This is our FIRST experience with any type of roses. I bought and planted 5 double knockout roses 8 to 10 days ago. I do not know how long they had been potted at time of purchase. When planted, each bush had bright red blooms. 8 days later, almost all blooms are brownish, dead looking. I used Miracle Gro at planting time and have watered them often. Is this a common thing to happen right after planting (transplant shock) and will they come back soon???
It is not really common but sounds like a bad case of transplant shock. Roses like moist soils but not soggy wet soils, so test the soils with your finger or better yet a moisture meter prior to watering. Next time they do need water, water them with a big watering can and add some Root Stimulator and a product called Super Thrive to the water. I would use it the next couple of times they need watering, it helps get the root systems going and also helps them deal with the transplant shock and other stressors.
Can you water Knockout Roses too much and about how much should you water them? I've been watering them every evening and the blooms are dying. They are in full sun. How can I get them to bloom better?
If you are watering them every evening it is likely too much. I water my roses every 5 to 6 days. But I do keep an eye on the soils moisture using a moisture meter. I stick the probe into the ground in three places around each rosebush and see what reading I get. If it shows wet to medium/moist I know I can wait a couple more days at least. Usually with Knockout roses new buds are coming on as the old blooms are dying so the wait for more is not long. If you are not seeing the new buds coming on, then I would suggest feeding them with a good organic based rose food. You do not want something real high in nitrogen as that will give you lots of foliage and next to no blooms.
My knockout rose bushes that were planted this year have some yellow leaves and yet look sort of dry. What can I do?
Just keep them watered well but not soppy wet and keep them well fed. The leaves will turn yellow on some of the foliage as they are no longer needed or to help allow more air flow through the bushes in times of high heat. Here is a link to an article I wrote for you as well. Link>> https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/roses/yellow-rose-leaves.htm
My knockout roses are not blooming or forming buds. Any suggestions?
If it has been a long time between blooms or bud formation, perhaps they are stressed from the heat or an insect attack.If the rosebushes are new plantings, it is normal for there to be a bit longer time between bloom shows. The root systems are trying to get established in their new homes, supporting all that top growth and the blooms takes much energy. If they are new plantings water them with some water with root stimulator in it for two or three waterings about 10 days apart. If they are older plantings be sure you are not using a rose food/fertilizer that is real high nitrogen as this will create lots of foliage and few to no blooms. Here is a link to an article for you also on this subject: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/roses/no-blooms-on-roses.htm
After the beetles have eaten about half the rose leaves and have been killed by Sevin spray, should the bushes be trimmed back or what?
Leave them alone for a while and see where the new growth comes in at. Then you can prune back as needed to re-shape the rosebushes. Pruning them back now would add more stress to them and would also probably be far more pruning than is needed. If you can find a product called Super Thrive where you are, mix a tablespoon or two of that with some root stimulator in a big watering can. Water the rosebushes with that mix a couple times about 10 days apart. It helps with shock and stress.
The growth on my knockouts is red in color and the blooms are very small, in thick clusters on the red growth and pale in color. Have I pruned them back too far to cause this and how do I get my roses to bloom normally again?
Just keep them watered well and give them a feeding with a good granular organic rose food. If you can find some rose food with alfalfa meal and kelp meal in it that would be great as they really like and respond to both of those. If your temps have been in the high 90's and on into the 100's like it has been here, the bloom cycles will slow down a bit. The bloom form, size and color can also be effected by the heat. Once the temps cool off some the bloom size and color should return as long as you have kept them watered and well fed. You do not usually need to do alot of pruning or deadheading with Knockout roses, so go easy on that. Here are links to a couple articles I wrote on Knockout roses that you should check out too: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/knockout-roses/care-knockout-roses.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/knockout-roses/prune-knockout-roses.htm
And >> https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/roses/self-cleaning-roses.htm
When to prune knockout roses in Pensacola, Florida?
Here is a link for you to the Central Florida Rose Society.
Link: http://www.centralfloridarosesociety.org/
Go to there website and look under roses informaiton. Also you can contact them by email to ask this question. Pruning roses varies greatly as to timing from one zone to another. I prune my roses in Colorado in the early spring once the leaf buds start coming forth and the weather has become less likely to have cold dips. I do prune all of my rosebushes down to half their height once they have gone dormant coming up to the winter season. This protects the canes from the cold harsh whipping winds that could otherwise break them off clear down to the ground. During the growing season I dead head my roses after the blooms start dieing back. With Knockout roses you do not need to deadhead them to keep them blooming but it is good to do some deadheading sometimes to keep the bushes formed up nicely.