FAQ : Troubleshooting for Rose Care

I summarized some questions about caring rose that you may face when you plant the rose. It can be a good guideline for you.

• How can I get my roses ready for spring?
  

In late winter/early spring, remove the dead and damaged canes as far back as necessary. Then, remove any suckers that arise from below the graft union (the swelling near the base of the plant).

Next, select the healthiest canes (thicker and bright green) and cut off the weaker ones. If your roses are just a couple of years old, save about 3-5 canes. Save more on older plants. Lastly, cut the flowering canes back by one-third to one-half. Make your cuts about 1/4" above an outward-facing bud.

Roses need weekly watering to keep them happily growing. An easy way to provide water is to build a basin around the plant above the root mass and fill the basin with water so it can slowly trickle down to the roots. Depending upon weather you may need to water once or twice each week by filling the basin

• My rose buds are big, but the flowers only open halfway, then wilt. What’s up???

This condition is most likely a physiological problem that occurs following alternating dry and wet weather, mild temperatures and cold spells. Poor nutrition can also contribute to this "balling". Give your rose some extra care by mulching the soil well to reduce soil temperature fluctuations and feeding with a high potash complete fertilizer, or phosphate rock and greensand.

• I transplanted a rose bush, and a week later all of its leaves are yellow. Will it bounce back?

The shock of root loss due to transplanting can be severe for any plant. Transplant in early spring, for the best bet of a full recovery. If it ’s still early in the season, prune it back by 1/2 and make sure the soil is kept moist but not soggy.

• I’m keeping my miniature rose indoors this. However, within a few days the leaves began to turn yellow. Does it need fertilizer?

Lack of nutrients can cause leaves to turn yellow, but in this case, since the yellowing happened so quickly I think it may just be the shock of getting acclimated to a new home. It may recover on its own. In addition to lack of nutrients, yellowing can also be a sign of overwatering, underwatering, and/or lack of light. It might also be a sign of insect infestation, so check the leaves and stems carefully for anything unusual.

• How can we keep rabbits from eating the new growth on our rose bushes?

There are a number of commercial animal repellent sprays that would help deter your rabbits from eating the young rose sprouts. Once the growth is a few weeks old, the rabbits shouldn't be interested anymore. You could also erect temporary cages made from chicken wire, but this would be a big project if you have more than a couple roses. The good news is that roses are vigorous and will recover quickly from minor damage.