Last year my neighbor was going to throw out a lovely full (if rather common looking) rose bush. It was bushy and COVERED with magenta blooms in July. On the off chance I could save it, I replanted it immediately in my yard.

I pruned it back by at least 1/3 if not more, and used an organic feed when I transplanted for encouraging root growth (lol any other plants and weeds near the fertilized area thrived!). In the following weeks it was looking pretty dead... this spring it has two live cane areas (it's a highly branched bush, so not two long upright canes but two areas of about one foot each near the basal)... with one or two other small areas POSSIBLY going to bud leaves.

Is this worth trying to nurse? I am willing if there is hope, it was free and rescued, etc. etc. But if it will never look good because the shape is decimated, I don't want to hold on to something I should let go.

Happy hear what ya'll think.

Nicole

There is green wood on two or three canes... for now I'll just trim what's obviously dead (dry, black, etc.) and leave it in and see what happens in the next few weeks/months!

I'm not sure it can get a reasonable shape back in the next three years even if it pulls through, but we'll see how it does this year and go from there.

Nicole

For future reference, what I am guessing happened is that the newly transplanted rose was unable (because its roots were damaged) to keep all of its top growth alive, so it didn't. If I was transplanting a rose that size, I would have cut it way down to maybe 3-4 canes, about 12-18 inches high.

Now it should do fine - it has finally been able to grow some new roots, as you can tell by the new growth. Would love to see some pictures after it starts to bloom.

Jackie

Okay I will update folks later in the summer with some photos!