Question
I bought a house in NE Ohio last year and inherited a "100 year old" rose bush. The previous owner's daughter cut a section off for a niece prior to my possession. It flowered last year but only a small amount of tiny yellow roses. I was worried about it then but waited until late november to prune. Even then, I only pruned a small amount. The bush stands over six feet tall but this summer it appears to be completely dead (no leaves, no flowers, not one sign of life). I think maybe the daughter damaged it when she took her section. Is there anything I can do?? I would hate to pull it out but feel foolish watering a dead bush.

Answer
This is quite a mystery.  A Rose that grows for a century in Northeast Ohio has got to be tough -- roots and all, with a massive, very hardy root system.  But of course these do not live forever and damage can be fatal.

I am not clear (and perhaps you are not, either) about how the souvenier was obtained by the previous owner's daughter.  Did you happen to notice if roots were included?  Was the main stem sliced somehow to accomplish this?  Any disease problems you noticed -- spots on the leaves, browning, curling, etc?

For future reference a Rose should never be pruned in the Fall.  Not even a little.  Ditto fertilizing (which you did not do, right?)

No leaves.  No flowers.  Not one sign of life.

Watering is likely unnecessary unless you are experiencing a heat wave and/or severe drought.  The miniscule number of blooms you counted last Summer (unless you missed the spring flower flush) indicate this shrub was not in the best of health anyway.

Cut the stems that appear dead.  They are brown?  Look inside.  Any green or white tissue?

Not a single bud?

You're sure?

Wait until next spring.  Possibly new growth will appear at the base.  Ignore it until then.  Then make your decision.  

If you do remove the shrub, get as much of the root system as you can out of the ground.  No plant can win a competition with decomposing lignin.