Do your knock out roses look spectacular? I have a confession to make… although this is a picture of my own shrubs, it is a rarity that they really look this good.
Roses can be finicky! Bugs happen, Drought happens.
And to tell you the truth, they were here when we bought the house and I just didn’t know how to care for knock out roses.
But I have learned some things and now I want to share three tips with you for caring for knock out roses.
Around the end of April they will be covered in blooms.
Honestly though, by summertime, mine look like this…
The first blush of spring blooms is over and the bugs have enjoyed a dinner of fresh green leaves.
Knock out roses are suppose to be carefree. And maybe in comparison to hybrid roses, they are relatively carefree. But totally carefree they are NOT.
TIP 1: All in One Rose Care
Preventative measures are the way to handle this buggy problem and my first tip for Knock Out Roses care is to use a product like this All in One Rose Care.
*This post contains affiliate links to products or companies that I truly love and believed in before I joined the affiliate program. If you use these links to make a purchase, I will be compensated at no extra cost to you.*
Used on a regular basis it will prevent those swiss cheese looking leaves. It is easy to apply and I find it works well when applied at least once in spring and again in summer.
Using a hand held fork or some type of cultivator to scratch the surface of the dirt. Sprinkle a couple of tablespoons of the all in one rose care around the base of the rose. Then use the fork to mix the granules lightly into the soil.
Read the directions on your product. Some may require watering immediately after application.
TIP 2: Water
Summer in the south usually means drought conditions.
Knock Out Roses don’t like that. If the rainfall is scarce during summer you will need to water your knockout roses for optimum performance and this is the tip where I fail.
My plan to combat lack of water is to put a drip hose on the ground beside them and leave it set up all the time, so that whenever I think of it, I can just turn on the outside water spigot and let it run for a while.
TIP 3: Prune
We also have an extended summer in the south and for knock out roses that is a good thing! You can get another flush of blooms before winter by giving them a light pruning during August. They will put out new buds and show off a bit one more time.
This third tip for knock outs is one that I just learned and am trying it for the first time for myself. I am excited about seeing them looking good again soon.
Do you have roses in your garden? These 3 tips will keep your knock out roses and all roses in tip top shape.
Want to get your knock outs off to a good start in the spring? Read about Early Spring Pruning!
If you enjoyed learning about Knock Out Roses, you might also like to read EASY CARE FOR BEAUTIFUL HYDRANGEAS.
Get inspired by their website Knock Out roses, but don’t drool on your keyboard!
I love roses but they do not do well for me, no plant does. lol Great tips though Nikki.
I love pink roses and yellow roses… but they are just too much work for me. However, I don’t want these to die so I’m trying to do what I can. 🙂
My brother had those rose bushes around his house and although they’re beautiful, they really were a lot of work. Great tips for those with a green thumb.
I love your logo. I’ve seen it around in the EBA group and think it is just so cool! Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
We have had a very wet summer and my knockouts are just beginning to wain. We will be cutting them back this weekend. I use epsom salts and coffee grinds to help mine thrive. Our cafeteria at work saves the grinds for me and between the salts and grinds, my roses are pretty happy most of the time. I did loose one recently but it was an old one. Your’s looke great!!
I need some of your rain Clearissa! I do need to save the coffee grounds at work. That would be great for my compost and thats good info about the roses liking it too! 🙂
We have not planted any new roses since we had a our new home built. Yours look amazing but I know exactly what you mean about the weather. Great tips, thanks for telling us about them! Shared x 4♥
I’ve never had roses because I’ve always heard how much work they take! There were here when we bought the house and I’ve always felt dreadful that I didn’t take care of them properly so I am trying to do better. 🙂
I feel same way. I had roses at the house I just left, too much work for me. I moved and they have knock out roses I really want to replace with something easy caring for Alabama. suggestions?
Hi Jana! After I learned a little about their care, I decided that I actually like the knockouts! I found that pruning right after that first beautiful spring blooming session, around June, produces another just as beautiful blooming session. And then prune again in August, after that 2nd blooming, for a third blooming session. Keep them watered during the dry spells! They really like water!
But, if you insist on replacing them, it all depends on location (sun? shade?), color preference, shrub??? I love gardenias… but they also need water, as do hydrangeas…. if you could give me more information about your likes and dislikes and location, I’ll try to help.
I totally agree with you. I also fertilize monthly here in Florida. The summer rains seem to wash away the fertilizer.
How long g after planting a knockout can you see blooming results
Mine were already here when we moved in, but, depending on when you planted them, they should bloom that first summer! They aren’t spring bloomers usually. Might depend on the variety though and your climate. There isn’t an answer that will fit all situations. Where are you located?
How coincidental, except I don’t really believe in coincidences, that I am sitting in a Rose Garden as I read this post. My own poor roses need some help, and one of my goals this weekend is to give them some love. Thank you for the great tips. A fork, huh?
hahahaha I never know what to call that thing… its not a trowel, maybe its a rake??? I don’t know. I call it a fork. 🙂
Wow! Your roses are gorgeous!
Thanks so much Catherine! 🙂
I am pinning this because I have been. Wanting to try my hand at roses! Thanks for the info.
Good luck with you new adventure of roses! It will be fun. 🙂
I love roses, in Facebook my first job ever was working in a large rose growing greenhouse! Great advice and I hope you have an abundance of blooms on your roses!
Oh I would love to work in a large greenhouse! 🙂
Great tips for roses! I sure miss having my flower gardens!
Thanks for visiting! I hope you have some flower gardens again soon. 🙂
Going to pin this but I wanted to ask if I should cut mine back now? I’m way down in Miami and although we get plenty of rain in the summer they are toasted and finished blooming.
Yes. Not drastically, but a light pruning. It should be done in August but you will be fine that far south. And this should spur them into another fall bloom. Good luck! 🙂
My roses are doing great this year. For 1 I put them in containers. Plus if I see white or yellow leaves or even chewed up leaves. I spray Neem oil on the and they do great. I even brought a rose bush back from death using Neem oil
Oh thats great! Roses are NOT my best plant. I know mine need more water than they get.
I prune my roses all spring and summer until shortly after fall and they stay full of blooms. I live in Massachusetts.
I pruned mine this year in late June and they were blooming again for 4th of July! So yeah, I think if you dead head you could have blooms all summer! (and also water them)
Rose bushes do require a bit of attention but they are oh so worth it! Learning how to prune the right way can make a big difference.
As beautiful as roses are, I have avoided planting any because I didn’t want to put in the work. And pruning them is one of the obstacles. I have much to learn there. Thanks for visiting Deborah. 🙂
My daddy was a master gardener and he had two huge beautiful rose gardens. Great tips! Thank you for sharing at #BoiggingGrandmothersLinkParty
Oh I do admire people that have rose gardens! That is dedication. Thanks for stopping by Lori. 🙂
Oh dear I don’t have much luck with roses I’m afraid. Most other plants thrive in our garden but roses, not so much. I’ll have to try your tips to see if it makes a difference
I don’t have much patience with roses either Michelle. They just require too much work. But these knock out roses take less than the others. Good luck! 🙂
I have a few roses, but they look like yours by midsummer too, LOL! I’m still trying to find something organic that will keep them happy, but haven’t found anything yet. I’ll keep looking. And yes, they’re definitely easier than hybrid teas, which are quite the little divas!
ah! Organic! Great idea… let me know what you find! I’d love to give it a try. 🙂
Hi Nikki, love your pretty Knockout roses!!! I have found, too, that the nasty humidity that moves into Texas seems to be a killer of rose bushes… Ugh! Didn’t have this trouble in So Cal where we received afternoon coastal breezes flowing over the mountain range (even on super hot days in mid/late summer). I am still learning how to care for roses here, too.
Thanks for the feeding update and DO routinely prune your roses after they bloom as you should get repeat blooming all summer long. I am just going to go for consistent watering this summer and more feeding/spraying (which I hate to do for bugs/mold spores but seems necessary…) this year and give that a try.
Happily pinned a couple of photos to my Gardening and Ethereal Gardens and Decor boards for you. <3
Happy gardening!
Barb 🙂
Yes, I just finished pruning my roses this month (February), And again in August. Mine definitely need more consistent water. Thanks Barb! 🙂
Knock out roses are not like other roses so don’t confuse them. To get more blooms cut off old blooms and you will get more blooms . We live in Texas and I do this and have bloom till get frost. Also do cut back the get levy jus like othets. The only difference is the bugs knockout have less and not much of fungus.
Thanks for sharing your tips Wanda!
Love my knockout roses but so does the Japanese Beetles! They eat mine to no buds. Anyone else have this issue? What is best safest treatment?
Hi jham! I talked about Japanese Beetles in my post about Crepe Myrtles. Here is a link to the post. 4 Crepe Myrtle Care Tips That should help you out.
Hi! Thank you for the information. I recently had a tree branch fall on one of my rose bushes. It didn’t break it, but “flattened” some of the branches. It is one that we keep pretty low usually due to it’s location in the beds. The branches didn’t break, but are definitely not standing as high as usual. Should I leave them be and let them pick themselves back up, or trim down?
It’s hard to say without seeing the damage for myself. Do they seem cracked or damaged in any way?
Thank you so much for these tips! I just planted knockout roses this spring. The blooms are so beautiful but I feel a little overwhelmed with the holes on the leaves, white spots (I believe it’s because of the humidity this early spring), and I saw tiny green bugs — I’m guessing they’re the ones who’s been eating the leaves. I’m going to apply what you have done. Thank you again!
Hi Kam. Good luck with your roses!
My mom always had beautiful roses in Niagara Falls NY. She poured some Ivory Snow in a bucket added water to make suds and poured it over her plants. It works for any kind of plants. Living here in Louisiana the bugs out number the people so it works well here also.
How interesting! I’ll have to google Ivory Snow and see what the ingredients are.
My knockout roses lose their all their bottom leaves after the first bloom and turn into just sticks with a few leaves at the top. The leaves actually fall off and lay on the ground under the branches about July. Are they being watered too much? I took my drip system off of them this spring and am hand watering them now. They are beautiful right now (June) but am wondering what will happen in a couple of weeks if they do as they have in the past. I thought I may be overwatering them, what do you think?
I should have said also that I live in Loveland, Colorado (the front range) and we normally get 8 to 10 inches of rain a year.
Here in AL they need a lot of water. Maybe CO is different, but I wouldn’t think you could actually over water them here. How often do you water?
And they like a good pruning after they bloom.
Do you treat them with anything? Japanese beetles are bad to eat them up.