Question
Hi1  I have three Knock Outs in Southeast Michigan.  We planted them last Spring and they did SUPER all year (until late fall).  They look healthy enough now - lots and lots of leaves but only a handful of blooms and I can't see any buds.  In comparison, my carpet roses are blooming like CRAZY.  Anyhow, the Knock Outs also have a tiny bit of a white color on some of the leaves.  Overall they look like GREAT plants - there are just no flowers.  Am I being impatient or is something wrong with them?

Thanks so much!

Answer
Hi Jen-

Well, I have some experience with Knock Out roses, I have five of them, and have been growing them for about five years now.  They usually bloom a lot the first year and second year. Sometime between year 3 or 5 they get soooo darn big (up to 6 feet) that perhaps there isn't enough water or fertilizer to keep them blooming?  I learned the way to stimulate bloom on the Knock Outs is to dead-head them (take off the hips) and a light pruning every once in a while.  This encourages bloom.  I also fertilize them with a 3-month time release fertilizer - of course every 3 months.  One thing that roses love is bananas - no joke.  They are high in potassium.  Potassium causes roses to bloom.  If you ever have old bananas or peels - put them at the base of the Knock Outs - and in a few weeks you may see a bunch of blooms.  Roses need 3 things to bloom:  sun, water and fertilizer.  If you are supplying all those things - then try pruning them about 10-20 percent of their size.  You can prune any time of the year on the Knock Outs.  

Goodluck-

Carlene