Pruning leggy knockout roses

[Anonymous]

We bought an old house that has lots of old plants, including some knockout roses that are currently over 5 feet tall. A few of them seem to be very leggy - old growth canes (still alive) and the leaves and buds don’t start until about 2-3 feet off the ground.

I want to get these things to a more manageable height. Can I cut these leggy bushes below the growth? Or will that kill the whole plant?

[Anonymous]

You can prune them hard. They will bounce back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You can prune them hard. They will bounce back.

All right I’m going to do it! Should I wait until late winter/early spring?

[Anonymous]

Best to wait till later winter or early spring, but if they are bugging you now you can trim them back so they fit in the space. I wouldn’t cut back below where the greenery starts until winter, though

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can prune them hard. They will bounce back.

All right I’m going to do it! Should I wait until late winter/early spring?

Follow Grumpy’s tips:

https://www.southernliving.com/garden/grumpy-gardener/pruning-knock-out-rose-when-why-and-how