| hi its me carolyn steed again thank you for answering my questions concerning my sod now i would like to know how to care for my new rose bushes i have one double knockout rose bush and three red rose bushes how often should i water them and do they require plant food or anything to make them bloom at there most beautiful please help Sincerely, Carolyn Steed |
| For best performance, roses need full sunshine, feeding about every 6 weeks with a 10-10-10 fertilizer, and deep soakings once or twice a week (depending upon weather). When a flower fades, cut it off along with some of the stem to encourage new stem and flower growth. I cut mine back to a 5-leaflet leaf lower down on the stem. A new flowering stem will emerge from here. In the late winter you can prune your rose bushes back to encourage healthy new growth. The exception is with your knockout roses. They need very little care and while you can remove the faded flowers, it isn't necessary. They are considered self cleaning. Your knock out roses can be pruned in late winter or early spring by simply cutting the entire shrub back by one third to one half. This will promote lots of healthy new growth. Enjoy your roses. |
