Swags and Ropes for Growing Roses

Swags are ropes slung between two points for training Roses and climbers.

Tips for Swags & ‘Rose on a Rope’

• Ropes made from natural fibre like Hemp, Manilla, Sissal and Yucca are appropriate decoration in a rose garden.
• Train the rose along the rope and it encourages flowering stems to break upwards.
• Provide firm support as the ropes will be heavy when fully loaded with flowers.
• The rope absorbs moisture and shrinks as it becomes wet.
• Like all plant material it can be attacked by fungus which will cause it to discolour, rot and weaken.This can be substantially prevented by giving the rope a wood preservative treatment prior to fixing it in place.
• W R Outhwaite (rose swag makers) recommend using either 1”diameter rope. ‘It is sufficiently chunky to be in scale with the supporting posts and of sufficient strength to carry any likely weight of plant growth with enough left over to give it a long life. Some people advocate even thicker rope but in our experience this can be very difficult to tension to remove the sag or drape between the posts.’
• Ramblers or Climbers can be supported on ropes.

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