Well here I am again!!! Thank you for the great solution to my messy pine straw. Now my roses are tall & leggy. I've pruned them back to 8" to 12" several years in a row, they still do not have that full shape you see in other landscapes... what am I doing wrong, or are these plants simply not the best quality?

Answer #1 · Brent Wilson's Answer · Hi again Jeanne! You can ask all the questions you want:-)

I'm assuming these are the Original Knock Out Rose...the cherry-red flowering ones? If so, there could be several reason for the roses becoming leggy:

It could be that the roses are getting to much shade? I would say at least 6 hours of sun a day is necessary to produce a bushy and heavy-flowering plant.

When you are doing the heavy pruning in late winter or spring, rather than just indiscriminately shearing the rose back to 8 to 12 inches in height, use pruners to make your cuts along the main canes about an inch or so above an outward facing bud (leaf bud). This bud will emerge as a branch that faces outward, making sure your bush grows wider.

If your Knock Outs are becoming leggy by mid-summer or so, you can cut them back by 50% or more to get them to bush back out. I would recommend ceasing pruning about a month or so before the first frost date.

The type of fertilizer you're using could be causing the legginess as well. Use a slow-release fertilizer or specialty rose food that isn't too high in nitrogen (the first number in the fertilizer analysis). Alternatively, you can use a mild organic fertilizer or a natural fertilizer such as Milorganite, which is non-burning and also repels deer. Avoid using Miracle Gro as I've heard this can cause too much accelerated foliage growth. I never use water soluble products on anything....except for houseplants.

If the soil in the area is very dense or compacted heavy clay, the roots of the plants are confined, this could cause legginess as well...the same way a plant growing in a container can become leggy when root-bound. If this is the case, the plants would need to be dug up and replanted. The planting hole would be dug 4 or 5 feet wide and no deeper than the root ball. To break down and condition the dense and compacted soil, mix a good soil amendment with the soil removed from the planting hole at a 50/50 ratio. You might also consider adding some gypsum to the mix to help soften the clay.

That's about all I can think of that would cause the problem with legginess. Hope this info was helpful. - Brent)

Answer #2 · Jeanne Morrison's Answer · You guys are " awesome!!!!"the rose has pink flowers.. been in the ground several years...east side of the house, where my peonies are planted.)