Question
QUESTION: Hi,
I bought a red rose(mirandy)from lowes.When I bought it it had no leaves .I live in Southern Kentucky.Its been a couple weeks and it hasn't grown any leaves yet.Is this bad?What should I do ?
Thanks for any help,
Beau

ANSWER: Mirandy is a really beautiful rose as it has velvety red petals and is very fragrant. However it should have shown some signs of growth by now. It may just be in a snit because it was moved. Roses do that and they will sulk and not grow for a couple of weeks. Wait until two more weeks and if there is still no sign of life, then take it back to Lowes and get another one. If you want you can scratch a cane and see if it is green. Then scratch another cane further down the bush and see if that is green. If it isn't then take it back right away. The canes coming from the main thick stem should definitely be green.

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QUESTION: My rose also has a coating of white clear stuff on the stem is this common?Thanks Again !

Answer
Roses will dry out quickly when they are taken out of the ground. To help keep the moisture in the canes, the coat the rose with paraffin which is a clear wax. If it isn't wax then it could be a mould and spraying the rose with 1 tablespoon baking soda to 1 quart of water daily until it is gone, will solve the problem.