I don't think these tea roses are actually climbers - they are just huge, self supporting rose which naturally form large large bushes. Yours are very young, and probably have not reached their natural size yet. Sounds like they are getting too big for the space where they are planted? Tea roses are all different, of course, but I garden in zone 9, and I have some that form free standing bushes that are 8 feet tall and 7-8 feet wide and deep.

It is possible, of course, with a lot of work to prune them & tie them into a climbing shape, or just prune them (like with a hedge clipper) to stay in the space you have, but they will just sprout more growth, trying to get back to their natural size. Need more info on where they are & whether there is a climbing structure (like a house) that they could climb up.

Jackie

Sherry, I had E. Veyrat Hermanos and it grew faster than any other rose in my garden. I grew it against the house wall and it became obvious almost immediately that it would outgrow its space very soon. I cut it back and it shot up again. I then cut it back, transplanted it and after that it refused to grow any more. I really think this rose belongs in an estate garden or up against a three-story brick house. Fortunately the flowers didn't appeal to me greatly, although I know that must people think they're exquisite. I guess all this rambling doesn't really answer your question, although obviously cutting it back completely several times is going to put it in a snit.

Ingrid

Jackie, these teas really are climbers with 12'-15' canes that throw out their own 12' canes. I would take a picture for you, but I'm at the hospital with DH for his scheduled aortic aneurysm repair. I am growing them on trellis "walls" that I built on my 2 side property lines, tied so that they billow up & fountain out from the top. The wall is 8' tall and 15' or 20' wide. My problem is that the "fountaining" almost reaches the ground and definitely blocks the pathway. I think I need to add brackets to the top of the posts with connecting horizontal support, but likely that won't be enough, and I'll need to add more posts, creating a tunnel. That would work if I had the energy to do the construction.

hoovb, you're so right. Feast or famine. :))

Ingrid, I have been very pleased with EVH's recent blooms because they're pretty large and come in clusters of 4 or 5. Multi-colored but mostly a variegated coral, deeper than I thought they were going to be. Unfortunately, the spring flush has balled consistently. Hopefully - maybe, maturity will improve that, but maybe not. He might just be one that has a better fall flush. Spring was pretty heavy but damaged. He definitely prefers heat. At his age it's probably way too early to judge yet. I'll take your advise about moving him but there's no place to move him anyway. Fortunately, my neighbor loves him spilling over her yard, but he's a jungle on my side - a thorny one that looks like he needs a machete.

Sherry

I have Georgetown Tea that is about 6 ft. tall now and flopping over. I planted it in the front of the garden and it is a problem there. I guess I'll trim it well in the spring and stake it with hopes that is doesn't flop over. If it gets this big in zone 6, I'm almost afraid what it will do in the warm zones.

Budded (shudder)?

Carol, I almost think you'd be better off moving it to a spot where he can be tall. They say pruning teas is OK, but I don't about more regular trimming for a front position. It's pretty amazing he's that big in your zone. How old is he, and how does he handle winter? Sounds like a great tea for other colder zone folks.

Sherry

Oh Sherry, you paint a very clear picture of what is happening in your garden and it is a situation I entirely understand. I am afraid you are now experiencing the terrible decisions inherent in having a nice garden. I know you have a lovely garden because I have seen pictures of it but it is going to change because not only is everything going to get bigger, you are also going to want more of it. Once you start on seeds and cuttings,the plants increase exponentially. Pretty soon, those careful vistas are ruined by great swathes of greenery. Paths get narrower and narrower until they disappear. You stop having guests because there are no spaces to sit....or even stand, unless you suck in your breath. Once there is no space on or even near the ground, you start to colonise your airspace until stuff overhangs so much, it meets in the middle. Give in now and bodge up the cheapest supports you can - it doesn't matter much what they look like, you wont be seeing them for long. A tunnel sounds good to me and then you can do some shade gardening too.

Suzy, shade gardening sounds REAL good in sunny (like a blast furnace) Florida! I was somewhat in denial as I was reading your post. Then I thought, oh, she's talking about in the future...yeah, I could see that being my situation.

Berndoodle, I don't know what you mean. Do you mean budded like grafted? Neither one of these is on fortuniana if that's what you mean. They're doing this all on their own strength.

BTW, DH came through the surgery beautifully, thank you, Lord.

Sherry

Sherry, so glad your hubby is doing well. I imagine it's been a bit of a tense time. Now you get to concentrate on the roses again (well, you can spend some time with your DH too).

Ingrid

um, well if, by the future, you mean next season or the year after..... Hey, good news about your old man too.

(3rd attempt to post this)
Ingrid & Suzy, thanks for the well-wishes. All is well and he goes home tomorrow. Minor wrinkle - I walked in today, and he had no memory of my being here yesterday, thought I had seriously abandoned him and something must be bad wrong with him. A little unsettling but after eating some solid food he seems more together. I guess morphine has some side effects. Ha!

Suzy, yes, I was thinking near future. Trying to get a realistic perspective of what's in store for me. that's why I was asking about lopping them. It might be a choice of lopping constantly, fighting constantly and forever to tame them, or removal. After all, I'm only one mere woman and an aging one at that. Really do have to be realistic about these big monster roses. Newbies, listen up! It is ill-advised to plant a tea climber in an 8-ft wide ingress/egress space. Of course, most newbies must be smarter than this newbie!

Sherry

sadly (or not) the urge to cram in just one more little plant does not diminish with experience - newness or not doesn't really come into it unless you are super-strict and know the meaning of self-discipline. But hey, you can turn into one those legendary elderly women who the neighbourhood kids regard in awe and fear because your house has been hidden in the undergrowth. I'm looking forward to it - starting keeping cats, may invest in long black coat and strange hats..oh wait, I have those already. Mmmm, chanting at full moon maybe.
Amazing what solid food does for blokes.

So glad DH is going to be OK... it's a very stressful time ! Sherry it would be great if you could take some pics of your monsters, especially if you decide to lop them down to size.... sort of like a 'memory card' thing, you ( and we) could look back and say " this is what she was talking abt.", especially if you do ever SP them...... " memories"..... sally

I think that big roses are glorious, but that a tangle that needs constant cutting will leach out all your pleasure. Only you will know what works for you, but in your place I would decide which one of the two was my favorite and just keep that one.

Rosefolly

This is what happened to my climbing Maman Cochet - it was so happy that it simply took over the arbor, then overwhelmed the walkway and began moving into the yard. But, pruning it was the beginning of it's decline. It went from a glorious near continual bloomer to a sulky beast and after about 3 years of trying to tame it, we couldn't remember when it had last really bloomed more than a few flowers. And we sadly took it out. It was magnificent when it ran wild, but needed a meadow or a barn wall to grow against.

I was afraid of that. I've seen no fall flush yet, and I think we're running out of fall. So between not appreciating being bent out of her desired trajectory and disliking lopping where does that leave me with the lady? I guess I'll find out. I haven't bent or lopped her in months so she must really hold a grudge. Or she's hungry. Maybe I'll give her a go tomorrow, maybe. Thanks, Mudbird.

Sherry

My Maman Cochet didn't bloom this Fall either because of the really hot weather and a two month drought. Don't chop up your rose. Just relocate to a better location.

We've had the same weather conditions. Unfortunately, on a 60x125 lot there is no better location - except in my friend's garden. I was thinking last night to replace her with Polka (not the friend) or another short climber that I can't think of the name of. We'll see.

Sherry