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| I planted several Knock Out roses last fall and have been very pleased with their beautiful, and bountiful, blooms. I've applied fertilizer (4-3-2), per package directions, every four weeks. I've read that perennials shouldn't be fertilized after the end of July. Is this correct? Also, I saw a video earlier this summer that stated that, if you had any stems and leaves that were red/burgundy in color, only "false" buds would be produced and there would be no resulting flowers. These roses must have missed that message; I've gotten prolific blooms from these "false" buds. Does this "false" bud statement not apply to Knock Out roses? Am puzzled. |
Follow-Up Postings:
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| You can feed one more time this week. Knockouts don't have too many blind shoot. (stem without bloom) . |
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| Have you had much summer rain? I don't apply granular fertilizer after Fourth of July because northern VA only receives hit or miss thundershowers in July/August and the soil dries out despite my irrigation. We haven't had any hurricanes/tropical storms and its pretty dry out there. The fertilizer that I applied earlier in the season is still mostly in the soil waiting for rain. If you have summer rain your mileage may vary. |
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| The "false bud" statement is nonsense. Most modern roses make new growth that is reddish and that will bloom. I am in your zone and I keep fertilizing into the fall if I am using mostly "fast If you have made several applications |
This post was edited by michaelg on Tue, Aug 19, 14 at 10:12
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| I fertilize (this year it happens to be Miracle Grow because that was on sale when I needed some) right up to first frost. Whether you fertilize or not they will continue to grow as long as weather conditions permit. I prefer mine to go into dormancy well fed and not having used up all their energy continuing to grow even though I stopped feeding them and would prefer them to stop growing. They have minds of their own. I've found that all this business about stopping dead heading and feeding them will some how tell them to go dormant is a bunch of hooey. As long as there is sun and water and the temps are warm enough they keep right on growing no matter what I do. |
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| Seil is correct--you cannot make repeat-blooming roses stop growing. They are naturally evergreen and ever-blooming, and will not stop until they are bludgeoned by a hard freeze. However, when night temperatures fall into the 40s, they will start toughening up for winter, insofar as they are capable. Most once-blooming roses are deciduous and will drop leaves in response to the days growing short. In neither case can the gardener control these processes. The old theories about this are not true. |
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- Posted by terratoma 7a (music1@ntelos.net) on Tue, Aug 19, 14 at 11:54
| Thanks to all for your suggestions. Based on these recommendations, I plan to continue my regular feeding regimen into early October. |
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