In reality, many modern roses like ‘Knock Out’ are robust, long-lived, flowering shrubs.
No plant is more flexible, more versatile, and more fun thanthe rose in all its myriad forms.
Southern gardeners now have access to a broader selection ofeasy-care rosesthan ever.
‘Rainbow Knock Out’ is a beloved standby for many Southern gardeners. This shrub features coral-pink flowers alongside burgundy-to-deep green foliage.Credit:Robbie Caponetto
Three traits combine to win it high praise throughout the South.
Gardeners in the Coastal and Tropical South can expect year-round blooms.
Finallyand this is bigit never needs spraying for black spot.
Low-maintenance and disease-resistant, they love to bloom.
The original ‘Knock Out’ rose has cherry-red single petals.
‘Pink Knock Out’ has beautiful pink single petals.
There are also double flower forms of both red and pink.
‘Blushing Knock Out’ offers light pink blooms.
The newest of the ‘Knock Out’ roses is the yellow ‘Sunny Knock Out.’
They will flower best in a sunny spot (at least six hours a day) with good drainage.
There’s no need to keep the flowers groomed; they’re self-cleaning.
When And Why To Prune ‘Knock Out’ Roses
‘Knock Out’ roses bloom on new growth.
A resting phase is a good time to prune.
A neighbor of mine has a ‘Knock Out’ hedge that’s 6 feet tall.
So periodic pruning is necessary to keep it manageable.
Trimming these off the tips brings it back into bloom.
Now that you have gloves on, let’s proceed.
Cut back to a leaf or an outward-facing bud.
Remove dead, crowded, or crossing branches to open up the plant’s center.
Cut back aggressively if you want, but not down to the graft union.
That’s the knob at the base where the roots and stems meet.
General Guidelines For Rose Pruning
The followingpruning practicesapply to all roses except certain shrub and species roses.
The ideal result is a V-shaped bush with a relatively open center.
If any suckers (growth produced from rootstock) are present, completely remove them.
Let the wound air-dry before you replace the soil around it.
Considercutting flowersas a form of pruning.
Prune to an outward-growing bud or to a five-leaflet leaf.
Next, fertilize them according to label directions with Miracle-Gro Water Soluble Rose Plant Food.
Proper care includes careful fertilizing, pruning, and watering.
‘Knock Out’ roses grow easily in containers.
Keep the containers in sunny, nutrient-rich soil and well-watered for best results.
Missouri Botanical Garden.Rosa ‘Radrazz’ Knock Out.
University of Florida Institute of Food & Agricultural Sciences.Knock Out Roses.
University of Maryland Extension.Guide to pruning roses.
The Knock Out Family of Roses.
