I grew the red Knockout rose last year, but ended up discarding it. 
It did indeed grow and prosper without pesticides, but, despite my
removing the Japanese beetles by hand, the bush looked so awful when
the beetles were through with it, I just decided roses were not for
me.

Enjoyed the column, as usual. With all the new varieties of roses,
is it still true that roses need 4 hours minimum of daylight to
thrive?
thanks!
--pe

what plants attract lady bugs?

Hi Nancy,
Ladybird beetles are voracious eaters of aphids - 50 to 60 a day-
and aphid 'honeydew' (sugary liquid waste). Adults and larvae feed
on mites, thrips, scale; moth and beetle eggs.

They also get nutrition from water, pollen, and nectar. Angelica,
dill, common yarrow, dandelion, 
fern-leaf yarrow, carpet bugleweed, Basket of Gold, Golden
marguerite, Butterfly weed, Coriander, Queen Anne's Lace, fennel,
buckwheat, prairie sunflower, Rocky Mt. penstemon, Cinquefoil,
'Lemon Gem' marigold, tansy, Veronica speedwell and hairy vetch.

It's important to protect egg clusters, larvae, and pupae on plants.
Use selective pesticides that target a specific pest.
Lots of ways to encourage this helpful beneficial insect at all its
life stages.
Blossoms up, Charlotte

 

Hi Priscilla, General rule for roses is minimum 6 hours of sunlight
to bloom, thrive, and resist diseases and insects. They need the
light to photosynthesize - to produce food. If they don't get enough
light, they struggle to stay healthy. That means less energy left to
produce flowers. 

Much to my delight and surprise, I've found the original Knock Out
and The Pink Knock Out bloom in semi-shade - four hours/day - or
dappled shade. They get a bit leggy but do bloom enough to brighten
a shady spot.
I'd certainly try either in the sunniest spot of shady area. 
Enjoy spring gardening....
Charlotte

Hello Eileen, I certainly understand being discouraged by Japanese
beetles. I wish you weren't so discouraged about growing the Knock
Out though. Japanese beetles may temporarily defoliate that shrub
rose but it rebounds better than most - pushing new growth in August
and  blooms into November. 

One trick for Japanese beetle control is to stop them before they
start feeding. When they start munching, they exude an phermone that
attracts other JBs. So spray roses with Neem oil at the first sign
of JBs. Respray in 2, 3 weeks. Though it seems they hang around
forever, Japanese beetles actually feed for only a four- to six-week
period starting late May, early June. They're usually gone by late
July. Which leaves many weeks to enjoy the better landscape roses.
Blossoms up,
Charlotte

I just purchased a red Knock Out and  pink one for my 21st floor
Brooklyn,NY terrace and am looking forward to seeing them bloom.
Will ocean breezes effect their growth ( I am in Coney Island)?
Also, what zone range do they have? I have a country home in zone 5.

Hi Jan, The Knock Out series of roses is rated from USDA cold
hardiness zones 4 through 10. I can't speak from experience about
sea salt or ocean breeze affecting Knock Outs. Unfortunately none of
the Knock Outs I've planted in containers has overwintered. They are
excellent perfomers and withstand winter well in the ground though.
Feel free to email me next spring with a progress report.
Charlotte

Great article!  William Radler is certainly a shining example of
what can be accomplished by an "amateur" hyrdizer.  

As an amateur rose breeder myself, working toward the very goals
mentioned here, I absolutely concur that there is more of a push in
this direction.  Based on those amateur breeders I interact with
online and via the Rose Hybridizers Association, I would say the
vast majority are truly holding this as a primary goal.  "No spray"
in the test gardens is an adamant rule many faithfully adhere to.   
Personally, I want a rose that needs little attention, is disease
resistant, blooms prolifically AND has fragrance.  A lot to ask, but
there are roses that can live up to this standard and there should
be more!

I think we have begun to see many of the larger commercial suppliers
shifting their breeding programs to place greater importance on this
as well.

Incidentally, some of my roses are currently being tested at the
very Ashdown Roses nursery, that you mentioned in the article.  :)

Glad you enjoyed the column, Michelle. It's encouraging to know
about this progressive approach to rose breeding and growing. Must
be exciting to be part of this environmentally friendly rose
revolution.

My editor Kathy and I agree that FRAGRANCE is tops on our wish lists
too. Do let me know when you achieve that combo of no spray, low
maintenance, disease-resistance, prolific bloom AND fragrance in one
of your hybrids. 

Which of your roses is at Ashdown? I'd like to try some of Paul's
stock in my area, Zone 6 and 6B.
Charlotte

Charlotte, almost everything about rose breeding is exciting to me. 
LOL  It is definitely nice though to feel part of the movement
towards roses that are easier to grow.

Paul has about 10 different roses of mine in testing right now in a
dedicated bed they built for my roses at the nursery last year. 
None of them are available for commercial purchase yet.  But, I am
hopeful that will change in the next few years as they continue to
prove themselves in testing.  I have about 20 or so of my seedlings
planted in my own garden being tested here (these are the ones I
have kept from the last 5 years of breeding)....and another 30 new
seedlings from this most recent batch that I will need to watch this
summer and decide to keep for further evaluation or toss by the end
of the season(last years hybridizing resulted in about 500 rose
seedlings over the winter and I have culled them down to 30 at this
point).

I'm just down the road from you in Schwenksville, PA..so I am very
familiar with zone 6/6B.  :o)  If you are ever curious, I always
welcome visitors. (Although I must warn, my current garden is brand
new, and still very much under construction as we just moved to our
current house last year....a whole 20 minutes from our old
house..LOL)

I live in East Texas and find that roses thrive in my garden. 
Unfortunately for my roses, I live on the edge of a deep woods
filled with beautiful, tall, trees.  I say that because my little
rose garden is now getting shade for half the day.  The roses get
morning sun until about 2PM.  I have eight different rose varieties
in my little rose garden. On the other side of the yard, I have a
"Knock-out" rose bush close by the woods.  The bush is filled with
buds and a lot of healthy, new growth--but no blooms.  I've figured
that it gets about 4-5 hours of full morning sun per day. Is that
enough?

Also, I'm having a terrible time with thrips infecting my white,
yellow and pink roses.  I've tried to be "green" and use organic
sprays--even plain water to discourage the pests to no avail.  

I just read in your column about lady bugs helping rid roses of
thrips.  Where can I purchase lady bugs?  I used to see them
advertised but not any more.  I've seen one or two lady bugs in my
garden.  How do I encourage them?

Thanks.

I bought a blushing pink knockout rose three years ago.  For the
first two years it bloomed pink.  This year it blooms mostly pink
but has one stem that blooms red.  Also, I hsve noticed that a few
of the pink flowers have very thin red streaks in them.  What
happened? 

Hi Pam, I've seen this happen on Encore azaleas - a couple fuschia
flowers on low branches; the cultivar's promised pink/white flowers
on the rest of the shrub. I'm researching this. Will get back with
an answer ASAP.
Charlotte

Hi Pam, Bill Radler, who developed the Blushing Knock Out, replied
to your question through the Garden Media Group. 
"Blushing Knock Out is a sport (mutation) of the original Knock Out
rose. On one of the plants of the Knock Out rose, a branch
spontaneously occurred that had pale pink flowers. When this branch
was made into a cutting and the cutting rooted, the resulting plant
also had pale pink blooms and was called Blushing Knock Out.
 
What is happening to the Blushing Knock Out plant, when some or all
of the petals partially or completely turn to the original Knock Out
color, is called reversion. Occasionally, such sports will partially
or (rarely)completely revert back to the original color.  

Of all the introduced sports of my roses (Pink Knock Out, Pink
Double Knock Out, Climbing Carefree Sunshine), I have only seen
reversion on Blushing Knock Out. 

So what is one to do? If only a few petals or flowers are affected,
I recommend that the plant be left alone and the owner enjoy the
partial reversion. While I have not seen a complete reversion on
Blushing Knock Out, if a whole cane were to be affected and the
plant's owner is worried that the whole plant may revert, I suggest
pruning out the affected cane. Since sports happen rarely, it can be
fun to watch Blushing Knock Out when it does its occasional partial
reversion. "
 
Pam, this reversion can occur on other shrubs, perennials, and
roses. For example, I've noticed the occasional stem with solid
green sprouting from the variegated Phlox 'Nora Leigh.' I prune them
out - to discourage the plant from reverting.

Blossoms up!
Charlotte