Rose Umbrellas

Our umbrellas elegantly support modern, shrub & weeping standard rose or wisterias and prevent their heavy heads of flowers from breaking. If fitting to an existing rose, position the umbrella as near to the stem as possible and push/hammer it in until the head of the umbrella touches the head of the standard. Tie in the new growth as it comes through taking branches across the umbrella to tie them in near-horizontally (roses flower much better if trained to the horizontal).

Lesley Ann's Tip

“Installing a rose/wisteria umbrella is easy. Standard rose stems are usually 90-100cm with the actual 'bush' growing on top of that stem. So our 150cm stake can be hammered a good 40cm into the ground. This is sufficient, on firm ground, not to need postcreting.
“If the ground comprises new topsoil or has been freshly dug, or if the location is particularly windy, postcreting is advised.
“Position the support so that the umbrella is as close as possible to the break at the top of the rose or wisteria. New growth comes up through the spokes of the umbrella and is tied horizontally to encourage more flowers.”

FAQs

What is a standard or weeping rose?

Standard or weeping roses are grafted high onto a rose root stock resulting in extra height – normally 1m for a standard rose (such as ‘Buff Beauty’) and 1.4m for a weeping rose (such as ‘Canary Bird’). Both types of rose benefit from the support of a Standard Rose Umbrella to support their heavy heads of flowers; they also flower better if they are trained horizontally. Like all roses they benefit from being grown in rich soil in full sun.

What is the best metal rose support for standard and weeping roses?

A standard rose is best grown through a metal rose umbrella. The umbrella is positioned alongside the stem of the rose and pushed in until the head of the umbrella touches the spreading branches of the rose. The new growth comes through the top of the umbrella and is tied to the spokes; this protects the heavy head from breaking during heavy wind and rain and encourages more flowers.

How do you prune a standard or weeping rose?

Once the rose has finished flowering, cut the flowering stems back to about 5cm above the umbrella (this can be done in late summer or winter, roses are very tolerant of pruning) In spring, tie in the new growth horizontally for a standard or allow weeping roses to arch over and down tying them round the edge of the umbrella.

Can I grow wisterias as standards?

Wisterias make wonderful standards with huge, heavy heads of flowers. Early training is essential. Plant the wisteria in its final position and place a metal wisteria umbrella alongside the stem, pushing or hammering in well until the umbrella is at about 1.5m above ground. You have to be ruthless in removing sideshoots in the first year of planting allowing only one strong stem to grow to a height of about 1.5m; prune the tip of the stem and, as the shoots grow from the top, begin to train them around the umbrella. Prune twice a year (in July and February) to keep the growth short and manageable.

What is the best support for a standard wisteria?

Our 2m metal standard wisteria support is designed with wisterias in mind. It will provide strong support for the growing plant and a framework for training it. Wisterias are very prone to damage by wind and rain in their early years so a solid metal support is essential and continues to provide a framework for training a mature standard.

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