Any special tricks to pruning knockouts? They are such dense growers; almost cascade like at least the one that I have. It is about three years old. Thanks.

Hi, Joann. Great to see you here.

I've heard that you can use an electric hedge clipper to prune Knockouts, but I only have one, so I just prune it back to a manageable size by hand, the same way I'd prune any shrub.

Actually, "by hand" sounds as if I have an Edward Scissorhands hand, so I guess I mean "with a non-electric pruning tool."

I don't have a knockout rose.. they're too common for me. But when I do prune, I use a "Corona" 1" bypass pruning saw. Works great on roses, trees, (trust me on that one.. I took down a big ol' juniper with this & a Corona hand saw by myself in 2 days!), lilacs, fingers.. everything! I got 1 at my LGS, I got my second on Amazon.

http://www.coronaclipper.com/i...

Skie, if we're talking pruners, I have a recommendation. I have carpal tunnel, so I frequently look to the Arthritis Foundation recommendations when choosing tools. These pruners received their Ease of Use Award. Disclaimer: I loved them so much that now I sell them. I wouldn't have brought tools up, but you did first! ;-)

They're by Fiskars and they're part of the PowerGear series. I prefer the ones with the Titanium bypass blades because they are precise for blooms but strong enough for the thickest canes. The Titanium stays sharp much longer than most blades and also won't rust, which is good because I'm a careless gardener. I forgetfully leave my tools out in the rain way too often! Other companies do offer bypass pruners with Titanium blades, but the PowerGear technology is patented. I haven't seen it used by other companies (yet).

The Fiskars are good pruners, but the ones I've tried went dull on me too quickly. That's why I went to the Corona's.. they're easy to sharpen and they hold an edge for a LONG time, even when taking on the toughest of cutting things!

DISCLAIMER: They can & will cut your finger. Easily. Nicely. Happily. :D

I think it's the Titanium part of it which would make it better than your standard Fiskars.
I will have to get me a pair real soon!

i was about to say with a hedge trimmer lol but zuzu already covered that .. lol

Calif_Sue said:I think it's the Titanium part of it which would make it better than your standard Fiskars.
I will have to get me a pair real soon!

Exactly, Sue. I had a pair of Corona pruners before these, and they are great... but mine kept getting rusty for the reasons mentioned above. They were easy to sharpen, but got dull fast. I'd rather spend my time pruning rather than sharpening, but I probably could have avoided that if I would just stop leaving my tools out!

i always get the cheapies. at walmart.. i look at them as disposable.. sort of .. i know ill leave them out so i dont spend$ on good ones.. some day i will if i ever get more responsible.. but then again maybe im using their cheapness as an excuse to be irresponsible . who knows..

Evey, I got a pair of those pruners by Fiskars you showed last year and use them almost exclusively now. It has helped me a lot avoid hand problems that used to bother me after a long day of pruning.

Yay! I'm glad they worked out for you. See guys, I recommended them long before I was selling them. =)

Lenjo, I love Knockouts, they are easy to grow and nothing bothers them, & the blooms on double pink & red look iridescent & the Bantams don't strip them, if I plant them close to their yard. I know your zone must be quite different from mine, but, out of necessity, I've pruned mine all year round, and dug up about 30, very late last fall, and they took right off & some have already bloomed, with ice circling around them. They will get these big, odd looking canes in them, and they look much different from the ordinary canes, and I just cut those dudes out, put them on my wagon, load them up & take 'em to the farm, to fill low spots, rather hoping they might root - we'll see. Knockouts are easy to grow & care for & give us lots of pleasure. Right this moment, they are filled with Doves, Euro/Mourning/Incas, as well as Cardinals, etc. The Euro Collard Doves are almost as big as my Bantam hens, really fun to watch. Happy pruning, it's a tough job here - I love doing it but wish I could do it without feeling it, lol, oh, the thorn bites, ouch!!

Oh, boy. Sherry's here. Hope we get lots of input from you in the coming months, Lady.

Hahaha! Tanks, Zu! I love the site, clean, precise, easy, I love the admin policy. And, your photo is WOW & your garden is beautiful. Now, it's so my bedtime & I must watch the weather, snow in the forecast. Later...

hiya Joann!

I'm a huge fan of Felco pruning shears. The #6 is fabulous for smaller hands and they are constructed of Swiss steel and much like the aforementioned Coronas, they are lightweight.

We have a few knockouts growing under and between standards of Guy du Mapassant (Messypants). I agree with Zuzu in that they are really not at all fussy. The only peculiarity with them, as with others that grow so densely is to be sure to keep the centers clear enough to allow for some airflow in order to keep marauders from taking hold in an area of still or dead air within the plant itself.

Great to see you!
don