Food-Gardening Lessons From A Wartime Victory Garden

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When Should I Prune My Knockout® Roses?

 

“I live in South Louisiana.  When should I prune my Knockout roses?” Question from Deborah of Saint Amant, Louisiana

Answer: Many growers advocate you that prune shrub roses in late winter or spring before they have leafed out, but some rosarians disagree (see our Black Gold video on pruning hybrid tea roses below.). Either way, I like to prune mine at this time because it’s easier to make cuts on bare branches, and there’s less trouble with pests and diseases. But, Knockouts are everblooming and fast-growing, so you can be pretty carefree about when you prune them, especially down South. (Click here to read more about rose pruning.) Just be sure you use sterile pruning shears or loppers. To keep shears clean and reduce the chance of potentially moving pests or diseases from plant to plant, I dip mine in a 10% bleach solution between roses.

Happy rose pruning!

Jessie Keith

Black GoldHhorticulturist

About JESSIE KEITH

Plants are the lens Jessie views the world through because they’re all-sustaining. (“They feed, clothe, house and heal us. They produce the air we breathe and even make us smell pretty.”) She’s a garden writer and photographer with degrees in both horticulture and plant biology from Purdue and Michigan State Universities. Her degrees were bolstered by internships at Longwood Gardens and the American Horticultural Society. She has since worked for many horticultural institutions and companies and now manages communications for Sun Gro Horticulture, the parent company of Black Gold. Her joy is sharing all things green and lovely with her two daughters.

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