Hi
you are doing nothing wrong, the growth is the nature of those paticular roses. Leander is best grown as a climber.
Basically to get flowers on these long canes you have to either train them horizontally or peg them down. If you let any rose cane reach for the sky you will only get flowers at the very end. Pegging (attach the end of the can down with a tent peg)is great but it does take up a lot of room.
Good luck
Deryn

I also have Golden Celebration and Claire Rose. Both are really healthy and also throw out very long canes sideways say, 2-3 metres with only a few flowers on the ends. A friend of mine suggested I grow them as climbers along espelier wire.But how do you get more blooms?
Thanks

thanks for the responses...looks like I'll have to shift Leander to somewhere more suitable.

Should I try the same thing with the other two, or cut my losses, as they are quite large plants with thick bases, and thus probably have correspondingly large root systems (I tried shifting a rose that had been in the ground only 18 mths, and the roots went on forever, and even now it seems there must have been some root stock left behind, cos I keep getting shoots coming up)

Some Austins are definitely more prone to throwing out long canes than others. It depends on the breeding ancestry. Austin used climbers like New Dawn in some of his work.

There's no harm trimming back the rampant canes mid season. Cut them to the size you want and then watch them flower on the lateral branches that will spring outwards. It's a good way to make a sound, solid bush.

thanks everyone

Got another Q...are there any particular DA roses which you strongly recommend? I'm not too fussed about colour, though must admit I do prefer my darker red roses (maybe cos they're growing "properly"? lol

Jubilee Celebration, Heritage, Abraham Darby and St Swithun are all brilliant examples of what Austin has to offer.

I love Dark Lady for a red and also new William Shakespeare

Radio Times for it's brilliant perfume.

thanks Daniel, kevarose and woodlands...have abraham Darby, it's great. Will keep an eye out for the others when I next go to the nursery.

Graham Thomas is a beauty it is yellow but it has great growth & always in flower, I also wonder if those long canes you are having problems with might be coming from the understock if the canes are different from the rest check to make sure & pull off as they will take over & weaken the main plant, just check under the graft.
Jan.

hey there ginnybee...nope the canes are definitely from above the graft, usually from 'older' branches which, after their first flush of flowers and a decent dead-heading of that branch, then sends out a really long cane (at least, they're really long if I occasionally leave it!)

I love Yellow Charles Austin. Beautiful form deep green foliage ,tiny buds and sensational blooms.
I think it may be a favourite of mine. I have added a pic:
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Good luck with your decision
cheers
Michelle