It was a brutal winter indeed. Don't worry it will comeback. Feed it so it has food to grow with. Is your plant budded or on it's own roots?

It's really too early in zone 5 to determine if your one caned roses have other viable canes, perhaps under ground, unless they're grafted bushes. Even then, you can get new basal breaks from the bud union. I was out checking bushes today, I've seen swollen buds and new growth in only a very few of my roses. We need a good soaking rain followed by a week of warm weather to cause many of them to break dormancy.
Relax, it's still too soon!
BTW, if you plant any more roses and haven't buried the graft 4-6 inches deep, make sure you do in the future. This'll give your roses a better shot at surviving our zone 5 winters. It's too early to remove your winter protection if you provided any. Wait a couple of weeks.

Hopefully your knock outs will do fine. For me oddly those are one rose I don't do so well with :(

i don't believe that the Knockout is grafted. I noticed that one has a green cane and one, a red. Does that mean something? They do have buds...they should be ok then, yes?

rehabbingisgreen, funny you say that...i have'nt been thrilled with hem either.

Thanks!

Dale

I have found Knock-Outs usually bounce back. Don't worry just give them some extra care. It might be too early in zone 5 - I have not yet cleared mine but they seem to be okay. They are the only roses I don't worry about. My other roses however I am sad to say they probably won't be making a show this season! :(

Thanks for posting capeheart. Yes, i plan on love and compost this spring. bummer is, I have to transplant a couple of them. Hoping that won't be too much of a strain.

Sorry about your other roses! Is this their first year?

Dale

Transplant now and the strain will be on you, not the rosebush.By transplanting when it's still dormant or just coming out of dormancy, chances are the rose will not know it's been moved.

Yes Dale, some of the Roses I put in new last year - the others have been in for a number of years. My great-nephew, who likes to help, decided to uncover some of my plants. With the very cold temps and harsh winds we have had I don't see much a future for them but I won't take them up until I have given them some time. I just hope some of my favorites shine this year. But don't worry about Knock-Outs I find they are really tough. Mine are planted in the front yard close to the street - so they do get beat from plows, salt, sand, etc. I did put in some shrub ground cover to make a hedge to protect their base but the hedge has been slow to connect and cover. Transplanting the KOs while dormant should be fine as Karl said they will not know they have been moved. :)

I am about 20 miles south of Boston and am shocked at the damage that was done this winter. Each time I looked out the window this winter, I reminded myself that the mounds of snow are insulating the roses and not causing them harm. It's the ice, the thaw and refreeze that damages...NOT!

I just cut a hedge of 17 double knock roses down to small 6" nubs because of some terrible damage. I'm not convinced they will bounce back.

It was an extremely difficult task to do because they were SO pretty last summer.

I've been really shocked by the ability of mother nature in the past. I'm hoping she shocks me again and brings them back stronger and prettier.

tulipsmiles,

If your Knock roses are healthy, they will bounce back with no problem...

Loving the roses care and confidence is what i'll give my KO's. Thanks for the transplant tip. It will be a lot of work but I think they will appreciate the extra room I give hem.. Funny...talking about roses as if they were children. I love to Garden!

I had a very vigorous and hardy rose last year "Fisherman's Friend," a David Austin Rose, that had one healthy cane all season long.

I bought a replacement for it this year. I have no idea what happened to it. The single cane was thick and vigorous. But one cane is not enough to make a rose, unless someone has a suggestion that would help.

i'm gonna transplant them, prune them just a little and see what happens.