Question
Carlene,  We hand new landscaping done in March of this year.  
Our house was only seven years old when we bought it, but the
landscaping company recommended complete removal of all the
former bushes as they were not taken care of by the former
owners.  We had knockout roses planted throughout the beds as
they were a hearty bush.  Some of the bushes are thriving but
the three bushes planted in the bed by the driveway are not
doing well.  Two are still green but have not grown at all.  They
have bloomed once only.  The other bush was growing and
blooming but now has turned brown and has very little green.  
We live in the Paducah , KY area and have been watering 2-3
times weekly per the recommendation of our landscaper.  There
is a weeping cherry tree in this same bed.  Could it be bugs?  Do
you think the bush is dead?  We do have a warranty with our
landscapers.  Also, any idea why the other two bushes aren't
getting any bigger?  Thank you for your help.  Kim

Answer
Hi Kim-

Of all the roses - Knockout is probably the hardest to kill - so something must be wrong.  You stated you water 2-3 times a week - for how long?  Also - are you sure the sprinklers are reaching that one bush that turned brown?  They are next to the driveway - so they get reflected heat during the hot summer.  Has your area suffered a drought recently and had less than normal rainfall?  This could make the problem worse.  If the sprinklers are really reaching that one bush well enough, and if you only water 15 minutes each time (for example) it probably is not getting enough water.  For now - I would water 30-45 min. twice a week for a few weeks to see if that makes a difference.  I water my roses about 1 1/2 hr. every 5 days approximately (wide-area sprinkler).  Another thing you could try is soaker hoses - weave them in and out of your Knockout roses (by the base) and cover with mulch - and twice a week run the soaker hoses for 45 min to 60 min. to give them a deep watering.

If you truly believe the water is not the problem, spray them with a pesticide once a week, to rule out the bugs from the cherry tree.  If that doesn't work after a few weeks, have the soil analyzed in the spot where this rose is planted.  Perhaps someone emptied a can of oil or doused that area with herbicide and that is the problem.

Roses that don't grow bigger may not be getting enough nutrients, or water.  Have you applied a concentrated chemical fertilizer lately?  In the extreme heat of summer using something like Miracle Grow can kill roses, especially if they aren't getting enough water.  I recommend only organic fertilizer or time-release granules during the summer time.

If there is no green growth whatsoever on the bush it may be dead - I recommend that you contact the Landscapers to replace it since it is under warranty.

Good luck-

Carlene