Don't toss it!

Any chance it's a Peace rose? ;-) Seriously, there are some roses that are simply late and on a different schedule than others. In my experience, Peace is one of those. With the one I first planted, I was convinced it was dead but was just going to wait until the next year and try again. Then buds/shoots finally appeared from beneath the mulch. That was about 12 years ago and it's still growing strong and is my favorite out of 90 roses.

Sure enough this year, I planted a Chicago Peace along with 6 other new bare roots. Everything has popped the mulch and looks to be going strong ... except the Chicago Peace. I could be wrong and it's really dead, but I'm betting it's not.

Same thing happens to the rest of my roses with pruning - some are already leafed out to a certain extent. A few still only have bud eyes. (Peace and Tiffany are two of them, but I know they're fine.)

I meant to add that it's quite possible the canes died, but the bud union is still sprouting with a good rose - I've had that happen before, too.

Yes, too early in the season to call it a dud! Different varieties and classes break dormency at different times, although you are in a warm zone. For example, most of my roses are currnently leafing out, but the majority of my gallicas are still in their winter slumber.

The little bud eyes you're seeing are probably new basal breaks if they are coming from the bud union. Even if the canes appear dead, it sounds like you're still getting growth from the bud union :)

Tammy

This post was edited by TNY78 on Fri, Mar 22, 13 at 13:47

10B is a pretty warm zone

Do you know if your rose is own root or grafted?

I normally say to wait- because I agree with the folks above, that bare roots can surprise you with a S-L-O-W start.
That said, if you actually have suckers coming off your ROOTS- it's a bad sign. You have to pull those off if you have any hope of waking up the scion. But, they are probably growing because your scion is kaput! I think it's a goner.

BUT-- if by root ball- you actually mean Bud UNION, then you may have basal canes. Especially if it's the top of the bud union. Which is a great sign that your rose is a slow starter, but coming along fine.

Here is a picture from WhiteFlower Farm's website describing planting in a colder zone.
the Graft is the bud union. The root ball on the bottom, like a broom, below the bud union/graft by a few inches. If your rose is budding from the area that the arrow points to- then it's probably just fine.

Here is a link that might be useful: Whiteflower Farm picture of bareroot rose

This post was edited by lola-lemon on Fri, Mar 22, 13 at 13:23

Kippy is right-- if you have an own root rose (unusual to get a bareroot own root without paying an arm and a leg for it and knowing what you bought, but it can happen)
Then bud eyes from any part of the plant are good news and you should let it go.

If it's grafted- location, location, location- of the buds.

In any case the best thing to do is to WAIT until the canes grow and bloom, and then you can decide what rose it is. Patience, patience is still a virtue.

Jackie

So, I'm a real newbie at gardening (these were the first Roses I ever planted) and this is an iceberg white. That's about all I know (of course I didn't save the bag so I don't know more than that). There are 4 canes. Three are really brown and look dead. One is mostly brown but with just a touch of green but not looking good. The picture that lola-lemon posted was very helpful--the buds are growing from where the arrow points. However, that is above ground b/c for whatever reason, the guide I was following suggested keeping that bit above ground. It is warm here--we've already had two ninety degree days.

That's great news for you! It's probably going to be fine.
Iceberg should be planted above ground in your warm climate. NOT like the picture says.

Let it take it's time.!

Quite often, bare roots dry out before they have a chance to develop the feeder roots so they can absorb sufficient water. Grab a bag of planting mix and dump it over the rose so you bury the green canes almost their entire length. Keep that mound of soil over the plant damp when you water until new growth begins showing, when you can gradually uncover the plant. You can make cylinders of card board or many layers of news paper stapled into the size cylinder necessary to permit filling it with soil so only the top two or so inches of the canes are exposed. Water into the cylinder so the contained soil remains damp.

It isn't necessary every time to mound newly planted bare roots like this, but where it's likely to be windy, arid, warm, brilliantly sunny where the plant is going to have to battle being pushed into growth too early before it can generate roots, it helps greatly. It's the same theory as planting the callused, wrapped cuttings deeply in pots or cups to prevent them from drying out or being pushed into too early growth before they can grow roots. Bare root body bags used to have those instructions on them. It's been so long since I've even looked at rose a body bag, I don't know if they're still there or not. The main causes of bare root failure are receiving or buying dried out, nearly dead plants and exposing them to desiccating conditions without proper protection against drying out before they can grow roots.

Trevor Griffiths, the nurseryman from New Zealand, wrote in one of his books of people who would bring back "dead" bare roots. He would bury them under soil to rehydrate them then pot them to take to speaking engagements to show how "dead" they were. I frequently bought "dead" returned bare roots for fifty cents from work years ago because I knew I could bury them a few weeks, then plant and nearly every one of them lived to become decent plants. It honestly IS hard to kill a rose...as long as you know what you're doing. Kim

Hi @roseseek, I’m now having trouble with a bare root rose. It was planted on April 17, all buds on rose canes are dead, no sign of new buds. I’m afraid it might dead.

After reading your post on how to save bare root roses, I would like to try burying it to save its life. How to bury it exactly?

@LD Z5 I'm sorry for your rose troubles. I presume the bush is planted in the ground? You can either mound soil over the plant until only the top inch or two of canes protrude from the mound or you can take cardboard and make a cylinder, like a cardboard tube, open at both ends, large enough in diameter to slip over the plant and tall enough so once it's slipped over it, the sides are taller than the canes. Fill the cylinder up with whatever soil you have readily available. It can be the soil from the garden, potting soil or planting mix...anything which will remain damp and allow water to percolate through it. Water the soil in the cylinder to settle it and keep filling it until only the top inch or so of the canes remain above the soil level. Keep it watered as you normally water your roses. Continue with this until you see new growth growing from the top of the canes. That may require a few weeks if the plant is sufficiently dried out. Or, if after a few months, you see nothing, you may begin removing the soil from the mound or cylinder and inspecting the canes to see if there is any green tissue. Hopefully, there is. Prune down to that green and leave it mounded to just under the top of the green tissue and wait for growth.

If it's potted, make the cylinder to fit inside the sides of the pot. Remove a few inches of soil so it slides in far enough to be held closed by the pot sides and so when it's full and watered, it doesn't slide out of the pot. Fill it to the depth described above and treat it as the one above is described. If you get into the habit of planting dormant bare roots with mounds or cylinders, you won't lose any due to them drying out. I am astonished these instructions are no longer included on packaged bare roots or in the printed instructions provided with shipped bare roots. I guess you can see how long it's been since I bought one, but there just hasn't been much released in quite a few years I couldn't live without. Good luck!

I know! It's amazing! rose seek, I do believe those instructions are still included with all of the bare roots I've bought, even the cheepos At the big box stores. I just don't know if everyone reads the instructions on them Or Follows them. I have done this with some really sad looking specimens and they have all rebounded eventually. I believe Chris from new flora also suggested something similar not necessarily for the bare root grafted roses but For smaller own root roses to encourage basil breaks.

Hi Roseseek,

Thanks for posting this detailed instruction. I know it is an eight year old post, but still decide to post. Really love this rose, waited a year to get it, haha.

The rose was planted in pot. It is a Dr.Huey grafted rose btw. I’ll mound this rose today and see if there is any new growth.

Thank you so much!

Lillian

@LD Z5 you're welcome! Good luck, I hope it isn't too late and it helps!

Thank you roseseek! Your method works! Unbelievable, this bare root is showing new growth within 10 days!

Wonderful! Doing this helps to get water back into the plant. It WANTS to grow and it WILL as long as it is enabled. My fingers are crossed for you!