Question
My boyfriend planted a double knockout rosebush for me in my front yard in Austin, TX a little more than a month ago. I don't know the first thing about caring for roses, and in the past month the plant has gotten crispier and crispier. I'm afraid I've nearly killed the plant entirely. Any advice on how to save it?

Thanks!

Answer
The word crisp doesn't sound good in describing a rose bush. The dead leaves are probably due to the fact it isn't getting enough water. When you plant a new rose, it has to be watered everyday for about 6 weeks and then it will have made good enough roots to go for longer. I would cut the rose back to about 18 inches,  maybe even 12 if the insides of the canes are brownish which means they are dead. A Knock Out rose could even be sliced right back to ground level and come back as they have good vigour. If you do need to whack it right back, then give it a sprinkle of any rose fertilizer and make sure you water it daily. Even set a watering time when it is convenient and regardless of what the rose books tell you, even watering at night is fine.