Is it dead? I had kept the plant I bought at a grocery store in a refrigerator to wait until I had time to plant. It has been in the ground 3 weeks.
Posted Feb 28, 2016, 6:01 PM UTC
43
I'm new to roses and have never planned anything in the winter. I bought this plant from Aldi about 8 weeks ago. We had some mild days, so I refrigerated the plant at about 45 degrees Fahrenheit for a week while I got time to plant. I have watered out it has rained once a week since planting.
The bushes I planted from pots in the fall are showing new growth. This little guy shows no sign of life.
I noticed some of the canes are losing their outer skin. Underneath, the cane is dry and dead.
I'd it possible that the canes that still have green skin are alive?
1
It's definitely possible, I'd wait a bit before deciding one way or the other. I thought some of my roses were dead as doornails this past summer but they were still kicking.
2
Too much green to be dead. The stalk that changed color is likely dead, but don't prune just yet.
Wait a few weeks for leaves to appear. Anywhere there isn't a new bud eye, cut just above the active bud eye at a 45ish degree angle with clean pruning sheers (dedicated to the roses). Any cut branch larger than a pencil with should be sealed with paraffin wax or white glue (Elmer's) to prevent insects from boring into it.
1
The tip of that cane may be dead or damaged but the plant is way too green to be dead.