"dave weil" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 6 Apr 2004 10:58:37 -0500, "jennie"
wrote:

Hello!

I am interested in advise about growing a rambler into a tree. I have a
treed-up ligustrum, about 14 feet high, and would like to plant a
rambler,
specifically, an Albéric Barbier, to grow up into it. How far away from
the
trunk should the rose be planted? How do I train it before it reaches
the
first branches?

(I'm in zone 9 if this is helpful.)

Thanks so much!

People usually advise planting the rose a little ways from the trunk
(maybe a foot or so) and plant it at an angle toward the tree (say
about 30 degrees off vertical). Obviously you want to try to avoid
cutting tree roots if possible.

I don't think dynamite would damage these darn roots. ;-)

Thanks very much for the advice on the staking. I find as my Don Juan is
getting larger and larger that I'm going to need to do some training, and
perhaps get a trellis. (I always kept it more as a large shrub, and never
had it supported, but it's really fighting me now and wants to take off.)
I guess it's off to buy some stretchy stuff.

--
J