Knock Out© Roses

Once upon a time rose gardening was considered by many to be a venture for the devoted hobbyist. Frequent spray schedules and knowledge of pruning were very important for success. Not any longer. Everyone can enjoy beautiful roses with the development of the Knock Out© rose series.

“Easy to grow long-blooming, winter hardy and heat tolerant, and perfect for any landscape, the Knock Out© family of roses has changed the way many people think about this popular type of flower. Knock Outs© don’t require special care, they’re self-cleaning, have stunning flower power, and are the most disease resistant roses on the market. Knock Outs© also thrive in almost every part of the country, so even more people can enjoy the beauty of roses right in their own gardens!”(Conard/Pyle.com)

Just a few tips on care will insure beautiful blooms for months at a time.

Prune the shrub rose to an 18″-24″ height in February to contain the size of the plant and insure new strong growth as it emerges in spring. Knock Out© roses can easily reach 4’x 4′ in just two growing seasons. Fertilization is needed for all shrubs so your roses can be fertilized along with your normal spring application. Step back and watch as your rose produces many clusters of blooms for the next two months. If you like you can deadhead the faded blooms during the summer for a neater appearance but is not necessary for the repeat bloomer. End of summer comes and repeat pruning to control size of the rose going into the fall bloom season. Knock Out© roses will continue with a beautiful fall show of several months until first heavy frost. The disease resistance breeding in the Knock Out© rose has taken most of the difficulty out of using these as a beautiful addition to our palette of plant choices in the south.

The varieties of Knock Out© roses have increased to cover many colors and bloom types. There are red, pink, white, yellow, blush and rainbow selections to choose from. They are available in single or double blooms in some cultivars. Knock Out© roses can be planted alone as a highlight or in mass to create large splashes of color. Easy maintenance, lots of blooms, who can ask for more.

Lawn restoration, maintenance and floriculture are what we do best. Knock Out© roses are a great way to begin beautifying your residential or commercial lawn. Allow us to continue serving you this season. Add shape, color and beauty to your lawn with Knock Out© roses.

One important aim of our newsletter is to bring an awareness of common problems that can affect your landscape and the solutions available to combat these problems.

Grub control

This can be a serious lawn problem especially in the south where grubs can devastate large areas of turf in just two or three insect cycles. Our warm moist soils are a perfect breeding ground for grubs and the subsequent beetles emerging in the spring. The grubs damage your lawn by feeding on the roots. They feed all summer to store fat for their winter dormancy and emerge as beetles (i.e. Japanese Beetles, etc.) in the spring to feed on your shrubs. Large brown patches of wilted or dying grass along with other clues such as birds pecking the lawn or raccoon and armadillo damage can signal an infestation.

Being a cyclical event (remember High School Biology, larvae, pupae, grub, etc.) the control of these pests are best managed at certain times of the year. The damage inflicted on your lawn can mimic other problems such as fungus and drought. Identification is easy and important to treat these stressed areas. Lifting the sod in the affected area can expose the grubs. If you had Japanese Beetles in the spring you will probably have the next insect stage present in your soil. Grubs are common in the soil, but if there are more than three to five grubs per square foot area then treatment is needed for an infestation.

Timing is key and now is the time to interrupt the cycle. Grubs at this time of the year are young and easier to eradicate. If the grubs are able to continue to feed and multiply into the fall months your lawn will enter the winter in a damaged and weakened condition. Preventative measures and good cultural practices can insure your lawn is lovely, green and luscious space for you and your family or business.

Recipe: Mexican Chicken

• 1 pound boneless chicken breasts
• 1 teaspoon Taco Seasoning
• Salt, to taste
• 1/2 cup enchilada sauce
• 4 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
• 3 green onions, chopped

Sprinkle the chicken on both sides with taco seasoning; grill or saute. Cut the chicken into cubes and place in a greased 8×8″ baking dish; season with salt to taste. Add the enchilada sauce and toss to coat the chicken. Sprinkle the cheese over the chicken and bake at 350 for 10-20 minutes, until hot and bubbly. Scatter the green onions over the top.

Makes 4 servings. Can be frozen.

Per Serving: 266 Calories; 12g Fat; 33g Protein; 4g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 3g Net Carbs

Landscaping Quick Tips:

Fall is the absolute best time to improve your Fescue lawn through aeration and seeding. Aeration creates seed pockets for our seed as well as loosening the soil. This helps keep the seed in place during rain and windy conditions.

Fall is also a good time to select and plant trees and shrubs. Fall planting encourages good root development, allowing the plants to get established before spring. If weather is dry, provide water up until the ground freezes. Stop fertilizing your trees and flowering shrubs to allow this years growth to harden off before winter.

Water Consumption

Managing water consumption can radically reduce the amount of water needed to grow and maintain a lawn and allow it to survive under drought conditions.

When watering the lawn, it is best to mimic nature and irrigate deeply and infrequently to simulate natural rainfall. Water should be applied deep and infrequently to simulate natural weather patterns. Long intervals between watering encourage the grass to develop deep, strong root systems which results in increased drought tolerance. Shallow and frequent waterings lead to shallow-rooted grass and a weaker overall plant. One or two deep waterings per week are better than watering a little every day.

The ideal time to water the grass is in the hours between 3:00 AM and 6:00 AM. If this can’t be done, water as early as possible before the heat of the day. Watering in the evening is acceptable as a last resort, but this can lead to conditions which promote disease. Watering in the middle of the day will cool the turf, but most of the water will be lost to evaporation.

It is a good idea to have older irrigation systems audited by a professional irrigation company. They will ensure devices like back flow prevention valves are in place and check for leaks, drips and other inefficiencies.