Rose 'White Out'
We have had many customers asking why we don’t offer the new White Knockout Rose. I hate to be the bearer of bad news but there is no White Knockout Rose.
Last summer Bill Radler, the breeder who developed The Family of Knockout Roses, introduced a new white shrub rose which he named ‘White Out’. While this new rose is considered to be one of the hardiest white shrub roses on the market, it falls short on disease resistance when compared to the true Knockout Roses.
In my opinion Mr. Radler shouldn’t have selected a name that seems to imply it is part of the Knockout Family. The confusion began even before the new rose was introduced and continues even among plant nurseries. I have seen well over a dozen online retailers advertising ‘White Out’ as the new Knockout Rose. I assume that most of these retailers are unaware of their mistake but I think a few of them are using the Knockout name to help sell more roses.
Please don’t take this post as a criticism against the new shrub rose from Mr. Radler. I have not personally grown it but I have heard that is a fantastic plant that is very easy to grow and blooms just as heavy as Knockouts.
Let’s hope that the breeding talents of Mr. Raddler can eventually bring us a true White Knockout.
Knockout Rose Hedge
Knockout Roses are considered extremely easy to grow but like any plant in the garden their needs must be met. If your roses are not blooming or have decreased flowering there are a few simple ways to have them back in full color. The most common reason for reduced flowering is lack of nutrients, especially with plants 3 years and older growing in poor soils. The quick remedy for this is to fertilize the plants. Start with a slow release rose fertilizer applied in mid-spring followed by a liquid feeding in mid-summer and again in late summer.
The second most common reason that can cause Kncokout Roses not to bloom is plant size. If the plants have been left to grow without any pruning they will spend most of their energy on maintaining their size at the expense of flowering. Knockouts do not need to be pruned as often as other roses but if you want to maximize their flowering potential it is best to prune the plants in late fall or very early spring. Pruning will not only increase blooming but will help maintain the plants appearance and health.
The third tip for getting more blooms out of your Knockouts is to deadhead faded flowers – occasionally. I know that all the marketing hype around the Knockouts claims that the flowers are “self-cleaning” and do not require deadheading. It is true the flower petals will fall off all by themselves, but removing faded flowers is not the only reason for deadheading. By pruning off the rose hips left behind after flowering you are removing the “seed pod”. Once the seed pod or hip is removed the plant can, and will, divert it’s energy from seed production to flower production. You don’t need to run out with a pair of pruners every time a rose bloom fades but you will get better flowering if you deadhead 2 – 3 times per year.
Knockout Roses are easy and will grow with basically no effort from the gardener, but why in the world would anyone choose to ignore such wonderful plants. Give your plants the attention I described above and you will once again be rewarded with beautiful roses.
