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When do I give up?

12 years ago

Two mini roses of "Sleeping Beauty" I kept in my unheated shed for the winter with snow covering them are still not awake!

They are in 14 inch wooden barrels that you can buy at Lowes. They came out of the shed looking great (almost looked like they never went to sleep) but dropped the old leaves now and are just sitting there. I've kept them watered and tried using some Espoma Gardentone on them. No go. They are on the south side of my house and get all morning sun and some afternoon too right now.

Am I just too impatient? I do see tiny (and I mean tiny) red nubs on the canes but that's all they've done. No leaves nothin'.

The canes look nice and green and I did prune and looked at the canes and they do look white but I don't know what I can do to at least get them starting to go?

Is there anything I can do or give them to pop them out of their slumber? lol

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Comments (8)

ramblinrosez7b
12 years ago
Hi Ken,

How are your night time temps? If they are down in the 40's and low 50's then the roses are probably dosing off at night and waking during the day. Cold temps usually keep them from growing. I have found that Miracle Gro Quick Start works great in getting the roses going in the spring when they are just sitting there making up their minds what they want to do.
Good Luck!
jim1961 Zone 6a Central Pa.
12 years ago
I would not over-do it with fertilizer.
Good Luck, very weird there not awake yet. Are the canes still green?
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taoseeker
12 years ago
Tiny red buds are a good sign, and if the canes are green, round and healthy looking it is still all right. When the canes go dry, wrinkly sort of, and start go yellow, then it's time to worry. Older canes turn darker, and "barky" and they are still fine. Some years some roses can be very late to sprout, often after a very hard winter, or late spring. Just be patient, and don't give up as long as canes look fine. I never give up on anything until midsummer, I have had last years cuttings I thought where dead, suddenly sprout from the ground in June.

Regards
kentstar
Original Author
12 years ago
Thanks all! I will try to be patient for a bit. Yes, Jim the canes look very green so that's good. I have been keeping them watered too and we've gotten some rain which is good. So, we'll see.
I wonder if I could just use a liquid fertilizer like in a more dilute form like just a smidge of seaweed, and fish emulsion?
kentstar
Original Author
12 years ago
I know, I just thought about it and the roses had blooms on them still in late October! I wonder if that has anything to do with their late emergence?

I don't fertilize after the first week of August either. Hmmm...
jim1961 Zone 6a Central Pa.
12 years ago
If canes are green and you have small buds, there probably just slow starters.
seil zone 6b MI
12 years ago
It's been a chilly gray spring and they're probably just waking up more slowly this year. I had blooms by this time last year and some of mine are just starting to leaf out now. Having blooms in October has nothing to do with the growth this spring.
jim1961 Zone 6a Central Pa.
12 years ago
I just noticed our neighbors 35 year old rose bush is having trouble getting started this season...

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