Question
QUESTION: Someone on this site suggested waiting until spring to prune these and they would provide such info. It is now spring -- what guidance do you have for pruning one and two year old Don Juan plants?

ANSWER: All climbers have a basic way of growing. They put out long canes first and then they put out laterals from those main canes. Finally they then start to produce flowers. It is not unusual for many climbers to make growth at the expense of flowers for at least three years. Because the rose grows this way, tit really doesn't need any pruning for a few years.  Pruning activates new growth, so pruning can actually delay blooming. It would be a wisdom to wait until the roses are actively blooming and then if they have outgrown their allotted space, you can prune the main canes back plus cut out any dead or disease growth. If your climbers are slow in flowering simply stop fertilizing them until they do bloom.

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QUESTION: Thanks.  I'm trying to grow them along a 6-foot tall cedar fence and would like them to spread 12 feet or more each way from the center.  The fence runs north to south and they face west so they get plenty of hot afternoon sun here in Grand Junction, CO.  Any further guidance on training them and pruning accordingly?

Answer
Spreading rose canes horizontally is the best way to get a lot of flowers. The upright canes don't stop the flowering hormone and so most of the flowers are at the top. When you spread the canes the hormone is impeded and so lots of laterals pop up all along the horizontal canes which means you get more blooms. You can only bend the canes when they are young because if you do it when they have become rigid all you will hear is  a loud crack when you try to bend them. I take the ends and tie them with any soft ribbon or string, even thick wool, as the canes can be damaged when young. Then I tie the other end to the fence. Every month I go and tighten the ends of the cane gently, bending them further down. When the canes are nearly horizontal, as some may not want to bend without snapping, I then just leave them tied to the fence. Canes will harden off near the end of the summer and will be completely hardened off over the winter.
You don't get really nasty winters in your area but be warned that although Don Juans are a top red climber, they are not very hardy. To make sure they make it through the winter, stop all fertilizing after the end of July. Also don't take the hips off at this time as this signals the rose to shut down and prepare for cold. This will your climbers time to harden off any new growth. It is usually the new growth that gets killed during a cold winter. Bacteria enter into the dead matter and can finish off the rose totally before spring.