Question
I recently moved into a house that has 7 rose bushes, out of the 7 three of them look really unhealthy. I talked to the previous renters and they hadn't watered the bushes for at least two years. When I went to prune back some of the branches, they were hollow inside. There is still some green and healthy buds growing on them, but what can I do to give these plants the best fighting chance to survive and be beautiful?

Answer
Usually hybrid tea roses that have been left unattended for a few years have a hard time growing into a healthy bush again. However if you want to try and revive the roses, you will have to cut them right down to about 6 inches tall. Cutting a rose way down will not harm it and will give it more vigor to push out new growth so don't be afraid to do it as you won't kill the rose. Then use a handful of any rose fertilizer and sprinkle it all around the base do it again in a couple of months later. Make sure you water the roses weekly and soak the soil well. If the weather turns hot then you will have to water every three days the same way. If there is life left in the roses, then this should help them to grow into a nice rose bushes for you.