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Tips For Growing Knockout Roses and Other Shrub Roses

By Cheryl Jones

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Published: 29Feb2012
Word count: 469
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Shrub roses, which includes the Knockout Roses varieties, are not only beautiful in the landscape, but they are the easiest flowering shrubs to work with. These rose shrubs require little effort with hardly any ongoing attention and yet, they bloom gorgeous rose blooms from April, in many zones, until they are hit by a hard frost in fall. For the color and life they add to gardens and landscapes for such an extended period, they are the best value for garden plants.

Shrub roses, just like regular vine roses, enjoy a pH of around 6.0 to 7.0. Most all rose varieties require about 6 hours of sunlight each day, which is preferably morning sunlight. Protection from the hot afternoon summer sun will help to keep them happier. It is a good idea to watch the sunlight in the area you want to plant shrub roses to make certain that there is not only enough light, but afternoon protection in warmer climates.

Rose shrubs grow best in areas with high organic matter content, so you will not go wrong by mixing in aged manure and/or aged compost into the soil. When planting shrub roses, dig holes 18 to 24 inches deep, place the plants root system (minus pot if container grown or minus plastic if bare root), fill in hole with a blending of the soil and organic matter up to the root collar. Then, mound around the base of the plant with aged manure, aged compost, or wood bark mulch. Be sure to add more organic matter or mulch each spring. Water the plants at least once a week during the growing season. Do not water roses by overhead irrigation or other type of sprinkler system. Morning watering is best for shrub roses as it will allow time for the sun to dry any moisture on the leaves.

Organic matter is the best to give the plants the nutrients that they need, but supplement fertilize (if you use it) should be applied in early spring after the shrubs have begun leafing out.

Pruning is an important issue with roses. The best time for any major pruning is in early spring, before the shrubs begin to leaf out. Prune out all dead, broken, damaged, touching, or crossing branches. Once accomplished, the plants can be clipped for shape, which is a personal issue as some like the natural look while others prefer a rounded manicured look.

Whether you plant your shrub roses as garden plants, foundation plantings, flowering hedges, or for privacy, to limit people and pets from passing through your property, there is a perfect rose for you. Drift Roses and Knockout Roses grow beautifully in small yards and small gardens while the rosa rugosa roses are great for larger projects such as living fences and privacy fences.

Cheryl Jones writes articles on plants, plant care, gardening tips and landscaping ideas. Her website, GreenwoodNursery.com, offers a great selection of plants including shrub roses, evergreen ground covers, flowering shrubs, small fruiting plants, lavender plants.

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