Knockout Roses Fall Care and Pruning

[@joanneblair6085]

Very helpful. I’m going to watch every video you have on knockout roses. Thanks

[@GardenSanity]

Thanks for your feedback Joanne! So glad it was helpful! 🌹🍂

[@yoly507]

This video was so helpful especially because im in zone 7 NJ as well. My roses are so beautiful still new so i want to take care of them

[@esli44]

omg I love you and you videos! Your narration is MAGICAL! So peaceful and it makes me feel like I can do this! 😍

[@GardenSanity]

Thank you so much! 🙂 You CAN do this. 👍 Just take your time, and remember that any mistakes are just ways we end up learning. Gardening is trial and error...lots of errors along the way! You'll do great! 🌹

[@kimmicannon5629]

Another great video.

[@ginabpatrick]

Love your content! It has been very helpful for my garden business, one of my clients has a huge bed of knockouts and I've referred to your videos for help maintaining her bed.

[@GardenSanity]

Why thank you so much Gina! 😊🌹I'm so glad I can help -- as that's always my goal when I create these videos! I hope you've been able to stay somewhat cool during this crazy hot Summer season! 🥵🫠

[@boostjunkieMike]

Great info, thanks for sharing. I need to get my pair in the ground soon. I'm in PA. Not sure where to put them yet.

[@GardenSanity]

You're welcome Michael -- glad to help! And you're right: the most important thing right now is to get them into the ground. If you're not sure where the permanent home is to be, you can sink them into the ground -- in their pots -- into one of your existing garden beds. Cover the top of the container with leaves and mulch to help keep them warm and even (possibly) use some burlap fabric wrapped around them if you're in an area that gets a ton of snow. All of this is just to make sure they come through the Winter just fine for you to plant them into the ground in permanent spots in the Spring. 👍 Also keep in mind that Knockouts are not deer and rabbit proof...so if either of those are an issue, make sure to use some good repellents during the Winter.

[@daisysantiago9837]

Thankyou so much for responding, i enjoy your videos, my daughter has knockout roses, so i wanted to know for sure,.

[@BarbaraWilhelm]

I just found your channel and I'm finding it very helpful. I planted my first Knock out rose last summer. It was beautiful. I didn't think I needed to protect it because of the thorns. I was wrong. The rabbits are all but one stem. I sure hope they didn't kill it!

[@GardenSanity]

Oh Barbara -- I'm so sorry about those dang rabbits. Is the base of your Knock Out looking ok? If so, just trim any of the gnawed stem ends so that there's a "clean" cut at the ends, just to help prevent infection setting into the chewed ends. As long as the overall shrub trunk and stems -- some call them canes -- look ok, your Knock Out should come back just fine. If there are any stems chewed in the middle of the stem, just cut that chewed part off. Knock Outs grow really well in one season, so I'm hoping your shrub does well this year! Give it some Rose-tone fertilizer and sprinkle some rabbit repellent around the shrub. Please keep me posted on how your Knock Out comes back. Fingers crossed for you! 🌹

[@richbishop7896]

I only prune roses in the fall if they are really tall. I like to prune in the spring. I always thought pruning stimulates growth. Bonny

[@GardenSanity]

I agree with you Bonny: I prefer Spring pruning too! And yes, the danger of pruning too early in Fall is the shrub wants to start growing again. 🌹🍂🍃

[@angelamatlock6864]

Thanks! I watched a lot of your Rose care videos- Easy to understand. I've always killed my roses and hopefully not from now on!

[@GardenSanity]

Hi Angela, thanks for watching the videos and for your feedback! Please keep me posted on how your roses do this Summer! 🌹

[@carolficorilli9768]

My petite knockout roses are container grown.

[@GardenSanity]

I bet they are so pretty Carol! 🌹 And I've just edited this comment to add that to keep them outdoors during the Winter season, move them close to your house and out of the wind if possible. This will help them survive their dormant season nicely. If there's no rain or snow for quite some time, and temperatures are above freezing, add a bit of water to the containers during the Winter, just to make sure they container doesn't dry out completely.

[@dorisafejuku968]

Thank you. Very useful.

[@GardenSanity]

You’re welcome Doris! Glad it’s useful! 🌹🍂

[@santahampton]

New subbie here, Zone 8B! Thank you for a VERY informative video along with additional links.

[@GardenSanity]

Thanks for subscribing Santa! 😊 I'm so happy the video is helpful and the links as well! Any questions, just ask! 🌹🍂🍃

[@PlainJane144]

Thanks again Laura. I have a knockout tree. Black spots have been a problem. I tend to neglect it bc of that but I will try the Neem oil. Need to get a pair of the gloves you recommend as well. 🍂🥀

[@GardenSanity]

Yes, the Neem Oil really helps! It may not fix things this year -- but -- try getting ahead of it next season and I think you'll be happy with the results! (And I know what you mean about neglecting plants when they're looking bad too! Been there, done that!) 🤣

[@roses4472]

I only read recently after using Neem oil for years that it is only effective for 48 hours after mixing with water. So now I mix as needed.

[@GardenSanity]

Thanks for sharing! I don’t need to mix mine with water, since I use a product that I can spray directly on the plants whenever I need to, straight from the bottle. Makes things a bit easier. 👍💦

[@dottay3422]

I have a lot of knockout roses which are not doing good lately, I was thinking may be they are too old, I have them for over 10 years or may be I neglected them this year, not watering them enough. Your videos are so helpful for me specially that I live in south Jersey like you. Thanks.

[@GardenSanity]

Hi Dot -- waving to you here in south Jersey! 👋 Have you ever given your Knockouts a good, hard pruning -- say down to about 12 to 18 inches tall in the Spring? That may be all you need to revive them! This Summer was brutal -- so if they didn't get enough water, it's OK because so many things struggled in the heat -- including me! 🤣 If you haven't already, check out my "Knockout Rose Pruning" video. It's really detailed -- in fact someone commented that it was too long the other day -- however I try to cover everything needed to know how to prune them. It isn't hard, just lots of things to look out for. I hope this helps! (And I hope next Summer is better than this one for us!) 🌹🙂

[@MBB9394]

Try Algoflash for Roses next Spring. It is amazing. The first time use a capful per gallon and fertilize after you water. Thereafter you can Use half a cap once a week until they look amazing and then go from there. I love it.

[@GardenSanity]

Thanks for the suggestion Mary! Do you use the Algoflash specifically for roses or the general one? I see that it’s a fertilizer, so do you need to use additional fertilizer like you mentioned? I’m not familiar with using this, so that’s why I’m curious. 🙂 🌹

[@MBB9394]

@@GardenSanity I use the roses for roses and I use the general one for everything else. There used to be specific ones for hydrangea and that sort of thing and I'm not sure at this point how many different varieties they have. They definitely had it for vegetables and tomatoes as those are different nutrients needed. You could certainly sprinkle a time release rose food in the dirt around the base, but for constant blooming I just fertilize every often. You might be able to get some fertilizing in now before winter depending on how soon that comes. Some people say not to fertilize later in the season but this is more like feeding and fertilizing in my view. It certainly won't hurt to try it once and see what happens. I just wouldn't do it too close to a freeze. I hope that helps. You know this is not an exact science right 😂 And I am in the West. Roses are one of the few showy plants that like the dry climate we have here. It's one of the few plants that can thrive without a lot of water ONCE IT IS ESTABLISHED ! For instance we never have black spot or mold like plants in humid places

[@GardenSanity]

@@MBB9394 Thanks Mary for all of this helpful info! 👍 You are so lucky not having to deal with black spot!! Yes, I think with slow-release fertilizers (that are more like food for the soil as well as the plant and released over time), it is ok to use in early Fall here on the East coast. However, like you said, it depends on our first frost dates. Many gardeners use the fast-acting chemical fertilizers like Miracle-Gro, and that's why I think the common suggestion is no fertilizer after August.

[@marilynmcneely206]

Like your video

[@GardenSanity]

Thank you Marilyn! I appreciate the feedback! 😊

[@lisaott9616]

Love your videos. I Am in Central Texas I noticed they have knockout roses for sale I bought one and planted it. What should I do to make it through the winter? Thank you so much.

[@GardenSanity]

Hi Lisa, I think your new Knockout rose will be fine throughout the Winter season, since you're in a warmer gardening zone. However, I do know that you have occasional freezes too. The main thing is not to prune it until the Spring since it is newly planted. Let the plant continue to get established, even during its dormant season. (You can prune it lightly in the Spring if needed.) The second most important thing is to make sure it doesn't dry out. If you don't get rain for awhile, make sure to water the rose at the base of the plant. It should get a drink of water perhaps once a week -- but nothing as drenching as you would do in the heat of the Summer -- just enough that the soil gets wet and the water goes down to where the roots are. And again, that's if no rain is in the forecast for awhile. Otherwise, just follow the tips in the video above! I hope this helps! And keep me posted on how it's doing next Spring! 🌹

[@juliasloan4006]

Could you provide advice on starting out with knockout roses? I just planted mine in the fall and I’m not sure what is the best care to provide this spring / summer.

[@GardenSanity]

Hi Julia, For the first year, no need to prune them. I imagine they are leafing out now. Use a rose fertilizer - I use Rose-tone by Espoma - and work it into the soil around the drip line of the shrub. (Drip line is just where the edges of the shrub will “drip” water down to the soil when it rains.) Then either water it in or let Mother Nature do it for you. There’s also deadheading that’s helpful to learn, as well as what to do about Black Spot which can happen. I have an entire video series on Knockout Roses here on my KZbin channel which covers everything. If you watch those videos, it should help you become familiar with what to do throughout the Spring, Summer and Fall. I hope the videos help you! 🙂🌹

[@juliasloan4006]

@@GardenSanity yes!!! Thank you! I’ve watched your videos and forwarded on to other friends that have started growing knockouts. I very much appreciate your simplicity to gardening❤️

[@familyticheli3285]

Hi! My daughter and I are new plant ppl.😂 I have dwarf drift roses in containers on my porch. I live in Louisiana and so everything is still blooming. Should we bring in the dwarf drift roses or will they be fine staying outside. My yard has way too many roots so we have to have container plants. Any advice would be very much appreciated!

[@GardenSanity]

Congratulations on becoming plant people, because plant people are the best! 😀 You’re in luck, because in your climate, the drift roses can indeed remain in their containers outside during your Winter season. Make sure the containers don’t dry out during Winter, so if there’s a lack of rain, you can give them some water from time to time. If the soil in the pots isn’t covered with a layer of mulch, please add some. Mulch will help to keep the soil moist. 👍 You can have a beautiful garden just with containers! And wait until you see my latest video coming this week: I’m going to show my own problem with roots! No fun, so I can relate. ❤️🌺

[@familyticheli3285]

@@GardenSanity Thank you thank you!!! The info on some plants is lacking and we want our plants to live!😅 I will definitely watch the next video! God bless you! ♥️

[@GardenSanity]

@@familyticheli3285 You're more than welcome -- I'm always glad to help! ❤

[@pennyduncan5980]

❤

[@willaerley7140]

I bought a Knockout and Limelight hydrangea on clearance. I can’t plant them til spring as I have to remove a tree first. Should I leave them outside or put them in the garage for winter in zone 6?

[@GardenSanity]

Is there any chance you can sink the containers temporarily into the ground to over Winter outside? That would be what I would do - and have done in the past to keep the soil and roots insulated. Otherwise, outside only if they are in a sheltered spot out of the wind and close to your home. A garage is not a bad idea, and if doing so, remember to give them water but not that often. Does this help? 🙂

[@daisysantiago9837]

Can I prune knockout roses now in Oct, zone 5, ? upstate Ny

[@GardenSanity]

Hi Daisy -- Yes, you can prune in late Fall and your roses will be fine. I discuss this in detail at the 1:14 minute mark in the video above -- and explain why it's best to wait until late Fall if you plan on pruning during the Fall season. You probably watched this already, but worth another look to answer your question. 🙂🌹

[@5853gh]

Everywhere else I've read says to prune January or February?

[@GardenSanity]

Pruning depends a lot on your gardening zone. Yes, if you garden in a much warmer zone in the South, pruning can be done in February -- really not too sure about January because pruning encourages new growth to begin and you really want the shrub to have a bit of rest before it begins pushing out new growth for the longer Southern season ahead. Pruning in "early Spring" is subjective: if you garden in a Northern zone you will no doubt wait until mid-Spring to prune depending on your weather. Snows can happen through March, so no pruning is suggested during that time. If you garden in the mid-Atlantic -- like here in zone 7 -- some years I am able to prune in early March and other years due to freezing weather had to wait until later. But I'd never prune in January or February here because -- again -- snows and freezing temperatures don't mix well with freshly pruned roses. 😃🌹