How to Plant & Care for Knock Out Roses

Preparing the soil is a key step in growing knock out roses.

Busy gardeners love the new easy-care landscape or shrub roses, including the knock out series first introduced in 2000. These roses are very disease-resistant yet prolific, starting a generous new bloom cycle every four to six weeks. Though knock out roses aren't ideal for cut-flower gardens, the flowers themselves are quite attractive in the landscape--stunning in hedges or massed plantings. Knock out roses are also "self-cleaning," which means you don't need to deadhead or prune spent flowers. No wonder the knock out rose is the superstar rose in North America.

Things You'll Need

• Knock out roses, potted or bare root
• Soak bucket
• Garden gloves
• Garden shovel
• Trowel
• Compost, well-rotted manure or leaves
• Rose fertilizer
• Loppers or heavy shears
• Hand pruners
• Leaf or other organic mulch

Instructions

Potted Roses

1. Choose a sunny site with fertile, well-drained soil, though part shade can be tolerated. Spread 2 or 3 inches of organic matter over the planting area. Dig it in, cultivating deeply to thoroughly mix amendments with the soil.

2. Water the potted rose if its soil seems dry. Dig a planting hole as deep as the rose container and twice as wide.

3. Remove the rose from its pot. Prune very small canes--any that are thinner than a pencil--and any that are dead or damaged. Loosen roots if they seem packed too tightly or root-bound.

4. Place the bush in the center of the hole. Correctly position the bud union or knobby part of the stem. Make sure the "knob" is about 1 inch above the soil surface if you live in Zones 6 to 10. In areas with severe winters--Zones 5 and under--plant deeper, insulating the bud union by burying it 1 inch below ground. Fill the hole with soil, gently tamping it down and adding more soil as needed.

5. Water immediately, thoroughly soaking the root area to prevent transplant shock. Check moisture level every few days for the first few weeks. Mulch to retain soil moisture and discourage weeds.

Bare Root Roses

1. Remove all packaging from your bare root roses. Soak their roots in water, for one to six hours immediately before planting.

2. Choose a sunny site with fertile, well-drained soil, though part shade can be tolerated. Spread 2 or 3 inches of organic matter over the planting area. Dig it in, cultivating deeply to thoroughly mix amendments with the soil. Dig a planting hole as deep as the rose roots and twice as wide. Return some soil to the center of the hole to create a small mound.

3. Spread the rose roots out so they extend naturally. Position them over the mound and "seat" the rose there, with roots extending around the mound. Correctly position the bud union or knobby part of the stem, adjusting mound height if needed. Make sure the "knob" is about 1 inch above the soil surface if you live in Zones 6 to 10. In areas with severe winters--Zones 5 and under--plant deeper, insulating the bud union by burying it 1 inch below ground. Fill the hole with soil, gently tamping it down and adding more soil as needed.

4. Water immediately, thoroughly soaking the root area to prevent transplant shock. Check moisture level every few days for the first few weeks. Mulch to retain soil moisture and discourage weeds.

5. Cover at least one-third of the exposed canes with mulch or soil, to protect them from drying out while the plant emerges from dormancy and roots get established. Remove mounded material after several weeks--when new shoots begin to emerge--by spraying it off with a hose.

Tips & Warnings

• Water and fertilize regularly throughout the growing season to encourage plant growth and new flower buds.

• Prune knock out roses in spring, cutting or shearing them back to 12 to 18 inches above the ground. Trim then periodically throughout the season to maintain a particular size. Unpruned knock out roses will grow to more than 3 to 4 feet tall and wide.

References

• University of Arkansas Extension: Knock Out Rose
• Conard Pyle: The Knock Out Family of Roses
• University of Illinois Extension: Cut Back Knock-Out Roses Next Spring