1: Enjoy Inside
Your Petite Knock Out® rose can be kept indoors for up to four weeks. Find an area that receives bright, direct light, such as a south or west facing windowsill or a sunroom with good exposure throughout the day. Monitor your rose for any signs of yellowing foliage, which could be an indication that your plant should be transitioned to an outdoor area with increased sunlight.
2: Enjoy Outside
After about 30 days, move your Petite Knock Out® rose to a sunlit spot on the patio. This is the ideal environment for your plant to stay happy and healthy from spring through the first frost of late fall. In some climates, your rose will continue to produce blooms into December.
After the first hard freeze, bring your container into an unheated basement or garage to overwinter so you can enjoy more blooms next spring. Make sure to monitor the soil moisture every other week to ensure it stays moist, not soaked or dry.
3: Enjoy in the Garden
Don’t forget that Petite also thrives when planted in the garden! Use it as a low border or as a filler plant with other annuals or perennials. Again, be sure to plant your rose where it will receive 6 hours of sun each day. Planted this way, your rose will need minimal upkeep, will overwinter easily, and will be enjoyed for years to come.
Helpful Tips
Petite is a mature size at 18” tall. If you purchased your rose in a 6-quart pot or larger, there is likely no need to replant it during the season. Smaller sizes, such as a 2-quart Petite plant, will need to be replanted in a larger pot to encourage healthy growth and root development. Always monitor your rose for signs that it has outgrown its container, such as drooping foliage.
If you purchased or received a Petite Knock Out® rose during the winter as a holiday gift, you can enjoy its red blooms for several weeks indoors! To keep it healthy, trim off any spent blooms, which may promote a second flush of flowering. You can also choose to promote dormancy by transitioning your rose out to an unheated garage or basement. In this case, you will want to reduce the amount you water the plant, checking on the soil’s moisture every other week to ensure it stays moist, not soaked or dry.
