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About Lynnette Payne
Expertise
I am knowledgeable in all aspects of growing roses, especially their disease problems. I can also help with organic growing of roses.

Experience
I have grown roses for over 50 years, worked in a rose nursery in the Pacific Northwest and now, thanks to retirement, have managed to stuff over a 800 roses into an acre of land.

Organizations
Vice president of a large garden club.

Publications
Have written the modern and antique FAQs for Gardenweb. Answered Questions on AllExpert when it first started and have a rose information website with photographs which is still being expanded. www.theoldrosarian.com

Education/Credentials
I studied under a British Rosarian in regards to rose history, blood lines, identification, breeding, diseases and propagation.

You are here: Experts > Home/Garden > Roses > Roses > Cutting back Knockout Roses before Winter

Roses - Cutting back Knockout Roses before Winter

Expert: Lynnette Payne - 11/1/2009

Question
How far down would I need to cut back my knockout rose bushes before the winter? I have had these rose bushes for about 5 years now and this past spring they did not done as well as they usually have in the years past. Should I leave them the way they are or cut them down a little to get a better stock for next spring?

Answer
As I don't know where you garden, I will have to assume that you get a cold winter. If your roses didn't do well this year, then I would wait until the spring to cut them back. This way if there is a nasty col snap in the winter, the roses will have long enough canes to take a little dieback without causing a lot of trouble. Next spring, don't cut them back too hard, just down to about 18 inches. Then cut out any canes that are very thin as they take away some of the nutrients for the thicker ones and you want the thicker ones as they will be the more vigorous and make better flowers. Then cut those thick canes back to 18 inches.

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