Question
Hello - I live in Mesa, Arizona - right outside of Phoenix.  We recently bought some rose bushes and planted them.  We have several other roses thriving.  Sme branches on the new ones are black to the ground.  Any ideas?

Answer
Hi, Durrie--If those were bare root roses, they have to be soaked first before planting to re-hydrate the roots.  After being planted, you have to cover them all the way up with loose soil or mulch to keep the canes from drying out while the bushes establish themselves.  Also, they should not be fertilized with anything other than bone meal (no nitrogen) until after the first bloom cycle.

Trim the blackened canes off, water the bushes well and cover them until they begin to leaf out.  You can then wash the mulch down with water from the hose.  

For more information, check out the American Rose Society at www.ars.org.  There are lots of friendly folks on the rose forums at GardenWeb.com, and you can always reach me here!
Margarett in Memphis