skip to main content

calendar issue with pruning knock out roses (Atl)

5 years ago

Big grad party at my house May 4, and we've got to have the landscaping looking good. My knockouts are WAY too big - should have pruned before winter. My intention was to prune them early April so they'd look sharp early May, but we've had a real warm spell here in ATL and they are putting out new leaves at full speed already. I fully expect another freeze before April, though. Will the early "leafing" combined with certain freeze affect my plan? I'll be taking them down by around a third.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (5)

seil zone 6b MI
5 years ago
If you do get another hard freeze you will probably lose most of the new growth. The roses will have to start over. So it will depend a lot on when that freeze comes. I would wait a little longer to see what the weather does before I made any decision on pruning. As soon as you prune them you're going to trigger them to really start growing/ So you want to time that for your party. But you know there are no guarantees with roses. They grow and bloom how and when they want to.
Shell Rutledge thanked seil zone 6b MI
jc_7a_MiddleTN
5 years ago
Once you prune, you’ll have tons of flowers in 1-2 weeks. TONS.

Honestly you could probably hard prune them twice between now and then and still have great flushes.
Related Discussions
Over pruned knock out roses
Q
Comments (9)
It is a month later and they look fabulous! Still short to the ground but flush with leaves and new buds. Perhaps this was not such a bad idea after all! Have started my first ever batch of alfalfa tea and will feed them that this weekend. Thanks to those of you who gave advice (as opposed to making snarky comments about my husband) ;-)
...See More
knock out rose questions...
Q
Comments (17)
In Mobile, roses will grow and bloom into December, so it's OK to prune them hard now. Because of the ugly bare legs, I would cut back to 2' and examine each cut end to see if it is alive. If so it will have a thin ring of green inner bark. Keep cutting the canes that are dead until you find healthy wood. Remove any twiggy branches, especially if dead. A rose can use at least 5 gallons of water per week in hot weather, or one inch of rain.. You may be watering enough to keep the grass green but not enough for the rose--or maybe the previous owners failed to water enough. When the rose starts growing out after pruning, fertilize it every two months. On the coast you may have sandy soil that doesn't hold water and nutrients well. If your area has root-knot nematodes, that can cause decline of roses unless grafted on Fortuniana rootstock.
...See More
Carefree Beauty vs Knock Out?
Q
Comments (22)
Very nice and well-tended garden, Jess. Looks like you have a full-time gardener with manicure scissors. That is a real WOW to behold, so neat and so well-tended. Beautiful pictures of Carefree Wonder. Unfortunately, I had to get rid of my Carefree Wonder plants. They are really blackspot magnets in the South but Carefree Beauty seems to enjoy the South, so I grow her in multiples.
...See More
when to bring potted knock-out rose tree inside
Q
Comments (13)
Follow Michael's and Susan's advice and it should be fine. I keep my rose tree in my shed for the winter and in the spring when things start to warm up I can tell when it looks like it wants to start budding out. That's when I wheel it back outside into the light. If there is going to be a deep freeze I wheel it back in. That's when the wheeled pot trolley is the most beneficial. It makes it much easier to move that big, heavy, tall awkward pot in and out. I've been doing this for 6 years now and it's still doing great!
...See More
subk3
5 years ago
For what it's worth I pruned my daughter's knockout in Auburn last weekend. Even with a bad zap I'd be stunned if it wasn't in great shape by May.
seil zone 6b MI
5 years ago
JC, I have never seen or heard of any rose in bloom in 1 to 2 weeks after a hard prune. I don't think Knockouts are any different. The fastest I've ever seen is 4 to 5 weeks, which is probably where KOs fall, but usually it's 6 to 8 weeks depending on the variety.
jc_7a_MiddleTN
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
Maybe my memory is playing tricks on me ( or maybe I don’t know what a hard prune really is?) but I’m certain I took 1-2ft off the top of mine 4 times this past season and was almost never without blooms.

At any rate, shell should take the advice of others before mine. I’ve only been paying attention to roses for a couple years.

Related Stories

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 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 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

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

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

HOUSEPLANTS How to Force Amaryllis Bulbs Indoors

By creative jewish mom.com

Enjoy vibrant red blossoms even as gardens turn snowy white, by teaching this hardy repeat performer to ignore the calendar

BATHROOM DESIGN Shower Curtain or Shower Door?

By Lara Sargent

Find out which option is the ideal partner for your shower-bath combo

THE POLITE HOUSE The Polite House: How to Handle Fences and Neighbors

When you’re negotiating, it helps to know the rules, figure out your boundaries and then keep the lines of communication open

GARDENING GUIDES Houzz Call: What’s Your Favorite Backyard Beauty?

By Stacy Briscoe

The simple, honest daisy is this writer’s go-to garden flower. We want to hear which plant, flowering or otherwise, gives you special joy

SPRING GARDENING Spring Gardens Are Waking — Here’s What to Do in March

By Annie Thornton

Excitement fills the air when gardens come back to life. These guides will help you make the most of yours

Sponsored

More Discussions

Is this pesticide damage?

5

10

Should I give up on light purple roses?

31

Pumpkin Patch ;)

1

Rose Online Company

5