How Long Till My Potted Roses Wake up? Help!

United States
March 30, 2007 7:04pm CST
Last Fall I wrapped my rose root balls (in they are in pots) and buried them in as much dirt and mulch as I possibly could. I wrapped the stalks and even insulated their pots with hay. Now that the last of the freezing weather up here in NY is over, I've unwrapped them, uncovered them, and am patiently waiting to see some life. Right now they look really dead. There are no new sprouts (well, they've only been uncovered for five days.) I've pushed them into the little available sunlight, checked the soil for moisture, and aerated the soil. What else can I do? They are already in nutrient rich soil. So...how long should I wait before chucking them and buying new ones? What could have gone wrong? I wrapped them just as I've seen my friends wrap theirs for years.
1 response
coolseeds
@coolseeds (3919)
• United States
9 May 08
You should fertilize weekly in the spring to assist the growth. Start off with 1/2 of what the directions say for the 1st couple of weeks. When it starts to bud switch to a fertilizer that is high in potassium and phosphorus. This will aid the onset of flowers. Clip the flowers as soon as the petals start to get a little brown. This will prolong your blooming cycle.