Re: question about KnockOut roses and overwintering

**H*@aol.com**

Having not planted any roses in my own garden for more than 20 years I was  
tempted to try a new variety at our zone 5 garden (2000 feet high and 140 avg.  
inches of snow) where the Japanese Beetles and deer seem to be manageable.   
I queried the list a few years ago and the consensus was to try a Knockout  
rose...no scent but virtually disease and insect free.  I planted Radrazz  in 
the spring of 2006 and while I only got a couple of flowers I did get some  
vegetative growth and thought I was well on my way.  Last year it showed  now 
signs of breaking dormancy until late June and finally flowered in early  August 
but I'd by no means call it a robust plant.  It seems to have over  wintered 
much better this year (no protection other than what we got from the  snow) and 
it's about two feet tall now with more than a dozen buds.  Unlike  last year 
I've decided to feed it a bit as our soil is mostly clay and rock with  meager 
amounts of organic matter...and yes, I did dig deep and wide adding  plenty of 
compost and humus at planting.  

Still don't know how long it will survive  but it's pretty obvious  that it's 
virtually disease free and insect resistant.  Now if they could  only insert 
a scent gene...but fear that would doom its insect resistance.   I refuse to 
mound it or give it any winter protection other than holding back on  the 
fertilizer come August to harden it off.  It's not that I don't believe  in those 
practices, it's just that I don't want to have to do that kind of work  to 
insure that my garden and plants survive.

Andrew Messinger
The Hampton Gardener

The Hampton Gardener is a Registered Trade  Mark
(Published every Thursday in the Southampton Press, The Press and the  
Easthampton Press)

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