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Pruning Knockout Roses

rose

When And How To Trim Knockout Roses

Pruning Knockout roses, nothing could be easier. This rose is a very low maintenance rose, that would propably do Ok with no pruning one season.

In fact I recommend skipping the first season pruning for shrub roses and floribundas in general. Let them grow into the shape they were intended to have, and then after the second year it could really benefit from a little pruning or shape up.

Now of course, you should always remove dead or damaged wood any time of the year.

People are always asking, when is it time to trim knockout rose bushes?

Well if you just want to give the rose a little trim, the best time to do it is right after the first bloom flush.

This is only a light trim now to cut off spent blooms. It is not even necessay, since these roses are self cleaning and will repeat bloom without deadheading.

But if you want your roses to bloom even more and look super good, go ahead, but no big pruning.

The big pruning takes place once a year in late winter or early spring as stated below.

Below is the best Rose Pruners on the market. It's American Rose Societies, ARS, Rose Pruner. This is the pruner I personally use. These pruners makes rose pruning so much easier. To Purchase these grear Rose Pruners, just click on the highlighted product link.

ARS Rose Pruner With Branch Grip - $ 59.99
The perfect rose pruner gives you 2' of extra reach. Cut-and-hold branch grip helps trim the pricking sprigs of roses safely and efficiently. Spring loaded gripper adjusts to the thickness of a stem. Lightweight aluminum arm and hard chrome plated blades resist rusting and corrosion. Comfortable hand grip helps prevent fatigue. Revolving arm allows you to turn the pruner blades in any direction without moving the hand grip. 2' length.

Pruning Knockout roses is quite simple and very easy. The pruning instructions for Knockout roses are the same as for trimming shrub roses, since the Knockout rose bush is classified as a shrub rose.

rainbow knockout rose

Rainbow Knockout rose, a new color introduction

These types of roses have varying pruning needs, however, for most Knockout roses, pruning out and removing a few of their oldest canes each year is very beneficial, if the rose plant is vigorous and is still producing lots of new growth from it's base.

Pruning Knockout Roses Pruning Tip

Start by giving the Knockout an overall trimming and grooming to give it a pleasing and attractive shape. When doing Knockout rose bush pruning, it's good to cut down the plant by 1/3, to ensure optimum flower production.

When To Trim Knockout Roses

Knockout roses are repeat-flowering shrub roses and should be pruned during the dormant season in late winter or early spring, depending on the climate zone where you live.

How to trim old blooms from Knockout roses? No need to - the flowers are self-cleaning, so deadheading isn't necessary for repeat blooms to occur, unless you want to keep the rose bushes looking extra good.

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