Why My Rose Did Not Grow Yet? How To Know If It Is Alive? Why Would Happen?

Question

Webplanted a knockout rose in the tree form in summer 2018. It flowered well for two years. This year so far there is no leaf. We live in Toronto area. There were beetles last year but we managed and the rose was flowering till frost. It did not have much damage from beetles. I would like to know what happened and if there any hope. Will I have a problem if I plant another rose in the same location. Please advise. Our house is facing east with rose in the backyard towards west side. It does get sun for some part of the day. Please advise.

Answer 1

Rose Trees or Standards are Grafted Creations by man, not naturally occurring in nature. Many times, especially in cases where they have flowered heavily into the hard frosts and winter season, the grafted on rose bush or rose bushes die. Because they are way up at the top of the hardy trunk stock they were grafted to. If you have had consistent 50 degree nights for at least two weeks and there is no sign of growth, then they are likely dead. If you get growth down towards the bottom of the rose tree, that is the hardy trunk stock pushing out its own growth and not the rosebush you enjoyed. I live in a Cold Climate area here in Colorado, USA. Most rose trees are planted like annuals here as they just do not survive a hard winter.