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Knock Out roses winter care is easy. Just follow the steps.
The Knock Out Family of Roses, bred by Bill Radler, are award winners, both on the show circuit and with gardeners.
Knock Out roses are very easy to care for, disease resistant and cold-tolerant (hardy to USDA zone 5). Wait until the ground is completely frozen to prepare the tree for the rest of the winter.
Supplies you’ll need
Mulch
Hopefully, you withheld fertilizer back in August and stopped deadheading in October. If not, don’t freak out; the rose won’t die.
Just remember to do so next season. Why? This will encourage the Knock Out rose to produce hips and then go dormant.
Remove all foliage from the Knock Out rose.
Wait until the ground freezes to add a 5- to 6-inch layer of wood mulch around the base and spread to the dripline of the Knock Out rose. Be careful not to apply the mulch too early.
Spray the branches of the KnockOut rose with dormant oil to control any pests that may overwinter on the plant.
Drive three or four stakes into the soil surrounding the Knock Out rose. Wrap burlap around the stakes and staple or nail the burlap to the stakes.
You can also loosely wrap the burlap around the tree and then wrap it with twine to hold the burlap in place. Keep the wrapping loose to allow air to circulate around the rose bush.
Growing potted Knock Out roses?
Although it may feel counterintuitive, the pros at knockoutroses.com suggest that potted Knock Out roses winter care involves leaving your potted roses outside “… through the first few frosts …” before storing them indoors, in an area that remains cool and dark.
If there’s a frequently-used door to the home’s exterior, protect the potted Knock Outs by wrapping them in burlap or fleece.
Check the plants over winter to ensure that the soil doesn’t dry completely. Don’t drench the soil, but moisten it.
Bring them outdoors again, when all danger of frost has passed.
Time to repot that rose? Check out our In-depth guide on how to repot roses.
Should I cut back my knockout roses for winter?
That depends on where you live. Northern gardeners will want to wait until early spring after the danger of frost passes.
Rose growers in the south can prune their Knock Out rose any time.
Remember, these roses bloom on new wood so pruning is an excellent way to get a gorgeous flush of roses.
The early spring pruning
Early spring is the ideal time to hard prune your established Knock Out roses. The experts at Knock Out roses suggest that you prune the bush “… when you start to see new shoots growing from the canes.”
They also claim that if you cut your roses back to 12”, they’ll “… grow to about 3-4’ tall by the end of the season.”
First, though, remove the winter protection and give the rose a good, deep watering.
Remove old hips, dying branches, those that cross over others and those not growing the way you want them to. You can take off as much as 2/3 of the shrub’s growth at this time.
Roses are non-toxic to Dogs, Non-Toxic to Cats, Non-Toxic to Horses, according to the ASPCA.
Feature image: Tony Alter, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
