose gardening, a trip to the local library should be helpful in learning more on rose culture, how to properly prune roses, and tips on selecting varieties for your area.





One word of caution if you are close to the coast, salt spray is not a friend of roses. The salt will build up in the soil and the roses may never be what you are dreaming of regardless of how well you care for them. If you have any concerns, try one or two roses and see how they do. Bougainville is a beautiful vine with gorgeous color that loves hot and humid weather--and doesn't mind sandy, salty areas.





Good luck and happy gardening.
Reply:Yikes! Okay first off, you're going to have to ammend the soil, roses are demanding and like to 'keep their feet wet'. Add mulch, something more clay-like to add substance to the soil, and peat moss to held it retain water. Secondly, Florida is pretty damn humid, you'll have trouble with powedery mildew and black spot. Stay away from tea roses, get something more like a nice floribunda.You can actually get really good books that tell you which breed of rose does best in your climate. As far as how to train them, you can tie them, honestly I have been know to use garden stakes with zip ties to force my roses to conform. You won't need to garden stakes but zip ties can help train them to grow in the right direction around and through the fence. Things to remember with roses, never get the leaves wet if you can help it, keep them free of dead growth or overgrowth, always prune them at a 5 leaf stem, and/or an outward facing bud, not where the bud nearest to the top is facing inward, otherwise you'll end up with a huge branch growing right through the middle that will need to be pruned for hygenic reasons. Do spray for aphids, stem girdlers, ect, they'll eff up your plant. Also, prune back spent blossoms immediately to encourage further bloom. Space the roses away from all other plants, they like their 'personal space'.





The great thing about Florida is the sunny days really do bring out the beauty in the plants there and with a little work you could have spectacular roses.