Mid to late February is the time to cut back your knockouts. I cut mine back to around 1 1/2 to 2 feet. Mid to late March is a good time for the 1st round of fertilizer, then again in May

Thank you! The bushes are over grown and are in need of pruning. With all the spent blooms and hips, I am anxious to take on the challenge. Is there any particular fertilizer you prefer?

Happy gardening....spring is right around the corner.

There are speciality fertilizers for roses you can get that may give you better results but I take general purpose fertilizer like 10-10-10 or any lawn fertilizer I have around and fertilize my roses at the same time as other trees and perennials in the spring. I find knockouts easy to care for, the main thing is cutting them back every year in late winter. When cutting them back, I recommend long handle loppers and heavy gloves, those thorns are sharp!