The Don Juan climbing rose is one of the most popular varieties of climbing roses, and you can definitely see why!
The Don Juan is one of the easiest rose species to grow, and we highly recommend it for newcomers who want to get into rose gardening.
Read on for straightforward, easy instructions on how to care for a Don Juan rose, as well as instructions on how to train it to climb!
What Kind Of Rose Is Don Juan?
The Rosa ‘Don Juan’ is a specific variety of the rose, which is a climbing, deciduous shrub that produces large flowers.
The Don Juan rose was cultivated in 1958 by Italian rose breeder, Michele Malandrone.
What makes the Don Juan rose unique is that it has a fragrance, which is rather unusual for climbing roses.
Don Juan roses start to bloom in May. These blooms can continue on until the first winter frost when the rose sheds its leaves and enters a period of dormancy for the winter.
It is a large-flowered climbing rose, its flowers reaching a diameter of 5” across.
Unlike other rose varieties, the Don Juan is a repeat bloomer.
If you prune wilted flowers, new blooms will appear in its stead all summer long.
The plant itself can grow to be very tall, between 12 to 14 feet tall.
Don Juan roses are a climbing variety of roses and can be trailed to climb fences, trellises, or walls.
However, despite being a climbing rose, the Don Juan can be pruned to a smaller, bush-shape.
How To Plant The Don Juan Climbing Rose In 5 Steps
Step 1: Prepare the garden bed for your rose by laying down the soil
The ideal soil type of the Don Juan roses is a soil that has the following qualities:
Acidic soil pH. Aim for a pH level that is between 6.0 to 6.5. Soil can be acidified by adding garden sulfur. I highly recommend using an at-home pH test kit to determine the acidity level of your soil before adding any amendments.
Well-draining. The inclusion of chunky soil materials such as perlite or sand will help increase the drainage in your rose plant’s soil.
Nutrient-rich. A week before planting your roses, work in some organic materials; examples of this include compost or manure. These two materials help add a rich source of nutrients to keep your rose bushes happy and nourished.
Step 2: Measure the root ball of the rose plant and dig the hole
Measure the root ball of the rose plant. The hole you dig for the plant should be at least 10 inches deep, and double the width of the root ball.
So for example, if your root ball is 12 inches across, the hole you dig should be 24 inches wide.
If you are planting multiple roses, space each plant 7 to 10 feet apart from one another.
Step 3: Add compost into the hole before placing the rose
Add a few scoops of compost into the hole before placing your rose bush.
Gently tussle the root ball to loosen up any tightly-wound roots; this will help the roots branch out easier under the surface of the soil.
Step 4: Pack soil around the root ball of the plant
Pack soil around the root ball of the plant, making sure the crevices all get filled with soil.
When the root ball is properly covered with soil, then sprinkle rose food around the base of the plant.
Place a 2-inch layer of pine bark over the surface of the soil.
Step 5: Lightly wet the soil
After planting your roses, take a sprinkler and lightly wet the soil.
Try to avoid creating a puddle of water. Wetting the soil is helpful in mitigating the risk of transplant shock in your plants.
Don Juan Climbing Rose Care
The most important part of caring for a Don Juan climbing rose is making sure you give your roses their preferred growing conditions to ensure that they have a long, healthy life.
Preferred Growing Conditions
1. Sun & Light
Don Juan roses are tolerable of light shade, though be aware that they grow best when exposed to full sunlight.
We would recommend giving your roses at least 6 hours of light per day.
A full day’s worth of sun helps encourage vigorous growth and lowers your roses’ susceptibility to disease.
2. Soil Type
The ideal type of soil that works best for Don Juan roses is a soil that is acidic in pH (aim for around 6.0 to 6.5) and well-draining.
In addition, Don Juan roses enjoy soil that is rich in nutrients, it would benefit your roses to mix in organic compost or manure to the soil before planting.
3. Watering Schedule
Don Juan roses are known to enjoy moist soil conditions, therefore they will need to be watered thoroughly and frequently.
The best time of day to water your roses is during the morning. Doing so will keep your roses cool and hydrated through the day.
Avoid overhead watering and always try to water as close to the base of the plants as possible.
When you water overhead, excess moisture can get trapped in the crevices of the roses, which can eventually lead to moisture-based diseases such as powdery mildew.
4. Fertilizer
Fertilizer should only be applied once just before the flowers begin to bloom, when new rose buds develop.
Select a water-soluble fertilizer that is high in nitrogen and make sure to carefully follow the instructions on the package.
Pour the fertilizer in a circle around the base of the plant, while avoiding actually touching the plant.
Pruning & Maintenance
Do not prune your Don Juan roses for the first two years, as your rose bush needs time to establish itself before any pruning.
After two years, careful pruning of your mature Don Juan roses will help encourage new, vigorous growth.
Always be sure to use sharp, sterilize pruning shears. Failure to do so may open your plant up to possible disease.
The best time to trim your rose bushes is between late winter and early spring, just before the active growing period occurs.
However, you may prune your bushes whenever you see it as necessary (such as in cases of disease).
Trim any parts of the plant that appear to be dead or damaged.
Damaged foliage will simply inhibit any new growth that your plant is trying to produce.
By removing these affected parts of the rose bush, the plant can focus on creating new, healthier branches rather than trying to revive dead ones.
After your Don Juan roses blooms begin to wilt, it is best to cut off the flower. You’ll help conserve the plant’s energy and allow for new roses to blossom.
During the winter, the Don Juan rose bush will shed its leaves.
It is important to rake all the fallen leaves and dispose of them properly.
If you live in regions with hot rainy weather (especially during summertime), it is extremely beneficial to regularly spray your plant with a fungicide.
Excess moisture can become trapped in the crevices of the plant, resulting is eventual fungus and disease.
By spritzing a fungicide on a biweekly basis, you can help prevent fungal diseases.
If you’re looking for a natural fungicide, we highly recommend using neem oil.
Not only is neem oil an effective natural fungicide, but it can also be used as a preventative/treatment spray for pests.
How To Train A Don Juan Climbing Rose
The Don Juan climbing rose looks beautiful when it climbs up a fence or trellis, but it does need some help from you, the plant owner.
You’ll be pleasantly surprised to know that the Don Juan rose is very easy to train to grow on a climbing structure.
Follow these simple steps to successfully train your climbing rose.
What You’ll Need
1. Climbing structure. This is either a fence or a trellis; anything that you can fasten your rose branches to.
2. Plant ties. These can be easily found at a garden nursery. Plant ties are strong enough to hold the plant to the climbing structure, without damaging the branches.
How To Train A Don Juan Climbing Rose, Step-by-Step:
1. Place your climbing structure 1 foot away from the base of your plant. This distance is close enough for your plant to climb without stifling the growth pattern.
2. Gently pull the branches up towards the climbing structure and fasten them using the plant ties. Space each plant tie 1 foot away from each other.
3.Continue doing this as you see necessary. Eventually, the rose will start to follow the growing pattern and utilize the climbing structure on its own.
Conclusion
The Don Juan rose is a unique and popular variety of rose, and you can definitely see why it has such a fan base!
The Don Juan rose is very low-maintenance and requires simple care instructions.
It doesn’t take much to have beautiful rose blooms with this species.
