My neighbor's neglected rose bush came back after one simple change

For two years, the bush by their fence was just a few sad sticks with maybe three leaves total... I finally asked about it last spring and they said they just dumped a bucket of water on it 'when they remembered'. I told them to try a deep soak twice a week for a month. By July, it had over twenty buds and the canes were covered in green. Has anyone else seen a plant turn around that fast just from fixing the watering schedule?

3 comments

3 Comments

blakecampbell3mo ago

Honestly that's wild it bounced back that fast. I mean, maybe it was just super thirsty, but sometimes a plant that far gone needs more than just water, you know? Could be the soil was totally spent or something else was going on. Idk, maybe I've just had bad luck with plants that looked that dead.

blair3963mo ago

Yeah, the "soil was totally spent" idea is a bit much for me. Sometimes a plant is just bone dry and needs a good soak, plain and simple. You might be overthinking it, blakecampbell. I've seen plants come back from what looked like a lost cause with just consistent care. Not every droopy leaf means a big soil problem.

davidwright1mo ago

Blair, you reminded me of something that happened to a friend of mine a few years back. She had this big fern that looked totally dead, leaves all brown and crispy. She was about to throw it out, but her husband just kept watering it every few days out of habit. After about two weeks, little green shoots started coming up from the base. I think sometimes we get too caught up in diagnosing every little problem when the plant just needs some time and water.