Question
Hi, my mother found a poor rose plant thrown away in her apartment bldg.  She cared for it in her solarium and it started to grow.  She has now given it to me and I have no idea what to do.  I planted it in the garden but it looks so pathetic.  One large stem about a foot long comes out of the ground.  It has been cut by someone.  Now two narrow stems go up about 3 feet and at the top of that is a few sets of leaves on one stem (nothing on the other) and a bloom right at the top of that.  It actually is starting to form a full rose.  What do I do with this thing?  I want to see if I can help it thrive.  How will it grow?  Will it ever be a full plant or just an orphan looking thing?  What can I do to help it?  Or do I just cut the whole thing down and hope it grows again?

Any advice would be very helpfull.. I am in Ontario, summer hot and dry and winter cold and wet.  I planted it on the west so it gets afternoon sun.  Thank you in advance...Michelle

Answer
Anytime a rose has been under stress the best way to try and re-juvinate it is to cut it back to 6 inches, put a thick mulch all around the base ( roses love cool roots), water well and give it fertilizer with a spray as this is taken up immediately by the leaves. Fish fertilizer is a good type to use. A dry fertilizer takes too long to do any good and you want to help the rose right away. If you leave the tall canes, the damaged roots can't support that amount of growth so you help the roots buy making the rose smaller. Hope thsi helps. Lynnette