A Rose That's Easy
The first Knock Out rose hit the market in 2000 and iterations of it have rolled out in the years since. Now there’s a whole family of low-maintenance, disease-resistant Knock Out roses. Knock Outs come in double or single-petal varieties, and bloom in a range of colors including coral, yellow, pink and white as well as red.
Knock Out roses are famously resistant to disease, fast-growing and stay covered in mounds of blooms all season. They’re beloved by people who want roses without the hassle. Knock Outs don’t need to be doused in fungicide every 10 days to look good. They don’t even need to be deadheaded. They drop spent flowers without your help and just keep blooming.
Knock Out roses transformed the image of roses from a high-maintenance plant only “rose people” could grow into a plant all of us could grow. People use Knock Outs and other newer, disease-resistant hybrid roses that mimic Knock Outs in a landscape the way they once used shrub flowers like azaleas and hydrangeas.
When and Where to Plant Knock Out Roses
Plant Knock Out roses in the spring or fall. Pick a spot where they’ll get at least six hours of sunlight. Getting the light right is key: if Knock Out roses don’t get enough sun, they bloom less and grow slowly. And the whole point of planting a Knock Out is getting a shrub that will triple in size in a single season while staying covered in nonstop blooms.
Knock Out roses need well-drained soil, rich in organic matter like compost, with a pH level of 5.5 to 6.5. Don’t know your soil’s pH? Check it with a soil test kit. Here are some more tools to help you plant roses.
How to Care for Knock Out Roses
Knock Out roses are low maintenance, but that doesn’t mean they’re no maintenance. They need a little help from you to be at their best.
Water roses regularly during summer. They’re drought-tolerant, but they still need a couple of gallons of water a week when they’re blooming. How much you water them depends on where you live and how much rainfall you get.
Fertilize roses monthly or bi-monthly during growing season. Repeat bloomers like Knock Out roses need repeat feedings. Use a rose food. Stop fertilizing your rose bushes in late summer so the plant will put its energy into strengthening its roots instead of growing leaves and flowers.
Prune them almost anytime. Knock Out roses bloom on new growth, so you can prune them almost anytime you want without ruining the season’s blooms. A resting phase is a good time to prune, so early spring or late fall is when you should take the shears to your Knock Out. Cut it back by 2/3. Trim out small or damaged canes to encourage growth and allow airflow between the branches. A Knock Out rose will triple in size in a season, so if you cut it back to a foot high in the spring you’ll have a 3-foot tall plant by fall. Pruning roses keeps them attractive and productive. It also keeps them from outgrowing their space.
What you don’t have to do: Spray it for black spot, the pernicious fungal disease that stalks roses. Never. Ever. Knock Out roses resist black spot. It's their superpower, so you don’t have to soak them in fungicide every two weeks during growing season to keep its leaves looking good.
Growing Knock Out Roses in Pots and Planters
Knock Outs look great in containers on a sunny deck or patio. If you have a shady yard, grow Knock Out Roses wherever you do have sun. Put a Knock Out rose in a container that’s twice the size of the nursery pot the roses comes in so it has room to grow. Water twice weekly during growing season. For a dramatic look, put a Knock Out rose that’s been shaped into a rose tree in a pot.
Using Roses in a Landscape
Knock Out roses come in a range of sizes and colors, so they are versatile. They can be used as border plants, specimen plants, foundation plantings or low hedges. Some Knock Outs get up to seven feet tall, so they can bring height to a flower garden. Plant Knock Out roses en masse as foundation plantings around your house and the blooms will add color all season long. Use mass plantings of Knock Outs to make a low hedge that lines a walkway or defines the perimeter of a bed or garden.
Don’t plant just Knock Out roses in your yard. Mix in other varieties to keep it interesting. Try heirloom roses to bring an old-fashioned feel to your yard, or train some climbing roses on a trellis for a cottage garden vibe. Drift roses make a beautiful groundcover too.
