This document provides information on calcifuges (plants intolerant of alkaline soil), roses, climbers, and wall shrubs. It discusses selecting and planting roses, climbers, and wall shrubs, preparing soil, and maintaining plants through pruning, feeding, and controlling pests. Learning objectives cover naming examples of calcifuges, roses, climbers and wall shrubs, and describing soil preparation, planting, and maintenance of roses, climbers and wall shrubs.

1. RHS Level 2
Certificate
Year 2 Week 27 –Calcifuges, Roses,
Climbers and Wall Shrubs

2. Learning objectives
3.5 Name FIVE lime-hating trees or shrubs.
3.6 Name FIVE bush roses suitable for growing in a rose
bed, including cluster-flowered (floribunda) and large-
flowered (hybrid tea) examples.
3.7 Name FIVE climbers and FIVE wall shrubs suitable for a
variety of garden situations including shaded and north-
facing.
3.8 Describe the soil preparation and planting for roses,
climbers and wall shrubs.
3.9 Describe the routine maintenance for roses, climbers
and wall shrubs, to include pruning and the control of
weeds and common pests and diseases (aphids, powdery
mildew, black spot of roses, canker, coral spot, honey
fungus).

3. Calcifuges – revision
question answers
1. A plant that is intolerant of alkaline soil
conditions (pH 7.5 to 8 or above, but some
require much greater acidity e.g
Rhododendron pH 5.5-4.5).
2. Iron deficiency leading to interveinal chlorosis,
young leaves first.
3. Grow in a raised bed or container of
ericaceous growing media, or add sulphur
chips to the soil (short term, small area effect).
4. Camellia japonica ‘Elegans’

4. Roses - selection
 Personal preference – colour, flower form,
single flowering or remontant?
 Containerised or bare root?
 Soil and aspect – roses prefer sun and well
drained soil. Roses grafted onto R. canina
stock will cope better with cold clay or sandy
soils
 Height and spread.
 pH – roses prefer slightly acidic soil; modern
bush roses will not grow well on alkaline soil.

5. Roses – soil preparation
 Improve the soil – add plenty of organic
matter, double dig heavy clay. Permanent
plants so need good soil.
 Remove all weeds.
 ‘Rose Sick’ soil – where roses have grown
before plant pathogens build up. New roses
unlikely to grow well so replace the soil around
the rose with clean top soil.
 Check pH – Old roses such as R. mundi better
for alkaline soils.

6. Planting bare root roses
 Plant in autumn/winter provided soil not
frozen or waterlogged.
 Soak roots for an hour before planting.
 Unlike most shrubs, plant the bud union
about 2.5cm below the soil level.
 Add compost and slow release fertilizer or
bone meal to the planting hole and backfill.
 Do not mulch until spring
 Prune bush roses back hard (to 8cm)
immediately after planting.

7. Maintenance
 Weeding – hand weed with care; damage to
roots produces suckers.
 Feeding – twice a year with proprietary rose
feed. After pruning and then in mid-summer.
 Watering – well watered until established
then only in dry weather.
 Mulching – 8-10cm of well rotted stable
manure after pruning and feeding.
 Hygiene – gather up and burn or bin all fallen
leaves and debris.

8. Pruning
 Dead head for best floral display during
summer.
 Reduce by half in autumn to avoid wind rock.
 Prune hard in late winter/early spring. Back to
20cm for large flowered roses and to 30cm for
cluster flowered.
 Flowers are borne on the current seasons
growth. This has to be replaced each year so
feeding is crucial to performance.

9. Pests and diseases
 Powdery mildew – hygiene; tebuconazole.
 Rose Black spot – hygiene; tebuconazole
or triticonazole.
 Aphids – fatty acid spray, pyrethrum or
suitable systemic insecticide.

10. Climbers and Wall Shrubs
 Climbers are self supporting to some extent;
wall shrubs need to be trained and
supported.
 Climbers climb using adaptations – such as
adventitious roots; sucker pads; thorns;
tendrils or twining leaf petioles or stems.
 The extent of the adaptation influences how
much support and training they need. E.g.
Hedera helix needs no additional tying in.

11. Planting
 As for other shrubs except-
 Rain shadow of walls and other supports –
plant 40cm away and angle towards the wall;
train with canes if necessary.
 Clematis need to be planted 5cm deeper than
the nursery level; protection from wilt.
 Bare root budded climbing roses – bury the
bud union by 2.5cm.

12. Maintenance
 Deadheading – where practicable.
 Tie in new shoots to supports whilst young and
pliable.
 Feed annually with slow release fertilizer.
 Water regularly until established and then in
dry weather.
 Mulch to conserve moisture and suppress
weeds.

13. Pruning
 Time – depends on flowering habit; this years
wood or the previous year? Spring flowering
climbers usually on previous years wood –
pruned after flowering.
 Summer flowering – usually on this years wood
so pruned in late winter/early spring.
 Some exceptions – so check encyclopaedia
before pruning. Clematis and Wisteria require
particular pruning approaches.
 4 ‘D’s’ apply; same techniques as for trees and
shrubs.

14. Learning outcomes
3.5 Name FIVE lime-hating trees or shrubs.
3.6 Name FIVE bush roses suitable for growing in a rose
bed, including cluster-flowered (floribunda) and large-
flowered (hybrid tea) examples.
3.7 Name FIVE climbers and FIVE wall shrubs suitable for a
variety of garden situations including shaded and north-
facing.
3.8 Describe the soil preparation and planting for roses,
climbers and wall shrubs.
3.9 Describe the routine maintenance for roses, climbers
and wall shrubs, to include pruning and the control of
weeds and common pests and diseases (aphids, powdery
mildew, black spot of roses, canker, coral spot, honey
fungus).