White Knock Out® Rose

A unique compact rose with dark green leaves and loads of white flowers, the White Knock Out® Rose (Rosa ‘RADwhite’) is a great addition to any landscape large or small. A small rose only reaching 3-4 feet tall/wide it is a moderate grower of 12-18 inches per year. Growing from USDA zones 5-10, they can tolerate temperatures down to -10 degrees and are heat/drought tolerant as well. They thrive and bloom best in full sun, and once established in their home they can bloom up to 9 months out of the year (depending on your location).

Seasonal information: These roses are upright shrubs that form a tidy mound 3 to 4 feet high and bloom from June to the first hard frost. In spring, trim any broken or dead branches. You can shape this rose at this time. In zones with cold, wet winters, give your rose winter protection by planting on the leeward side of buildings or walls. Or you can wrap snow fencing loosely around the rose and cover with straw.

Selecting a location: Choose a well-drained site in full to partial sun. If you choose partial sun, make sure your roses receive at least six hours of direct sun a day (afternoon shade is better than morning shade). If you have clay or sandy soil, work well-rotted manure or compost into the planting site.

Planting instructions:
1) You should start by digging a hole twice as wide and twice as deep as the root ball.
2) Mix the manure or compost with the soil you have removed.
3) Backfill the soil until you have a hole the same size or slightly larger than the container the rose is in.
4) Plant the rose at the same depth as it is in the container.
5) Space roses three feet apart.
6) Mulch the planting site to retain soil moisture and keep competing growth from coming up around the rose bush.

Watering: Keep roses moist at all times. Water around the roots rather than overhead (or showering).

Fertilization: Fertilize with an organic rose fertilizer once a month. Use organic fertilizer rather than synthetic fertilizers as synthetics can promote weak growth and your rose will have more foliage and fewer flowers.

Pruning: Avoid pruning the roses at all in the first 2 to 3 years. Sterilize your sharp pruning shears with hot water or rubbing alcohol. This guarantees a cleaner, healthier cut. Always prune at an angle and not straight across. Activate the roses into growth and blooming by pruning it back a little in the spring after the last hard freeze. Keep the roses under control or if you want it smaller than it’s 3-feet wide by 4-inches tall size by pruning it back in the late summer or early fall. Remove dead or old canes at any time. Also, cut very thin canes that might be coming up from the ground. Prune your mature plants by using the 1/3 rule each year in the spring. Remove 1/3 of the oldest canes and any stems that are damaged, diseased or dead.