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my new rose dropped all its leaves. is it dead?

15 years ago

I read the faq but was hoping for more specifics.. I usually grow orchids but just started with roses this season. I just bought a new floribunda rose about a month ago - it was in sad shape (severely underwatered by store employees) and a rescue plant at $4.00 . i brought it home and cleaned it up and watered it - and new growth started and it even bloomed and produced 2 nice flowers. i gave it some granular fertilizer like i did my other hybrid tea (which is doing fabulously and was not a rescue). i noticed one of the flowers smelled really rose-ish, and the other one smelled kind of stale. all the sudden, the flowers died, the leaves rapidly started turning yellow and becoming crunchy, and now there are absolutely zero leaves remaining.

what happened? is my plant dead? if not, when can I expect new growth? how can I tell if it is dead?

we did have some pretty hot weather around the time the leaf drop started. would that be a factor?

I have all my roses growing in large plastic pots in a small south facing back yard that is shaded by several trees...

thanks so much for your replies

:)

Amy

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Comments (3)

jerijen
15 years ago
Your plant may simply be reacting to the stress of the hot weather.
Probably, giving it fertilizer didn't help.
It is possible to kill a stressed, or newly-planted rose by giving it fertilizer.
(I know this, because I have done it.)

However, losing leaves isn't all that bad.
If the canes are all still green, the rose may still make it.

Since your plant is in a pot, first make very sure that your pot can drain freely.
If it's in one of those saucer things, lose the saucer immediately.
If it's sitting flat on the ground, put three bricks under it, to raise it up
a few inches, so that it can drain.
They do sell "pot feet" for this purpose, but bricks work just fine.

If the canes turn dark brown or black, you've probably lost it.
But don't feel badly, as it was probably doomed before you bought it.

Jeri
greenhaven
15 years ago
I loved my first "Oklahoma" rose so much I asked my son to bring home two more from work. They came in very sorry shape, even though he picked the best-looking ones they had.

I waterd, watered, watered and they perked up immensely. Then I planted one. I am now in oyur position in that the leaves have ALL dried and fallen off. But the canes stay plump and green, so I have hope that there is life happening UNDER the dirt.

This is my first intentional year in roses, but I have already learned that rose 'rescues' are a hit-or-miss propostion. As long as you accept that upfront you'll be okay. :o)

Probably your rose will be, too. Keep it watered well, and best wishes!
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roseblush1
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Also, you might provide some shade to keep the canes from being sunburned. I put a rose into the ground at the wrong time and ended up putting a small plastic table over the rose to provide shade. The canes have remained green, altho' the leaves continue to be an ugly sight, and I think the shade has helped the rose during the heat of the day.

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