Knock Out® roses are shrub roses for gardeners who want to grow roses but don't have a lot of time.They are hardy in USDA Hardiness Zones 4 to 10, which means that they can survive temperatures that dip down to -25 degrees F.These plants thrive in partial shade with as little as three hours of direct sunlight and do not need to be deadheaded.Even though they are easy to grow, they still have some basic care requirements.
Step 1: The Knock Out rose gets at least three hours of sunlight a day.
These roses need sunlight to stay healthy.
Step 2: If the soil doesn't drain quickly, you need to check.
You can fill the 18-inch deep hole with water by digging it.The hole should be checked after 24 hours.If there is still water in it, find a planting site with better drainage or build a 1 to 1 1/2 foot raised bed and plant the Knock Out rose there.
Step 3: The soil's pH should be tested.
Knock Out roses can grow in soil with a pH of 6 to 6.5.Most garden centers have soil test kits.Don't touch the soil test sample with your hands, it's 4 inches deep.If you touch it, your skin could change.When the sample is dry, break it up into fine pieces, put it in the pH test chamber, and add distilled water with the test chemical.The kit has a color chart for the water.
Step 4: Adding lime or aluminum sulfate to the soil will raise the pH.
The amount of lime or aluminum sulfate is dependent on the soil type.Sandy soil will require about 12 ounces of lime to raise the pH of 25 square feet of soil from 5.5 to 6 or about 2 ounces aluminum sulfate to change it from 7 to 6.5Lime or aluminum sulfate should be used to change the soil's pH.Before planting the rose, sprinkle the aluminum sulfate or lime evenly over the soil and mix it in thoroughly with a tiller.
Step 5: It's a good idea to change the pH when your plant is in the ground.
If the rose has already been planted but the pH needs to be changed, mix the aluminum sulfate or lime into the top 2 inches of soil with a dirt rake or hand rake.Spread it all the way around the rose in an area that is 3 feet away from the base of the shrub.The rose can develop chlorosis if the soil pH is too high.
Step 6: The rose should be planted at least 3 feet away from buildings.
This is to make sure your plant gets enough air circulation.Increased air circulation will make it more difficult for diseases to attack the rose.
Step 7: Give your plant plenty of water.
When the top of the soil begins to dry for the first two years, water it immediately.They can be watered with a garden hose that turns the water into a slow or medium pressure.Giving them water more slowly allows it to soak into the ground around the rose.
Step 8: Use a watering can.
There is a watering can for these roses.If you pour the water slowly, it will soak in where the rose needs it.The water should be spread over the soil around the rose and extended beyond the outer edge of the branches.As the shrub grows, the root system will extend into this area.
Step 9: As the rose ages, you should water it less.
The leaves will turn yellow after the first two years, but it will survive for a long time without water.During dry spells, water it once every week or two.The leaves will turn yellow if it is being watered too much.Spread shredded pine bark around the rose to help keep it moist.
Step 10: Knock Out rose fertilization should be given in the spring when it begins to put on new leaves.
A 5-10-5 or 4-8-4 ratio is ideal for roses.Before watering the rose, spread a cup offertilizer over the soil.
Step 11: During the growing season, fertilize at different times.
When the new flower buds appear in the middle of summer, give your plant another dose of fertilization.Knock Out roses will produce lots of new, lush stems that will not mature in time for the cold winter weather, so don't give it any fertilization after the middle of summer.They should not be givenfertilizer in late summer or fall so they can rest up for spring, even in mild winter climates.
Step 12: You should watch for signs that your rose is getting too much or too little.
The Knock Out rose will grow slowly if it doesn't get enough fertilization.The edges of the leaves may turn brown due to too much fertilization.
Step 13: In the late winter or early spring, the Knock Out rose lightly.
At any time of the year, use hand pruners to remove dead or damaged stems.When the wind blows, cut out any stems that are growing across other stems.When the rose is a few years old, trim the stem back by half to one-third their height.The shear should be held correctly.Pruning cuts should be made at a 45 degree angle above a growth bud which is a small, raised area of plant tissue on the stem.The growth bud is just below the cut.
Step 14: Pick off the dead blooms.
Deadheading is not required with these roses.As the blooms fade, they will drop to the ground.Rake up the rose after it's been trimmed.Every few weeks, the dead flowers should be raked up.Dead flowers and trimmings in the garden can be a breeding ground for infections.Other plants may not be as resistant to diseases as these rose shrubs are.The garden will look better when it is cleaned up and the plants are less likely to contract diseases.
Step 15: There are signs that your rose is being attacked.
Each month, check the Knock Out rose for pests like spider mites, mealybugs, and scales.Knock Out roses can do some damage.One of the telltale signs that pests are making a meal out of a Knock Out rose is a sticky clear liquid called honeydew.The pests can be seen under the leaves and along the stems.
Step 16: There are different pests.
Aphids are small insects that can be green or red.Mealybugs and scales are flat insects that attach themselves to the leaves or stems.Spider mites are very tiny pests that are usually first noticed when they spin a very fine web between the leaves or branches.
Step 17: Pests should be controlled as they appear.
If these pests are found, spray the Knock Out rose with a strong spray from the garden hose in the morning to knock them off.The rose needs to be sprayed once or twice a week to keep the pests under control.
Step 18: Rub the pests away.
Mealybugs can be rubbed off with a cotton ball soaked in rubbing alcohol.