skip to main content

Problems with my Knock Out Roses

15 years ago

Hi all-

I bought 2 Knock Out roses-1 Pink and 1 Rainbow. This is there second summer and they are looking raggedy. They also don't hold there blooms for very long. Do I cut off the star shaped (don't know what the proper term for this part of the rose is called) leftover attached to the stem after the petals fall? I know they are suppose to be self-cleaning but does that mean not to prune? Help!

{{gwi:303945}}

{{gwi:303946}}

{{gwi:303947}}

Thanks for any advice,

suebot in CT

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (10)

bunny6
15 years ago
I have two double red knockouts and one pink. I cut the flowers off when they start looking bad. It makes the plant look better and I get a lot of new growth. Although they are self cleaning, the star things look horrible if left on the plant. When the last flower has bloomed in a cluster, I cut down to a leaflet of at least four leaves. My plants were planted this spring, so I don't have a huge bush to deadhead which would make deadheading alot more time consuming.
Ann
0
diane_nj 6b/7a
15 years ago
"Self cleaning" does not mean you can deadhead them, you can. You can cut those long stem back even with the rest of the plant, although on that last photo, the red growth is where your new blooms will come. Even if you cut those canes back, KOs grow quickly.

And you don't have to do any delicate cutting, hedge clippers would be fine.

Those "stars" are made by the sepals and underneath is the rose seed pod, aka "rose hip".
0
Related Discussions
Q. re: Knock Out rose - my 1st rose
Q
Comments (9)
A grouping does look good. I'd plant them into the garden now so the roots can get established. Even the hardiest roses can die the first winter if the roots have not had an opportunity to grow into the surrounding soil. August is a really hot dry time to transplant a potted rose. Unless you water regularly and deep you could lose them especially if the soil falls from the roots when you transplant. Nature size and planting distance is determined by your growing zone. Pruning can be easy. After each flush of bloom, allow the flowers to fade some. Use a pair of hedge clippers and remove the dead blooms along with a inch or so of cane to shape the bush. In a few weeks new buds will form along with new growth. You'll have more flowers within a month. Yearly pruning should be done in spring. Remove winter killed canes and dieback along with any damaged ones. Cut back as far as you want to shape the bush and keep it in bounds. As much as many rosarians complain about Knock Out being the only roses available in many garden centers, their ease of growing and hardiness encourages many to grow roses again. The desire to grow roses soon entices them to try other varieties.
...See More
Closer image of nutrient problem?
Q
Comments (3)
Look for an ice melter with only calcium chloride. Sodium salts are harmful to plants, more so in gardens with heavy soils and low rainfall. Chlorides are not helpful, but all brands I have seen have chloride. There is no sign of salt poisoning in the images, however. I am still confused by the reddish veins, but yellowing of the new growth without distortion of growth patterns is usually iron deficiency. It can be caused by pH over 7 or cold, wet soil. Excessive phosphate fertilizer can contribute. It is not unusual for some plants to be chlorotic and others not. Multiflora rootstock and own-roots of some varieties have more trouble garnering iron than Dr. Huey rootstock. There can be local variation in pH.
...See More
Sunny Knock Out Rose problem
Q
Comments (2)
Thanks Karl. Every review I've read online from people who've bought this particular plant says it blooms like crazy the first year, like the other KO's do. Mine was in bloom when I bought it. I'm not sure if it's grafted or not. I know they do better the second year, but gee, I'd sure like to have a bloom by winter. lol I've never had a Rose bush not grow or bloom before. Strange.
...See More
Problems w/ Knock Out Roses
Q
Comments (2)
You are over-watering and they are sun-stressed. Give them a deep watering (about 3") about every four days and give them afternoon shade until the heat wave passes. A lean-to of burlap, towels, or sheets works well as it lets air through.
...See More
diane_nj 6b/7a
15 years ago
Silly Diane, I meant to say
"Self cleaning" does not mean you can't deadhead them, you certainly can.
0
suebot
Original Author
15 years ago
Ann and Diane-

Thanks for your advice. I will cut them back. Diane-do you mean I can just cut wherever instead of searching for a 4 or 5 leaf stem and cut above that? If true, that would be great!

Thanks so much-

suebot in CT
0
greenhaven
15 years ago
Geez, I might keep mine, if it looked like yours. It is short and stingy and boring. It is probably going to be my first shovel-pruned rose.
0
diane_nj 6b/7a
15 years ago
suebot, yes. Deadheading to a 4-/5-leaflet leaf set has to do with getting longer stems on hybrid teas. Not necessary for shrubs, floribundas, antiques. The roses will figure out where to grow, as you see from that new growth on your last photo.
0
bamabutterfly
15 years ago
I cut mine back, when they bloom (even sometimes getting a bud in the bunch that hasn't bloomed yet) this seems to make them just bloom that much more. I put alot of fish emulsion on the base (don't get it on the leaves or they could turn brown) plus plenty of water. They seem to love that fish emulsion as long as I don't get it on the plant. Kockouts are funny like that.
0
jerijen
15 years ago
Yup.
You can just snip (or even snap) off the dead blooms, leaving your existing new growth.
More or less like this:
{{gwi:303949}}

Jeri
0
suebot
Original Author
15 years ago
Oh the lessons I learn on this forum are priceless!

Jeri-How did you snip off my dead buds in the picture? Totally amazing!!!

Thank you all so very much,

suebot in CT
0
jerijen
15 years ago
Sue -- It's magic.
;-)

Jeri
0

Related Stories

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Knock Out Roses

By J. Peterson Garden Design

As glorious as their high-maintenance kin for a fraction of the work, Knock Out roses make even beginners look like garden stars

REMODELING GUIDES The Hidden Problems in Old Houses

By Matt Clawson

Before snatching up an old home, get to know what you’re in for by understanding the potential horrors that lurk below the surface

BASEMENTS Basement of the Week: High-End Problem Solving for a Show House

By Becky Harris

Dark and dated? Naturally. But this '70s-style basement had myriad other design issues too. See how the designer rose to the challenge

GARDENING GUIDES What Kind of Roses Should You Grow?

By Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting

Want to add the beauty of roses to your garden? Find out which ones, from old-fashioned to modern, are right for you

GARDENING GUIDES Roses: Crowning Touch of Gardens

Whether you're the Miss or Mister America of gardening or take a hands-off approach, roses can be a winning addition to your landscape

WINTER GARDENING Pruning Secrets for Exquisite Roses

By Annie Thornton

Encourage gorgeous blooms year after year with this time-tested advice on how to prune your rosebush in winter for health and shape

GARDENING GUIDES Learn the Secret to Bigger and Better Roses

By Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting

Grow beautiful roses using both ordinary and unusual soil amendments

GARDENING GUIDES 5 Sweet to Spirited Pink Roses for an Enchanting Garden

By J. Peterson Garden Design

Whether you go demure or daring, there's a pink rose here to make you flush with garden pride

GARDENING GUIDES 6 Wonderfully Easy Roses for Any Gardener

By J. Peterson Garden Design

Look like an expert even if you're just starting out, with these low-maintenance gems of the rose world

WINDOW TREATMENTS 6 Ways to Deal With a Bad View Out the Window

You can come out from behind the closed curtains now. These strategies let in the light while blocking the ugly

Sponsored

More Discussions

Leap into Spring with Us - Seasonal Thread

847

ROSES.. UK/Europe - Part 2..

413

What support for Lady Hillingdon?

14

Lanternflies on my Roses....

3

Favorite "Sunset Colored" Roses ?

28