Roses popular, easy to grow in Oklahoma

Roses are one of the most popular plants in Oklahoma gardens, and many are relatively easy to grow, especially the newer varieties like the Knock Out® rose. Roses offer color and fragrance in the garden, and many make wonderful cut flowers. If you have a garden, you should try your hand at growing roses!

There are many varieties available, with Hybrid Teas being the most popular type of rose grown today. They grow from two to six feet tall, and generally bloom from May until frost. Floribunda roses grown in clusters on a vigorous bush, require less care than hybrid teas, and look great in bed plantings. There are many other types of roses, including tree roses, English roses and climbing roses, and the variety you choose depends on your garden conditions, your interests and your ability in gardening.

One of the easiest roses to grow in Oklahoma is the Knock Out® rose, which was developed to withstand harsh conditions. This family of roses does not require special care, and they are one of the most disease-resistant roses available. They will bloom continuously throughout the summer until the first hard frost, and they do not require removing spent blooms to re-bloom. They withstand the coldest Oklahoma winters and our harsh heat of summer, so they are perfect to bring color to your garden!

Knock Out® roses come in several colors, with both single and double petal blooms. Most popular varieties include the red and pink single and the red and pink double blooms, but the Sunny (yellow), Rainbow (pink with yellow center) and Blushing (pale pink) were introduced within the past couple of years. The Sunny is the only variety with fragrance, so if you want that wonderful spicy rose aroma, choose the Sunny with its lovely yellow blooms. These Knock Out® roses are available at most garden centers right here in our local area.

If you already have roses in your garden, you have probably noticed that they are developing foliage and vigorously growing in our recent surge of warm weather.

Now is the time to prune them so they will produce the best flowers throughout the season. Every rose bush will benefit from pruning, no matter what type you have, because pruning stimulates new growth. Be sure not to prune before March 15th , or the new growth may be killed by a spring freeze. Pruning is not difficult, but be sure to wear gloves and long sleeves to avoid the thorns! Begin by pruning any dead or diseased branches, which are often dark or black, and then shape your plant so it is pleasing to your eye. Don’t worry about cutting off some of the new growth, as it will grow back!

Judy Kautz is a retired Air Force colonel and a Master Gardener. She is a member of the Red Rose Garden Club in Midwest City. Her gardening columns will appear periodically in EastWord News.

If readers would like to ask questions of Judy, send emails to [email protected], and she will answer them in