Two Double Knockouts in need of Overhaul
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
Hi All. We have these two big double knockout rose bushes lining the entryway to our home. I'd like to vastly trim them back, to about half this size I think, and I am looking for tips, tricks, and ideas on how to do it right and end up with good results. Not to mention we are actually having a small wedding ceremony here on May 20, so if possible I would like to do this with timing for them to bloom for that date. That might be wishing on a star there... if so let me know what I can do instead!
I do not have a big green thumb, but I have done some research and I know rose bushes can take a beating. Eventually I would like to move these things somewhere away from the walkway, because they are not very welcoming there, but that is a longer-term project.
We plan to edge and mulch the front and do some other landscaping for the wedding. Appreciate any advice you have for taming these rose bushes!
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7 years ago- 7 years ago
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Floribunda Rose George Burns and Double Knockout Bush
Comments (6)It's better to leave the roots alone as much as possible to protect the feeder roots. If you get a nice, intact rootball and move it gently the rose won't even know that it has been moved. Now it a good time to do it especially if it is still cool out and your area has a rainy spring. The best way to winter protect a rose in zone 5 is to plant it 4-6 inches deeper than it was in the pot. That way you can protect the graft without doing any extra winter protection. Don't do any pruning in the fall as the cuts from pruning can make the rose more vulnerable to the cold. The chicken wire cage goes around the rose to hold in the mulch and stop rodents from eating the rose during the winter. The mulch then goes around the rose to as high as you want it. The more mulch you put in around the rose, the more green cane you will have in the spring. But you need to also consider how wet your winters and springs are. If the mulch is too wet then it can provide the right conditions for the rose to get canker. Canker is an infection of the rose that occurs mostly in damp spring conditions. I no longer do any winter protection on my roses because I lost more cane to canker than to the winter cold. As for your transplanted rose, it will be fine. Keep watering it every day or every other day for the first week and every few days after that and it should recover....See MoreKnockout or Double KO
Comments (4)As prairie-rose writes, Knockout and Double KO are pretty similar roses. The bush of Knockout is round, but Double KO tends to grow more upright with a little more compact and more greener foliage. In my region (Portland, Oregon) the difference in flower color is bigger than I see on pictures from other regions. Both are cherry-pink-red color, but Knockout tends to be more pinkish, and Double KO is almost red. The flower of Double KO has three times more petals (about 20, Knockout has only 6), and I think the flowers of Double KO lives a little bit longer. Both roses looks great when planting them along lawns or hedges since the cherry-pink-red color plays well with green. Along the 20 feet fense I would plant about 6-7 bushes of Double KO. Knockout is more roundy (similar habit to my Bonica) and they would need slightly more space. Then I would plant only 5 bushes of Knockout....See MoreDouble KnockOuts on a standard.
Comments (7)I am all for it. Mine was from Home Depot two years ago. It performs like a regular KO, and doesn't look stiff at all because I trim it often to keep the round shape. Shoots that are pointing out and downward are welcome, remove the ones that are growing toward the center and the overly strong ones. It will gradually get rounder and rounder every year. In the winter, I put it under the deck against a wall, roughly cover the graft union with an old winter jacket or sometimes a blanket. It never had any die back and always was the first to wake up in early spring. Health wise and vigor is already well known for this rose. I under plant it with the miniature rose Green Ice, and they are the hardest workers and the most reliable in the garden. I used to have Gene Boerner then Playboy standards, keeping the round tree top shape wasn't hard, it's the health issues made me replaced them and decided to keep KO. The only thing with standards to me is to keep them straight, and to protect them from strong winds. Remember to water too. Here's mine in late May. It bloomed nonstop for a month, rested for about two weeks and now it's covered with new growths and tiny buds, getting ready for July 4th! I plan to give it a much bigger pot next year and add cascading annuals underneath it. I say this rose is worth every penny you will spend....See Moredouble knockout rose in container on hot patio..ugggh
Comments (15)A 15-gallon pot is likely to be 18" across & nearly as high. If concerned about water stains from a pot standing on deck or balcony, you might pick up pot feet as an alternative to a wheeled dolley. They fit under the bottom rim to raise the pot, run a couple of dollars each & you'd need four for a pot that size. Usually found with the pots outside, as they also keep a pot from freezing to a bottom surface & cracking. Often use them & just slide a saucer beneath for water to drain to which can be emptied & removed in between waterings. Might consider using a few inches of mulch atop the soil to keep it cooler & delay moisture evaporation (kept from touching the stems) & pine straw for that is fine. Also keeps soil from splashing out in watering or rain. The potting mix you used contains slow-release fertilizer, but as others have noted, you'll need quick-release fertilizer for pots as well. The rule of thumb is "weakly, weekly" meaning fertilizer diluted in water at 1/4 the concentration on the bottle for monthly feeding, given weekly by pouring on soil already moist. Some of the fertilizers are very salty & can build up a residue on top of the soil & interior of the pot. Prefer fish emulsion myself. What a romantic gesture from your boyfriend! Sounds like he's a keeper, just like your rose... Here is a link that might be useful: General soil capacity pot sizes...See More- 7 years ago
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