Any suggestions on trying to rejuvenate an old wild rose bush?

This old bush has gotten no attention over the years, and it’s spring leafing this year is pathetic. Looks like it’s on the way out. Too thorny to try and prune in anyway. Just thought I could mix up a bucket of something, to put on the base from time to time, to try and bring it around, as it was beautiful when it was out in full bloom.

  8 answers
  • Deb K Deb K on Jun 02, 2018

    You could try rose fertilizer, prune it with pruners and pliers to hold and remove the branches that are dead, you can test to see id branches are alive by their color, should be greenish, but if unsure scrape a spot where there are no thorns to see if you expose any green color. Good luck

  • Leah Leah on Jun 02, 2018

    Trim to ground and feed it Miricle Grow.

  • Pruning should have been done in late winter to early spring. Now you need to fertilize it throughout the growing season. See if these sites help!


    https://www.almanac.com/plant/roses


    https://www.hunker.com/13427250/how-to-take-care-of-wild-rose-bushes


  • Ji.flooring2009 Ji.flooring2009 on Jun 02, 2018

    Agreed, take it to the first set of new leaves and give it some food. You'll rejuvenate that plant and it'll come back bigger and better than its been in a long while. Wild rose is a pretty hardy plant

  • Teresa Teresa on Jun 02, 2018

    Hi Donna, I had a similar situation & I took it all the way back down to the good wood of the bush & then cleaned out around the root & put some rose bush fertilizer & insect by Bayer & then let it grow back naturally. I hope this helps!!

  • Bijous Bijous on Jun 02, 2018

    Unfortunately, the old wood is what's not so pretty. Using fertilizer is not going to resurrect the old dead wood. A wild rose is really thorny. Consider using a chain saw rather than pruning it. And take it down to 2 feet. Now you can manage it.

  • Cheryl Gillman Cheryl Gillman on Jun 02, 2018

    I found a useful tip for roses in another post and I have been using it on my rose bushes, after you trim it back, put orange and banana peels (you can use both or one at a time) you can put the entire peel or blend to a liquid and put it at the base of the plant! I find even just using banana peels at the base of my 2 roses is helping! Also crushed up egg shells will keep snails and slugs off it

  • Joyce Joyce on Jun 02, 2018

    Trimming and fertilizing is the only solution I have. I have had mine for years. You do have to keep after it. Trim it back as far as you can, at least 1/3 of the way and then fertilize it well. It should bounce back.