I don't think it would hurt anything so go ahead if you wish.

I am of the midset that roses are hardier than we give them credit for. My HD roses mulch was washed away a few days ago and they are doing fine. I am continuing to mist them though since we have had a few hot days here. I already have quite a few leaves.

Thank you Sunnishine. I've been anxiously refreshing this page as the sun has been beating down on my rose bed for the past 2 and a half hours. I've been feeling like I should wash away that mulch for the past few days, but was afraid the canes would dry out. I want to get it off now since the biggest problem I have in my rose beds (besides JBs) is canker. I no longer winter protect because of that.

Mehearty - roses love sun, so I don't think you'll need the laundry basket since they have broken dormancy and now are actively growing and have leaves. Roses require 6-8 hours of sun per day. Just keep an eye on them and if you see leaves start to crisp or burn, you can cover them.

Just make sure you give them plenty of water. That will keep them hydrated. That's very important.

And yes, you can gently move the mulch off the top of the new growth, but I always leave the mulch around the roses themselves to help keep the beds hydrated.

Post and let us know how they're doing, but I think you'll be fine. It's time to let the roses do their thing; just enjoy them. Good luck!
-terry

Thank you Terry! =)

I leave the mulch or soil mound there and let the rose grow through it. In cold zones the added protection for the bud union doesn't hurt anything.

Thank you Karl =)

Mehearty, do you know if all your canes are showing some growth? I planted two bareroots from the HD sale. Of Sunsprite's six canes, four show growth so far. Strike It Rich has growth on three of its five canes. I'm wondering if that's gonna be it.

Susan

susan...give them some more time. They will kick in too.

Susan not all canes have growth on mine. I'm pretty sure my regular roses woke up like that, too. Good luck!