How to Grow Trailing Roses

Pick a trellis or fence in full or partial sunlight that has room for the rose plant. Buy a trellis at a gardening or hardware store if you do not have one. Make sure it’s set firmly in moist, fertile soil with no standing water. Determine the pH of the soil with a pH strip (also found in a gardening store) to make sure it is between the range of 5.5 and 7.0.

Plant rose seeds at the base of the structure about 6 inches apart to ensure a closely woven screen. Keep the soil moist if a drought or dry spell occurs. If you choose to start with a rose plant instead, dig a hole deep enough to encompass the plant’s roots and set the plant in. Tie the plant’s shoots with yarn to the trellis or standing structure to ensure that the plant does not grow into a bush.

Clip some of the new canes at the base of the plant when they grow in. This routine clipping will keep the plant growing vertical.

Bend the canes and new shoots in whichever direction you like, and continue to tie them to the support with yarn. Trim 2 to 3 inches from the plant each spring to encourage growth.

Check the leaves of the roses each day for spots of any kind as this indicates fungus or mold, which is usually triggered by extremely wet conditions. Remove pests with pressurized water directed at the leaves.

Fertilize the ground three times a year with an application of nitrogen. Use 0.3 pounds of nitrogen per 100 feet of garden bed. Ask an employee at a nearby garden center for assistance if you need help determining the amount necessary.

Tie the rose stalks together with yarn before winter sets in, and mound earth 8 to 10 inches high around the base of the plant. Or, untie the plant and cover with a canvas if you experience harsh winters.