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Trimming roses

Posted: November 12th, 2021, 11:46 pm
by edslawn
I've been trying to figure out the proper trimming process for my knockout roses. I've heard various advice from trim back in the fall, late winter and early spring. The roses are about 4' tall at this point and generally too tall. I'd like to take them back to about 2'. Any advice on the best method and timing to trim them back?

Re: Trimming roses

Posted: November 14th, 2021, 6:44 pm
by MorpheusPA
Early spring or extremely late winter at this point. Any trimming you do now would leave holes open that might get infected, although that's not very likely.

Once leaves just start to come back in spring, cut back as hard you like, including right down to just one leaf set left per cane. They'll rapidly (very rapidly) grow back and blossom just fine in June.

Re: Trimming roses

Posted: November 15th, 2021, 9:26 am
by edslawn
Got it... Thanks Morph!

Re: Trimming roses

Posted: March 20th, 2022, 5:11 pm
by Dchall_San_Antonio
It is likely time to prune if you have not already. I'm not keeping a very good garden calendar this year but we pruned our knockouts about 3 weeks ago. We got some more frost which reset them, but they are coming out in full now. Our last frost is over here, statistically and according to the extended forecast. Looking back at pictures from last year, we're about a week behind on filling in. Last year we were in full bloom on tax day.

Re: Trimming roses

Posted: March 21st, 2022, 1:21 pm
by edslawn
Dchall_San_Antonio wrote:
March 20th, 2022, 5:11 pm
It is likely time to prune if you have not already. I'm not keeping a very good garden calendar this year but we pruned our knockouts about 3 weeks ago. We got some more frost which reset them, but they are coming out in full now. Our last frost is over here, statistically and according to the extended forecast. Looking back at pictures from last year, we're about a week behind on filling in. Last year we were in full bloom on tax day.
Thanks for the heads up! Actually got to them a few weeks ago.

Re: Trimming roses

Posted: March 21st, 2022, 1:30 pm
by MorpheusPA
Perfect. Particularly for that "winter" we just had. Or maybe it just seemed very light because I worked from home this entire winter and barely exposed myself to it?