Is it too late to prune my knockout bushes now?

Question

My roses are taking over. They are beautiful but starting to block out my windows. I was not able to prune earlier and now they are blooming. I don’t want to kill them but I need my window screens cleared from the thorns and the bushes scratching them and getting snagged. I have screens that you don’t see when you look through the windows. Please help me.

Answer 1

You can prune them back without killing them as needed. The only thing the pruning will do is to limit the bloom production. As they grow back from the pruning that you need to do, they will form new bloom heads and bloom again. After pruning them back, I would recommend watering them with some water that has a product called Super Thrive in it. The Super Thrive will help them deal with the stress of a heavy pruning. Knockout rosebushes are very hardy and will grow back nicely. I would be sure and prune them back enough so that they do not immediately grow back onto the window areas. Perhaps placing some ornate trellises that you can still see through in front of the windows to hold the roses away from them and the screens is in order.