Your Questions

Ask any gardening question — you'll get answers from Johnson County Extension Master Gardeners and other area gardeners. And feel free to answer some questions yourself.

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Roses

Outdoor weddings and roses

From Carolyn:

I am planning an outdoor wedding and would like to catch the first bloom of the roses in Antioch Park's Helen Cudy Rose Garden. I know it is different every year, but what time frame is typical for this area for the roses to be in their first bloom? Thanks.

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Submitted by cnienaber on October 21, 2009 - 9:50am.
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Roses of Sharon

Is it too late to trim Roses of Sharon bushes? If so, how much? They are quite tall 8-9 feet) and thin. I am worried about winter winds.

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Submitted by shcline1 on October 8, 2009 - 3:59pm.
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Time to move a rose?

This spring I dug up my favorite hybrid tea rose to move it to another location just a few feet away. But for whatever reason it's not thriving at all there, just staying low and static. Is this a bad time to dig it up and find a better location or should I just bite the bullet and wait until spring, hoping it survives the winter? Thanks.

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Submitted by senecawells on July 28, 2009 - 9:07am.
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knock out roses

Hi, I have knock out roses that are about 4 years old and they are growing so fast that I do not know how to trim them or how to keep them smaller than they are now. How do I keep them from getting so big. I would like for them to be no higher than three feet. Help.

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Submitted by mtyson on May 30, 2009 - 10:52am.
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How to get rid of grass in roses

From Jennifer:

I am looking for some help any help I can get. I have a rose garden with tons of grass in them. I know that I can not use Round up in the roses. So what should I use? I have heard of a few products Sledgehammer, Q4, MSMA, Manage, and Image. Thank you for your time and help.

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Submitted by cnienaber on April 30, 2009 - 9:21am.
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Soil secrets to great KC roses

Mardi Gras roseMardi Gras roseLearn about the importance of good soil when the Johnson County Rose Society meets next Thursday, March 12, at 7 p.m. Dennis Patton, horticulture agent, Johnson County K-State Research and Extension, will discuss how applying soil test results,

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Submitted by cnienaber on March 5, 2009 - 10:16am.
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Double Knockouts

Is now a good time to move rose bushes, im in the north east and the temp is hanging around freezing. I also have Double Knockouts in a 11' X 18" X 4' deep planter, do I need to do something special to them to protect against the winter, there is plastic around the planter now.
thanks

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Submitted by wgeller88 on February 22, 2009 - 8:36pm.
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Floribunda, Shrub or Groundcover Rose?

My Red Meidiland rose is a floribunda/shrub/wannabe-groundcover rose. I would like to teach it to be a small (weeping) tree rose. It is well established...can you give me some advice on the best way to train it?

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Submitted by linn on February 19, 2009 - 10:00pm.
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Knockout roses

We moved to the KC area in April. There are 3 knockout roses planted together and they surrond the air conditioner. They have expanded in size and now are rubbing against the house and getting too close to the air conditioner. How and when do I take care care of this situation?

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Submitted by rlanter on October 3, 2008 - 9:19am.
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Rose symposium coming up

Prairie Breeze shrub rosePrairie Breeze shrub roseHere's Prairie Breeze, an easy-care rose. (And who doesn't want easier care roses?) Check the link on the left to the EarthKind Rose sumposium Oct. 4. - Craig

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Submitted by cnienaber on September 19, 2008 - 4:26am.
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Rose branch (8-25)

By Nancy Brachey
McClatchy Newspapers

Q: I have a rose bush that I planted several months ago. I bought it as just the root ball with minimum amount of soil around it and the stems at the top of the root ball had been cut off. After planting the rose everything was green for awhile. One of the trimmed stems started a shoot and it has leaves on it, but suddenly all the stems started turning black. I’m afraid the whole thing will die, but none of my roses has acted like this before. What would turn stems that had been green for months suddenly black? Can I save this rose?

A: It remains to be seen whether this rose will survive. It is likely to have a problem called canker. A range of disease organisms cause this problem, which shows up as you describe in blackened stems. You must cut these stems back to healthy green tissue now and give the plant time to grow out. Your rose will require TLC with good watering and rose fertilizer while attempting this comeback.

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Submitted by cnienaber on August 25, 2008 - 12:17pm.
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Reblooming roses

Reblooming rose bedReblooming rose bedHere's a garden with Flower Carpet Scarlet roses that border a flower bed in the left foreground with pink Knockouts in the background for color. (Click on the photo to enlarge it.) To see a story about reblooming roses, go over under Featured Stories in the right-hand column.

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Submitted by cnienaber on August 22, 2008 - 10:33am.
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Reblooming roses (8-21)

By DEAN FOSDICK
For The Associated Press
Peter Kukielski is a rose fancier with a special fondness for late bloomers — the re-flowering kind that save their best and brightest displays for the invigorating weather of autumn.
As curator of the Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden and Rose Collections at The New York Botanical Garden, Kukielski has helped replace a few hundred less impressive performers with 2,000 new rose plants, many capable of producing constant color from early June until the first killing frosts of fall.
“We tried to bring in more ever-blooming varieties so the garden has interest all season long,” Kukielski said. “In my opinion, late September into October is a very close second to June as far as beauty. The days are nicer, the nights are cooler and the sunlight is better, coating everything with a golden glow.”

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Submitted by cnienaber on August 21, 2008 - 12:06pm.
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New roses

Mardi Gras roseMardi Gras roseFall can be a great time for roses. Here's Mardi Gras floribunda. To read about some of the best, new reblooming roses, check the featured story over on the right called "Fall roses." -- Craig

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Submitted by cnienaber on August 20, 2008 - 8:30am.
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Fall roses (8-20)

By DEAN FOSDICK
For The Associated Press
If you’ve ever strayed into a spat between flower growers, chances are it was about roses.
“Queens of the garden,” puffs a supporter.
“Demanding divas,” huffs a detractor.
There are few wider attitudinal divides in gardening.
I didn’t have a single rose on my property as recently as three years ago, and that was emphatically by choice. I considered them too much work.
Now I have dozens of the ever-blooming varieties thriving in sun and partial shade, performing brilliantly on a hillside for erosion control, bidding a cheerful welcome along a quiet country lane and enhancing the looks of a split rail fence.

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Submitted by cnienaber on August 20, 2008 - 8:27am.
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Double knockout growing

I have planted 5 double knockout bushes in an eleven foot flower box. They are evenly spaced and the first blooms were great. The three in the middle are doing great, the one on the right which gets the most sun is doing fair but the one on the left barely flowered the secound time and since hasn't flowered and barely grew. They all got rose food in june and get plenty of water. I noticed a hole dug by a squirrel or chipmonk and filled it in. could this be a possible cause for the plants poor development?
Thanks for any help you can give
Wayne

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Submitted by wgeller88 on August 14, 2008 - 10:28am.
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Treating black spot on shrub roses

What can I do to get rid of black spot disease in my little bed of shrub roses? I sprayed it early in June with a product that Suburban Gardens suggested but it still got progressively worse. We moved to Olathe from Iowa last July & the rose bed was already in place, some large, most small. They bloomed profusely last summer and (so far) this summer. A few have lost most all their leaves at this point.

My concern is not so much for this year as not having to deal with black spot next year. Should I just pitch the bushes that are worst?

Thanks....

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Submitted by peonybee on July 24, 2008 - 2:01pm.
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Wintering Knockout Roses in pots

I have a knockout rose planted in a large clay container on my deck. As it is very heavy, can I winter it there, or do I have to bring it inside? I thought I might put a plastic bag over the whole thing. Thank you.

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Submitted by gerenekelly on July 7, 2008 - 9:13am.
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Pruning Double Knock Out Roses

I recently planted two double knock out rose bushes. They are doing great so far. My question is, should I prune off the flowers as they die or wait until next spring and do it all at once?

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Submitted by JenniferHuddleston on June 30, 2008 - 2:07pm.
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Nonblooming knockout roses

A question from an Alabama reader:

can someone advise me about caring for my rosa radrazz kockout roses? I need advice as to trimming watering or other care that they may need. mine are not blooming as well this year, as they did last year when they were first planted. also, something is eating on the leaves, looks like a web pattern. do I spray ? if so what? some of the leaves are yellow and falling off. They were wonderful last year, but something if wrong. i would appreciate your advise. i live in birmingham, alabama. thank you

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Submitted by cnienaber on June 30, 2008 - 8:12am.
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