Should I tie up the stems of my rose?

Me again! You don't say whether it's a floribunda, hybrid tea, climber, or whatever, but I see from the picture it's in a very crowded place against a wall. Roses prefer to stand alone, not having to compete for light and air - it's probably groping for extra air and light. If it's a climber, it needs supports to be tied onto, if not, I suspect it's not in a good spot... Tie it up in the meantime, it won't weaken the growth - rather, it'll be the growing conditions that alter the growth.

Hi Mims2, It is a David Austin English shrub rose, not a climber. It is growing very close to a wall but in a jolly big planter. It is in fact directly south facing, so gets plenty of sun each day and no light deprivation. The planting is however a little tight, and I may have to remove the Euphorbia in front of it partly or completely. I guess it will have to be tied anyway as it is doing such a flop. Pity. It would be nicer if it would be sturdier and more erect. Looks like I'm going to have to rely on a whole web of bits of string throughout the summer. Seems funny. Kindest regards to you.

Some judicious pruning later on might resolve it, but perhaps it's going to be like Iceberg, which tends to have thin, weak stems which don't seem strong enough to support the flowers. Remember to remove up to 10 inches of stem when you dead head (well, at least till mid July, not after). Probably teaching my grandmother to suck eggs...

Hi Mims2, I also have Iceberg, and it always manages to stay upright every summer, even though the stems are thin-ish. When I spoke to David Austin Roses they said that if a rose gets too tall and gains too much ascendency during the summer, it can be pruned down by about a foot after the first flush of flowers have finished. A second flush will then develop later, and the bush will not be too big. It looks like I may have to do this with my Eglantyne also. It's only a young one, in its second year. The flowers on it are truly beautiful. I'm still learning about roses. Best wishes.

some of my roses are doing the same for the first time ever and I wondered if its a weather or overfeeding thing, the plants putting on a lot of soft growth initially and they find it hard to support the weight of the flowers. I think you will find the later flowers hold up better

Hi Mageth, I have been considering the possibility that I may have overfed them with the fertilizer. Oh dear, I hope not. I have emailed David Austin Roses with enquiry re their drooping, with photo, as I really want to try to get to the bottom of it. Hopefully they will get back to me about it over the next day or two. They usually do. Then hopefully I can post their answer. Kindest regards to you.