Question
Hello,
I live in Missouri and have 4 Knock-Out Roses that were professionally planted when we had our landscaping done in July of 2006. I have not pruned them at all. They are beautiful but have grown to be huge and somewhat wild. I need to know if it's ok to prune them back now, and how far, so that in the spring I start out with nice compact plants again. Thank you!!!  :)

Answer
If you want to keep a rose under control and at the height you want it, them you prune about two feet back from where you want the height. Should you want a 3 foot bush then down it goes to 18 inches high. To activate a rose into growth you prune back in the spring but to keep a rose under control you do it in the summer but  now would be fine. When you see a tall canes growing where you don't want it, simply whack it back in the summer or early fall. You could take the Knock Out roses right down with no problems. Always cut out the very thin canes to the ground, as they will not produce good blooms. More canes means poorer flowers but more, fewer canes means better flower but less. Hope this helps.