rose bush care?

[guest]

i have just purchased a rose bush, it had leaves on it when i got it, i planted it and now ( a couple weeks later) there are no leaves on it at all, it just looks like a stick in the ground.... is it dead? what do i do if it's not to make it look alive?

[The Helpful Gardener]

Not a really good sign. Did it get frosted? Watered? Need more info...

Scott

[guest]

yes, it was watered, i did cover it when it frosted... i water it everyday, but I'm afraid there's no hope for it should i give up and try again with a new one, if so, is there any advise i could get to keep this one triving? i don't know much about roses...

[The Helpful Gardener]

Without more detailed info on where you live, what soil, light and environmental conditions you have and how much effort you are (truthfully) willing to put into it, I can't tell you much of anything. There is a rose for every garden, but I need to know about the garden...

Scott

[guest]

I live in North Carolina, (temperarily, AF Base) i have never taken care of or tried to grow a rose bush, i've gotten the hang of flowers and other bushes, they are growing fine for me. I know that rose bushes should not have competition with other plants as far as the roots (right ) i know that they need mostly sunlight.... i don't know how to trim them back and that kind of stuff. and for some reason, mine just died.... i did something wrong.

[The Helpful Gardener]

If you haven't seen leaves back by this point, I think it's safe to say that the plant has entered "permanent dormancy" (I find that phrase more palatable).

I can't find a specific thing you did wrong other than plant that rose kinda early; scratch the bark and if you find a green layer right below the bark give it some time and it may come back. But I don't want you to get your hopes up too much; that initial description was pretty grim.

Try a rugosa rose; they're hardy as a rock and will put up with most anything you give them (or not, as the case may be). If this was a boxed rose it may have been in rough shape to begin with; I'm a fan of container roses as they have a root system already (the box needs to grow roots before anything else).

Better luck next time...

Scott

[guest]

thank you so much.... i will try that and let you know how it goes.