i was just complimenting my neighbor on her knockout roses yesterday!! they are HUGE!! i didnt know there was more than one kind so i'll ask her about that but knowing her she wont have a clue as to which one she has.

I've got knockout pink growing in one of my beds now. The flower buds already forming. Knockout red is stunning too. I have seen a double red advertised but I am not too fond of the flower shape.

I have the original (red). Bought it several years ago for its shade tolerance and disease resistance. I am happy to report that it is both shade tolerant and disease resistant.

I have had the original red KnockOut for 3 years and it's doing wonderful. It starts blooming late May and I usually have some blooms on my Thanksgiving table! Seems to be taking the winters well.

I have customers growing the Pink and Blushing KnockOuts but it seems to be too early in the game for too many results on those. They are keeping me posted on their success. (Or lack of!)

I'm planting the Double KnockOut this year. The bud is Hybrid T-like, the color is the same as the original red. Good fragrance. I hope it's as strong through the seasons as the orginal....I'm continually amazed when I see them growing. They look so strong and sturdy and I have yet to get a report of black spot or powdery mildew on them.

Anybody out there notice disease problems?

After resisting the Knock Out rose craze for a year, last summer I broke down and bought two. I bought 1 red knockout and one Pink. Both were outstanding for me last year. The got at least 3' tall and pretty wide, with blooms until frost and not an ounce of blackspot anywhere. (Knock on wood!). This year I bought 2 more of the red ones and I'm planning to buy more of the pink and maybe a blushing knockout. In fact, I think I"m removing two "Ballerina" roses in favor of the Knockouts because the ballerina gets BS every year and I'm not one to use chemicals.
Go get one, or two or three....you won't be sorry!
Kim

Ut oh...sounds like one rose I might have to get! Sounds very nice.

I have never been a Rose person, But after seeing my friends and Sue's neighbors Knock out Rose. I'm now a big fan and have to have at least one to start out with. I love the flowers but didn't like all the problems that came with it. After reading the information on the growing habits and the desease resistance, I think I can deal with this one.
Thanks for all the info!!

I bought 7 this year: 3 orginal cherry red knockouts and 4 of the Blushing Knock outs (this is a brighter pink than the "blushing knockout" which if quite pale.

I love all of them: the cherry red ones are growing like gangbusters since they were in the ground a month earlier. The pink ones were smaller when I bought them (1 gallon vs 2 gallon) plus I had to move them to a different home -- so all in all I'd say they are doing great and tremendously flexible.

You can't go wrong....

I've had the red for 4 years. They get huge. Some will grow to 4 feet or more. Bought the pink last year. BS resistant, but does not seem to be as vigorous as the red. I still love it for the no care and the constant flowers. I have been able to take sucessful cuttings from both.

Planted the pink last year also, and so far it seems a bit less vigorous than the red. Have had the leaves of the red, "skeletalized" by some insect. Scale? Anyone else had this? (All I have seen is a white, less than 1/8" insect mainly around the flower bud area) Have seen similar at the base area (mainly) of daylilys. Thinking of spraying w/hort oil.

I planted mine 3' apart. Starting to think I should have spaced them closer to 4' apart. If there is a gap I could have filled it with May Night Salvia or such. Anyone have thoughts on spacing?

This is my first year for Knock-outs but I love them so far. I purchased 6 of the light pink 'Blushing' Knock-outs and one of them turned out to be the cherry red variety. Of course this was the rose that I planted next to my 'Niobe'clematis and the color combo was just awful. I dug up one of the 'Blushing's and swaped places. Neither rose was very happy, leaves started turning yellow and falling off. I was very worried. I cut off all the blooms on both of them and gave them a good drink and a bit of rose food and they were off! Both look very green and healthy now. None of my Knockouts show any sign of disease, but today I found the first j.beetles on them. Now I'll begin my twice-daily patrols, armed with a stick and my can of soapy water!
Patti

I should know this by now LOL, but what does the soapy water do? Also, I have read about knock outs literally being run over by a car, and eventually coming back! This is one tough plant.

This year I bought about 40 knock out roses and so far I am so pleased with it. They have been blooming non stop since spring. Even in the heat of Texas they have done wonderful job. It is almost Thanksgiving, they haven't stop blooming. I haven't seen any black spot on them so far. I recommend this rose to every body. It's very carefree. Wonderful for your landscape.

The former owner loved roses (she was a poor gardener, but loved roses...) and I have several of the original knock out reds...I have to say that is one plant I'm keeping. It stays low, blooms forever and is fairly free of problems (no mildew, of course the Jap. beetles had fun, but there's not much they don't like and the rose kept on doing its thing...). It has been interesting for me to watch them...

I would like to try the new double knock out rose. Does anyone know of a good dealer to buy them from over the web. I know most of these site's offer only small plants. I would love to get 1 gallon size. Already thinking spring!!!!

I bought 6 double knockout rose plants last month and planted them right away. They bloomed beautifully right away, tons of flowers, but now there is not a single bud. I am new to roses and am not sure what the proper pruning technique is for the spent flowers. Any advice would be much appreciated!

I have 5 red and 5 pink knockout that I just planted this year and they were all in bloom when purchased but now that they have been in the ground a month they have very little blooms on them. they were planned along my privacy fence in mostly sun location.They are all growing great but they have more growth then blooms. Anything I can feed them to make them bloom more? I put in a rose granulated food when I put them in the ground and feed them once with Miricle Grow but they only have one or two flowers on each bush.

I'm glad to find this thread about KO's. It seems that all here share the same opinion that this is one fantastic plant. Mine have been in since May and have doubled in size. It has been my experience that the new growth and flowers come in cycles. At first, I was trying to deadhead all of the spent blooms but, now, I really like the contrast of the faded pink against the cherry red blooms.

I do have one plant that I think was burned by fertilizer. Like PattiOH described, the leaves turned yellow and fell off. It's looking a little weak and, although I am concerned, I'm told that the fact that it is putting on new growth is a good sign. Patti, how long did it take for new leaves to fill in?

I have (or had) 15 knockout roses and they are great. No muss, no fuss and they bloom all summer. I occassionally trimmed them in the summer if they spread too far. Mine were 4-1/2'high. This week (November) my gardner cut thm down to 12". Has anyone else done this? Are my roses now past-tense?

Jess2132000, I just purchased another 4 tonight after receiving a dozen last week in 1 gal pots. The plants and roots were so impressive. The link is below. Sorry but the 30% sale may have ended today. They are a good value for the price as almost no one has the 1 gal in stock, when I looked earlier this month. This place in Greenwood, SC does have them (ships from Park Seed in Greenwood), but purchase from Waysidegardens in Hodges, SC.

Here is a link that might be useful: Double Knock Out roses- Red.

I've had about 12 red KO for maybe 4-5 years and have never lost one. People stop and ask me about them all the time. I have about 120 rose bushes and that's the only rose I can say that about so far, except my William Baffin climbers which are indestructible. Two years ago I got 6 pink and 6 Blushing pink KO. I did lose several of the blushing pink and the rest are still looking wimpy, but it may be the site. The pink KO started slow but had a good summer last year.

They are doing great so far.

Last Year I had a Japanese Beetle outbreak. I didn't see a single flower onmy roses from Jule to August. I hope Knock out I planted this year do not attract J beetles that much.

Could anyone tell me about the fragrance of their knock out roses? I saw some planted that had a heavenly fragrance, (the gardener told me they were knock out roses) but the ones I saw at the nursery (all of which were double knock out) had no fragrance at all. Thanks!

Mine have no fragrance.

Help!! The blooms of my knockout roses are turning brown and falling off. What do I need to do to save them????? This is the second time this has happened. They were growing beautifully but now they are turning brown. What could be wrong?

clara-roses- my gardener is the one who would be past tense

I don't think my posting made it, so I will try again. A local landscape company planned a bed for me which included knockout roses I was happy to include them since I have seen them growing all over our town. This is the third year they have been in my yard and they are getting progressively worse. Two have died, one already having been replaced.
Possible problem: They were planted properly but their ultimate destination is clay. Also, the area stays wet after a heavy rain as they are in a downward slope area. I'm thinking of raising the bed at their point of planting in hopes that they will do better.

I am wanting some knock out roses for my garden and was wondering about their root system.... is it small or do they have a large root system..... I need something that will not intertwine too much with underground landscape wiring and springkler system. Thanks.

I wondered that too.

Emathey...we have clay and over the years have amended the soil with sand, worms and compost.

This my first year of growing knock-out roses and I just love them. I am wondering about winter care of my rose bushes, they are new starts off of cuttings. What should I do to insure their survival of the winter months? Thanks

I have several ko's and some are doing fine and others seem to be dieing. One ko rose tree has brown leaves, yellow leaves, black spots and no new growth and the old/new growth is dead. I have cut back another ko and I have not seen any new growth at all. Any ideas? I need some help!!!!!.

Soap solutions kill Japanese beetles (and other insects) by cutting off air for breathing. Insects do not have lungs; they have small, wax-coated tubes (trachea) which carry oxygen directly to their tissues. Water can not drown insects because water will not enter the waxy tubes. Soap solutions WILL enter the tubes, drowning the insects.

just bought my first knockout bush pink and its doing fine. For the first thing I ever planted im proud one question when do i prune i have flowers that have fallen off do i take off old flowers for new ones to grow? also how often should I water I live in cleveland, ohio

I received a free Knock Out red double that was a giveaway to an employee at a local grocery. It was sad, with one bloom, black spot, etc.

I repotted it, fertilized it with Bayer rose food with insecticide and water it every other day. It looks magnificent. Now spraying it weekly with a fungicide too. It takes some work to keep it nice. I do not believe you just stick it in the ground and let it go.

I have a question for anyone who knows the answer...... just planted 2 knock out rose bushes how long does it take for any type of visual progress? I never planted anything before so I'm a little. concerned!!!!!!!! Lol

They'll take off when it warms up some more. Let them overcome any transplant shock before starting regular feeding.

I have a long row of the original knock outs. They are starting to die. At one end of the row the leaves got black "swipes" on the tops then the leaves withered. It doesn't look like the description for black spot. I cut a lot of canes out, most of one plant. Now I see it is still spreading to the next row. Does anyone have any ideas?

I just recently purched 10 double pink ko's.
I've herd that you shouldn't fertilize for a month or so after planting so the feeder roots are inccurged to spread out and seek nutrients. Is this true? I would have thought that I should put a good nitrogen base fertilizer down to promote growth. Followed by a phosphate fertilizer a month or so later to promote blooms. Ideas?

I have four pink knock outs that are doing well in full sun for their first year. They are huge. Over four feet would be my recommendation unless you are making a hedge. These, to me, are HEDGE roses. They are twiggy inside. The cherry reds are all over my town and most look pitiful.. On the other hand they grow HUGE if put in good soil. Six year olds that have had good soil but no special care are now full of bs, less than the other roses in the bed, but bugs too. Leaf rollers, etc. I think they are like any other roses , but best in a hedge or as a single focal rose. They are too dense for a rose garden and will carry just as much disease as anything else. I am actually sick of the Cherry red. There are better looking roses, like Carefree Delight, etc. My biggest issue is They have no perfume. Nice for a mall, not a rose garden.

I know this is an old forum so I hope someone is out there !!!! I love my knock outs. I have many different kinds Red, pink and yellow. My question is do you dead head ? I know they are self cleaning but I just don't like the dead roses. And if you do , do you dead head at a five leaf stem. Thanks !

A note on hardiness:

A long row of singe red Knockouts was planted in a divider strip along the main access road leading to my workplace. The plants survived their first winter in good shape. Then came 2013-14 with its multiple subzero lows, including a drop to -15F or so. About one-third of the Knockouts were killed, and most of the others suffered severe dieback.

My one plant also croaked (though other roses survived with mostly minor damage).

So at least in exposed locations, winter cold can do a number on this plant.

MaryAnn1950
Yes, but I would go down two stems lower than the last rose. for me, cutting back vs just deadheading, it would depend on just where you live, in North GA, I missed the window abit for cutting back my knockouts, they are still blooming and quite tall, but they need to be cleaned up so I will still cut them back about a foot.

I have a double red "Knockout" bush and the thing is taking over! I don't think you can kill them, which is a first for me, as every other rose bush I have tried died after one or two years.... they don''t have any fragrance, which is a detractor to me.

I know, my neighbors always pruned them severely, in the late fall, which I would never do. They all need to be taken down to a foot or less, once a year! In the Spring at the best time for your area, cleaning up all the small straggly or crossing branches, taking out any diseased or really old wood. Then in about two or three months, reduced about half. They are not Hedge roses, letting them get huge is crazy, they are wicked to prune as it is.