Monthly Garden Tips

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January Monthly Gardening Tips

Nightime temperatures may have been cold, possibly many nights into freezing; continue to monitor weather forecasts for nighttime lows and protect frost-tender plants such as Bougainvillea, Hibiscus, Citrus, Tibuchina, etc. You can use an anti-desiccant such as Cloudcover, and when frost is actually predicted, cover the plants with sheets or lightweight blankets or burlap. A strand of incandescent Christmas lights in a tree is often enough to protect the plant from frost, as well (and you get decoration!) This also might be a good time to yank the plant that can’t stand the cold and replace it with something more appropriate to your climate zone.

• Clear Vegetation as soon as possible. Bird nesting season is March 1st to August 31st. It is important not to clear brush and trees during this period in order to protect our bird populations. 
• Bareroot shrubs and trees will begin appearing in nurseries; this is a good way to plant many fruit trees and shrubs and roses. If you can’t plant your bare-root plant the day that you buy it, submerge the roots in a bucket of water for 24 hours and plant as soon as you can.
• Roses should be pruned any time between New Year’s and Valentine’s Day. Be careful not to compact the soil around the plants with your feet when you prune. Prune hard, down to 3-4 young, vigorous canes per plant.
• Feed your lawn with organic fertilizer every six weeks throughout the winter which will keep it healthy but not produce tremendous bursts of growth which will require frequent mowings.
• Clean, oil and store tools such as shovels, hoes, pruners, etc. Use light machine oil on metal parts to prevent rust.
• While you are cleaning, consider spray painting the handles of the tools a fun color. It’s a great way to keep your tools separate from any that you happen to borrow or lend out, and it makes them easier to find in the yard.
• Don’t forget to take care of your mower blades. Your winter gardening break is the perfect opportunity to have your blades sharpened to give your grass that clean cut it deserves come spring. Sharp blades mean a cleaner cut and a better looking lawn.
• Prune pines and other dormant conifers. Don’t trim back individual branches (and whatever you do, don’t top them!) Rather, thin trees where necessary by pruning out entire branches.
• Begin to cut back deciduous ornamental grasses (see accompanying article). You can wait until February or March if you like the existing structure.
• Winter is the season when rats forage—and damage—our plants. If you have had problems in the past or if your neighbors have noticed rats, put out traps early before the rats devour fruit trees, vines, climbing roses and the like.
• Rats favor heavy cover like overgrown ivy. If you have ivy, the best time to prune is winter, because the growth has slowed and the roots are still somewhat soft. If you wait until spring, the ivy will be in full growth season and will quickly grow back, and the roots will have the opportunity to grab hold, which will make it harder to remove.
• January is a great month to think about garden design and plan for spring plantings. The solstice is behind us and the days have started to lengthen; use this remaining ‘indoor time’ to review favorite garden books, make notes and designs and compose plant lists. Refer to the chart of planting windows for vegetables and herbs.

February Monthly Gardening Tips

We are thankful for the recent rainstorms, but with the water deficit from recent drought years and scientists’ warnings about future drought, continue your conservation preparations for spring planting (prepare to plant only what you will consume, install drip in the food garden, add water-holding compost to the soil, plan to mulch, etc.)

• Clear Vegetation as soon as possible. Bird nesting season is March 1 to August 31. It is important not to clear brush and trees during this period in order to protect our bird populations. 
• Finish pruning your roses; the rule of thumb here in Sonoma County is to have them pruned by Valentine’s Day.
• Also finish pruning summer-flowering or foliage trees as necessary. Deciduous trees are much easier to prune when leafless, as the branch structure is more clearly visible. Cut out all crossed branches and prune for shape.
• You can plant bare-root trees and shrubs.
• You’ll start to see snails making their presence known, either directly or by the holes that they leave in the leaves. Hand pick when you can; really dedicated types go out after dark armed with a flashlight to catch as many in the act as possible! The more you get before they lay eggs the fewer you’ll have later.
• Clean and sharpen all of your garden tools. Buy a rasp or a stone for your favorite pruners and promise yourself that you will sharpen them regularly. Sharp pruners are easier on both the plants and your joints. A great place to store your hand tools year round is in a 5-gallon bucket of sand with some vegetable oil mixed in. Every time you push your small hand tools into the sand, they’ll get an effortless cleaning and lubricating job. Motor oil isn’t recommended, as it’s harsh on your hands and difficult to dispose of properly.
• February afternoons are good time for washing out old pots and trays. You can put clay pots in your dishwasher, after first rinsing off the dirt and debris. The dishwasher will sterilize them and they’ll be ready for spring planting. Rub the pots with linseed oil after cleaning to bring them back to life!
• You will make next year’s gardening easier if you get out Poa annua, the annoying annual bluegrass, before it goes to seed.
• As you plan your spring plantings, remember that color not only creates the mood in the garden, but it defines space and proportion. Select cool tones such as blues, pinks, and purples, for a sense of serenity. Warm tones like reds, oranges, and yellows create a sense of good cheer. Blue gives you the impression that the garden is distant while red makes the garden look closer than it really is.

March Monthly Gardening Tips

• Carefully monitor plants and appropriate supplemental water as necessary.
• Fertilize your roses – they should receive their first application at bud break and then once a month thereafter.
• Fertilize other perennials that are emerging from winter dormancy. 
• If you have a lawn, begin feeding. If you use organic fertilizer, you’ll only have to do it once every six weeks or so. Better yet, take the plunge and remove it. Hold off on replacing with a water-wise garden until we see how the rains shape up.
• Spray peach and nectarine trees for peach leaf curl as buds are swelling just prior to bud break.
• Plant summer bulbs such as gladiolus, dahlia, callas, amaryllis and lilies
• Apply Sluggo (non-toxic to pets, children and wildlife) to deal with snails, which are hatching in the garden now.
• Prune summer-flowering shrubs such as crape myrtles (anything that blooms on new wood).
• Watch carefully for aphids on tender new growth and use insecticidal soap or spray with water from the garden hose as necessary. We typically are not warm enough in March for them to be much of a problem, but be alert if we have an early heat wave.
• Weeds: pull out what you can by hand – if you catch the weeds before they go to seed you can put them on your compost pile. However, stay out of the beds if they are sodden from the rains to avoid compacting the soil.
• Very hardy flowers can be planted 4 to 6 weeks before the average frost-free date (which in Sonoma County is April 15). You can sow indoors warm-season flowers such as: ageratum, celosia, cosmos, marigolds, sunflowers, zinnias, and so on.
• If you’ve started plants in peat pots indoors or in a coldframe or greenhouse, make sure that when you transplant them into the garden, you either bury the entire pot completely, or cut off the part that will be above ground. That excess portion will suck moisture out if exposed to the open air.
• Feed your compost pile: fertilizers with a high nitrogen content will stimulate compost’s decomposition process, and if you’re in a hurry for some compost, you might want to add some good sources of nitrogen to the compost heap now…(alfalfa meal, blood meal/dried blood, cottonseed meal, fish meal are just a few).
• Use newspaper and mulch to discourage unwanted grass or weeds. A few layers of newspaper, topped with mulch to hold it in place, over time will choke off any vegetation. By the end of the season, the newspaper, along with the dead grass and weeds should have decomposed and become compost. Don’t use colored newspaper because the ink often contains metals and could be toxic.
• Check on your ornamental grasses. Those that are not evergreen should be cut back within a couple inches from the ground to make way for the new shoots. Over the winter, their dead stalks provided some protection for the crowns. Now the dead stalks and blades are simply in the way. To make cleanup easier, tie a belt or a rope around the grass before cutting, and then simply pick up the bundle and put in the compost or shredder pile.
• Don't cut back the evergreen grasses (such as Carexes or Helictotrichon)! Use your hand or a small rake and tease out the dead blades.
• Remember, the last frost date in Sonoma County is April 15th. Don’t get fooled by any heat spells into thinking that spring is here for good!

April Monthly Gardening Tips

Rains generally taper off in April, so once rains taper off you will have to start your irrigation soon afterward. The actual date will vary from rainy years to drought years. Stay focused on climate-appropriate plants, which are those that can withstand dry summers.

• The last frost date in Sonoma County is April 15. We could still have some very cold nights ahead of us.
• Continue to fertilize perennials that are emerging from winter dormancy.
• You still have time to prune summer-flowering shrubs such as Crape Myrtles (anything that blooms on new wood) but you’d better hurry.
• Aphids will flourish on the tender new growth in the warm weather: use insecticidal soap or spray with water from the garden hose as necessary. Wash off spittle bugs.
• The ground is soft enough to make weed pulling easy—get ahead of it and you will have fewer going to seed. All that rain means lots of weeds this year!
• Clean up azaleas and rhododendron that have finished flowering. Fertilize or amend soil with acidic material or acid fertilizer.
• As rain tapers off, check your irrigation system for cracks, leaks and clogs. Dirty filters can wreak havoc, especially if you are on a well. Clean out and replace.
• Flush out drip systems and make sure all emitters are working. Replace batteries on systems that use battery-operated controllers. Ensure that timers are working. Do this now before it gets really hot and dry and the plants need the water immediately.
• Sow hardy annuals in pots or directly in the garden.
• Plant summer bulbs and rhizomes.
• April is a busy time as we clean up debris from winter, finish cutting back summer-blooming perennials such as salvia, nepeta and penstemmon; leave fading foliage from spring bulbs and let whither—they provide nutrients for next year's blooms. The weather is fickle—some days it feels like summer is right around the corner, the next day we are back in winter. Plants monitor day-length rather than temperature, for exactly that reason!

May Monthly Gardening Tips

• The end of the spring rains means getting the irrigation system shaken out.
• As you start to water your garden this month, use water-conserving methods such as watering in the early morning or evening, using slow irrigation methods such as drip or soaker hoses.
• If you didn’t trouble-shoot your irrigation system for cracks, leaks and clogs last month, do it now. Dirty filters can wreak havoc, especially if you are on a well. Clean out and replace. Flush out drip systems and make sure all emitters are working. Replace batteries on systems that use battery-operated controllers. Ensure that timers are working.
• Ready? Set? Plant! It’s time to plant all summer veggies—beans, cucumbers, eggplant, kale, lettuce, melons, peppers, squash, and tomatoes.
• Add edible flowers to your garden for a pop of color and to attract beneficial insects that pollinate the garden and provide an ecological balance against harmful pests. Common edible flowers include carnations, violas, lilacs, roses, lavender, marigolds and nasturtiums. You also can enjoy the flowers of herbs such as rosemary, basil, thyme and sage.
• Continue to fertilize roses and other heavy feeders. If you have amended your soil with compost and are using an organic fertilizer, you do not need to do much else at this point.
• Now that bloom is past, prune all of your spring-flowering trees and shrubs—this will force growth and ensure a good bloom next spring.
• You can still plant/transplant, but watch the sun and heat: when transplanting young plants, use lightweight lawn furniture propped up here and there to create shade for the plants as they get accustomed to their new location. Try to wait until fall for any big planting/transplanting projects, as your water use will be much less and your plants will fare better.
• May is a windy month in most of Sonoma County—take care that new plantings, especially trees, are staked properly.
• Continue to feed your lawn. If the thatch layer is more than ¾” deep, de-thatch, as a deep thatch layer can slow or prevent water absorption. Aeration will relieve compaction and make water and air absorption easier. It is possible to have a beautiful, healthy lawn with minimal reliance on chemical fertilizers and insecticides and lower water use. Better yet, remove all or some of it.
• Deadhead your azaleas, camellias and rhododendrons once they’ve finished blooming. An estimated 70% of a rhododendron’s energy goes into the formation of seed. Use a whisk broom to lightly dislodge the dead blooms of azaleas. Use pruners or your two fingers to remove the spent flowers of the rhododendrons and cut just above the two new leaflets. During the spring and summer, feed these shrubs monthly with a balanced organic fertilizer formulated for acid-loving plants.

June Monthly Gardening Tips

This is a great time to mulch the garden. Perhaps you've already done so - for those of you who have neglected to mulch you may be paying the price in weeds - so follow any weeding with a thick (3-4”) layer of mulch and keep the weed problem to a minimum going forward.

• Those who are already converts to mulching, keep at it, especially new plantings. Mulch not only cuts down on weeds but also prevents soil from drying out as quickly. Don’t forget to mulch around trees, too, but in all cases keep mulch from piling up around the base of the plant. The mulch level at the base should never be higher than the soil level.
• Continue to fertilize roses and other heavy feeders. If you have amended your soil with compost and are using an organic fertilizer, you do not need to do much else at this point.
• Dead-head roses as the first round of blooms finishes. Cut blossoms for bouquets early in the morning and get them into deep, warmish water quickly – the stems will take up the water and remain fresh longer in the vase.
• Pull or prune suckers from the bottom of sucker-prone plants such as wisteria, crab-apples, poplars, etc.
• If you have wisteria, prune it aggressively after bloom, cutting back to 2 nodes on new branches to ensure a robust display of bloom next year. You should prune it again in the fall, also.
• As the weather warms the aphid problem will lesson – be alert for any remaining colonies and spray them off with water.
• Fill in empty spaces in flowerbeds or borders with annuals such as zinnias, container sunflowers or impatiens.
• If you plan to be away this summer, ensure that you have someone to water, or set up your irrigation system on automatic timers.
• There is still a lot to do in June, but enjoying the garden should be high on your list. The plentiful flowers bring out the bees and hummingbirds in full force and birds are busy courting and making nests.

July Monthly Gardening Tips

July is the month in Sonoma County when gardeners typically start to observe water problems, especially if they have not been practicing ‘water wise’ gardening. Learn about waterwise gardening and irrigation techniques elsewhere on our website. We are now in the dry, hot season, so check to make sure that all irrigation systems are working and that filters are not clogged.

• Trees, shrubs, and perennials that you planted this spring (or summer) can take a long time to adjust to their new homes. They need extra watering and their root balls must never dry out while they are getting settled. Water them evenly and well to encourage deep root growth.
• Don’t kill spiders in your garden! Spiders do not harm your plants and they help you keep down other insect populations.
• Weeds are usually hardier than flowers and crops, and they will rob your plants of water and nutrients. All which means you either have to mulch more or get down on your hands and knees and weed! And yes, there are more weeds, too, due to all the rain.
• Cut back perennials such as nepeta, diascia and penstemmon to force new foliage and keep the blooms coming. 
• Deadhead perennials and annuals such as heuchera and petunias to keep the plants from bolting or setting seed.
• If you are looking for summer color, you can continue to add annuals to beds and containers. However, no matter how tempting it is, try not to do any major planting of perennials, shrubs or trees in summer. If you find plants at the nursery that you cannot resist, make sure that if you plant them in established beds you are vigilant about keeping them watered. Another solution is to designate a shady spot out of the way and keep all of your summer purchases there, grouped together in their pots. Visit them every other day or so and water as needed. Small pots may need watering once a day during heat waves. Plant them in the fall once the rains begin again.
• July is a month of lessening garden work so it is a good time to observe and plan. Take a glass of something cold to a shady spot and sit with a notebook and pen and look around the garden. Make a list of which plants are working and which are not. Note particularly successful plant combinations that deserve to be repeated elsewhere in the garden. That way when the fall planting season arrives, you’ll be prepared!

August Monthly Gardening Tips

The garden largely takes care of itself in August, though there's always work in the vegetable patch. This is a month of planning for fall and of keeping your eyes open for plants under stress.

• If you’ve never planted a winter vegetable garden, think about doing it this year. See our Food Gardening section for some inspiration and details!
• Despite the weather, be vigilant about checking for signs of water stress – especially those plants in containers or hanging baskets. An occasional deep soaking benefits most plants, even those that do not require regular water. Make sure that your garden is well-mulched to conserve water and keep plants moist.
• If you want to cut back on your water bill, you can forgo watering your lawn without permanently damaging it. To reduce the stress on the lawn, keep it at about 3” high. Don’t mow it close to the ground or too often. Less is more in drought conditions. Don’t fertilize it, either, as this simply stimulates new growth which requires more water. Better yet, remove turf altogether and plant low water-use plants.
• Continue to deadhead perennials and annuals, especially in containers. The heat of summer – should it ever materialize - will take its toll on some of your annuals and showy perennials. Periodic freshening will keep your containers going through the fall. Heavy bloomers can be cut back and fertilized
• With major summer chores behind you, continue to check staking on trees, supports for vines, and general structural needs.
• If you plan to be away this summer, ensure that you have someone to water, or set up your irrigation system on automatic timers. When you return from vacation, do a check of the entire garden to make sure that nothing was ignored while you were away.
• Start making a checklist of fall chores – plants that need to be moved or divided, for example, will appreciate you waiting until shorter days and cooler, moister weather. If you want to reduce your water usage in future, make a list of the biggest ‘water-hogs’ in your garden and decide if they are worth it. If not, in fall you can remove them and go shopping for more drought-tolerant replacements.
• Enjoy your garden in August – the heat spells bring warm, balmy nights in most of the County, perfect for sitting out into the twilight. Set up a table in the garden and eat outdoors. Enjoy your morning coffee in the garden in the early morning when the garden smells particularly fresh and inviting.

September Monthly Gardening Tips

Fall is definitely in the air, and your plants notice the difference, too. Growth is slowing for most perennials, which monitor day-length, not temperature. September is generally a very dry month, and it is not unusual to have some very warm periods before the cooler weather sets in. For drought years, your garden may need extra water.

• Before the fall planting and winter-readying begins in earnest, hit the fall plant sales at the local nurseries! Several specialty nurseries in the County have great fall sales – some lasting a month or longer. Check around – websites are a good way to get information quickly – and shop the sales early for best selection. Caution: many of the sale plants are pot-bound and will need extra care when planting. Some can be divided before planting, doubling your savings. Anything that is not planted right away needs to be kept well-watered.
• Shop for plants that have good fall color. Fall display is often neglected when planning gardens. Some plants that give you great September and October color are Autumn Sedum, Ceratostigma, Viburnum, Crape Myrtle (especially certain cultivars – ask the nursery!), Cotoneaster, Cornus stolonifera, Cotinus, Berberis, Crab Apples, Persimmons and many other. Many ornamental grasses also generally continue to look their best through the fall.
• Fall is the right time for planting California natives, too. Perhaps Arctostaphylos, Ceanothus and Rhamnus for structure, and Ribes Sanguineum, native Salvia, Epilobium, Penstemon and Eriogonum for color.
• September is a good time of year to tour local gardens such as Sonoma Botanical Garden or Luther Burbank Gardens to get an idea of what looks great in the fall. With all of the lovely trees at these gardens, you may be itching to plant some of your own during the cool fall weather. For fall color, how about smoke tree (Cotinus coggygria), red maple (Acer rubrum) or Chinese pistache (Pistacia chinensis)?
• Bulbs will begin appearing in nurseries and garden centers. It is generally easier to wait until after the first rains to plant them, but buy them ahead of time so that you are prepared.
• Continue to build your checklist of fall chores – plants that need to be moved or divided, for example, will appreciate your waiting for shorter days and cooler, moister weather. With a few exceptions, fall blooming plants should be divided in the spring, spring blooming ones should be divided just after they bloom, and summer bloomers should be divided in early fall. Share your divisions with friends!
• September is a time that we can still live in our gardens in Sonoma County. Plan a harvest meal under the trellis or an afternoon barbecue. Find a place where turning foliage or ornamental grass flowers are back-lit by the sun and enjoy the spectacle!

October Monthly Gardening Tips

• It’s time to begin fall chores! Early October is still mild in most of the County, but by the end of the month the last vestiges of summer will have disappeared.
• If you have deciduous trees, stay ahead of the leaves. If you compost, shred the leaves before composting, or run a lawn mower over them. If not shredded they will mat and take forever to decompose, making a slippery, gooey mass in your compost pile or beds.
• Don’t cut your lawn too short for the winter – about 2” is best – and put down some organic fertilizer now to give it a boost in early spring. You can sow bare patches but make sure to get the seed down, watered and germinated before the winter rains begin in earnest and wash all of the seeds away.
• If you have particularly weed-prone areas or troublesome varieties such as Annual Bluegrass (Poa annua), this is a good time to use pre-emergent weed killers in moderation.
• If you haven’t been raking up those rose leaves as they fall be sure to do it now. A single rose leaf can carry millions of tiny spores that can overwinter and plague the roses next year. Don’t compost them!
• Fall sales are still on at many of the Nurseries – look for bargains but make sure to be mindful of the fact that many of the plants are root bound and will need to be watered regularly before the winter rains begin in earnest. Do not buy anything that you can’t get into the ground and keep watered. Some pot-bound perennials can be divided into two or more before planting, using a pruning saw or large serrated kitchen knife.
• Bulbs are on display in nurseries and garden centers – and good selections are available from specialty catalogs. It is generally easier to wait until after the first rains to plant them, but buy them now so that you are prepared.
• As the days get cooler – and shorter – you can begin to divide grasses and clump-forming perennials. Keep the divisions well-watered until it rains.
• If, in the coming weeks, this turns out to be a dry fall, make sure you continue to water your plants and not wait each day for rain to come. Pay special attention to those recently planted and those in containers.
• If you have soil that is too high in clay content or too sandy, you should apply serious amounts of compost this fall. Spread it out about 3 to 4 inches deep. This compost will slowly breakdown and will improve the structure of your soil over time. Apply more again in the spring!
• Perennials should be completely dormant before you begin to remove the foliage to just above ground level. This may range from November to January. It’s too early to start now, but not too early to take note and make lists! The reason you need to leave the foliage alone is that as a general rule, the leaves will continue to feed the root system throughout the fall. You can cut back the flowering stems and trim some of the most unsightly leaves, but leave well enough alone until the leaves are killed by the frost. Those dead or dying leaves also provide habitat for wildlife and often seeds for birds throughout the winter.
• October is a great time to take hardwood cuttings of woody plants such as Lavender, Rosemary, Manzanita, etc. Take small cuttings, dip in rooting hormone, stick in damp vermiculite and keep misted (using plastic wrap over a plastic box works well). Keep out of direct sunlight and wait for roots to form – several weeks to a couple of months depending on the plant variety.

November Monthly Gardening Tips

Fall is time to plant! We also have a long list of chores because we are now in a race with Mother Nature. Once the rainy season begins in earnest we cannot do much digging or working in the beds.

• Now is a great time to dig up and divide grasses and perennials – the moist earth, shorter days and cooler weather, combined with the dormancy of the plants, makes this the least stressful time for them to go through this process. Make sure that once you’ve excavated the plant to keep roots moist by keeping the plants in the shade and covering the roots with damp newspaper while you are working.
• November is a great time to plant California Native Plants. These hardy species, ideally suited to our climate and ecosystem, need little water once established but need good irrigation to get their roots going – the best irrigation is our winter rainfall, so get them in by end of the month.
• The success of any garden is the soil! When your other chores are done, devote your time to your soil. Add composted manure or other organic material. You can even add fresh manure as it can age over winter and early spring before it has contact with the plants. Work it into the soil a little. Adding 4-6 inches of either is best. Your soil will be good to go, come spring.
• If you have deciduous trees, keep on top of the leaves. If you compost, shred the leaves before composting, or run a lawn mower over them. If not shredded they will mat and take forever to decompose, making a slippery, gooey mass in your compost pile or beds. You can put them out for recycling, as well, but why give up all that nice free mulch? 
• Heavy feeders such as roses and fruit trees should get a good dose of organic fertilizer, as the winter rain will allow the nutrients to penetrate into the ground, where they will break down and be ready to feed the plants in the spring.
• Turn off your drip irrigation systems if you haven’t already. However, stay on top of the weather –if a few weeks go by with no rain you will need to hand-water or turn them back on.
• Don’t cut your lawn too short for the winter – about 2” is best – and put down some organic fertilizer now to give it a boost in early spring. You can feed with organic fertilizer every six weeks throughout the winter which will keep your lawn healthy but not produce tremendous bursts of growth which will require frequent mowings. You can still sow bare patches but make sure to get the seed down, watered and germinated before the winter rains begin in earnest and wash all of the seeds away.
• Although our days have been mild thus far we could have frost at any time (the average first frost-date in the county this year is November 10). Protect frost-tender plants such as Bougainvillea, Hibiscus, Citrus, Tibuchina, etc. You can use an anti-desiccant such as Cloudcover, and if frost is actually predicted, cover the plants with sheets or lightweight blankets or burlap. A strand of Christmas lights in a tree is often enough to protect the plant from frost, as well (and you get decoration!)
• Bulbs are on display in nurseries and garden centers – and good selections are available from specialty catalogues. When the ground becomes soft from the rain, go ahead and get the bulbs in the ground as soon as you can.
• There are many, many ornamental plants which are displaying dramatic fall color in November: Chinese pistache (see accompanying article), ‘Roger’s Red’ grape, Viburnum, Cornus (Dogwood), Liquidamber, ash, crabapples (incredible fruits – some bright orange), Cotinus (smoke bush), Nyssa sylvatica (tupelo – a much underused tree that endures a broad range of conditions), and many others. If you don’t have enough fall interest in your garden, consider adding one of these plants – you still have time to get it in the ground this year.
• There are also many annuals that you can plant for winter bloom, such as Icelandic poppies, pansies (or other Viola), Calendula and primroses. Most nurseries have a supply of six-packs of these and other winter bloomers.
• Hardwood cutting can be taken at any time during dormancy, but just after the leaves have fallen is an excellent time. Taking the cuttings from leafless shoots is advantageous because water loss due to transpiration is minimal. You can bury the cuttings in moist sand or peat moss, put them in a cold frame or a sheltered area and plant next spring. Ensure that they do not dry out.
• Keep debris and fallen leaves off the lawn or the grass will tend to die out under the leaves and/or discolor.
• The success of any garden is the soil! If your other chores are done, devote your time to your soil. Add fresh manure so it can age over winter and early spring before it has contact with the plants. Work it into the soil a little. If you don’t have access to manures, than add composted organic material. Adding 4-6 inches of either is best. Your soil will be good to go, come spring.

December Monthly Gardening Tips

Check your irrigation system and make sure your garden is still getting enough water until the rains finally come.

• Protect frost-tender plants such as Bougainvillea, Hibiscus, Citrus, Tibuchina, etc. You can use an anti-desiccant such as Cloudcover, and when frost is actually predicted, cover the plants with sheets or lightweight blankets or burlap. A strand of Christmas lights in a tree is often enough to protect the plant from frost, as well.
• You can still dig up and divide grasses and perennials once the soggy ground dries out a bit – the moist earth, shorter days and cooler weather, combined with the dormancy of the plants, makes this the least stressful time for them to go through this process. Make sure that once you’ve excavated the plant to keep roots moist by keeping the plants in the shade and covering the roots with damp newspaper while you are working.
• You can also continue to plant California Native Plants and most hardy trees and shrubs. Water well after planting and do not allow the root balls to dry out.
• Stay on top of the deciduous leaves. If you compost, shred large leaves before composting, or run a lawn mower over them. If not shredded they will mat and take forever to decompose, making a slippery, gooey mass in your compost pile or beds. You can put them out for recycling, as well, but why give up all that nice free mulch
• Whether with your own shredded leaves or purchased material, make sure that your garden is amply mulched for the winter. Mulch will insulate the roots and retard weed growth, which has started up with a vengeance with the rainy season.
• Plant any remaining spring-blooming bulbs. Sow wildflower seeds.
• Clean, oil and store tools such as shovels, hoes, pruners, etc. Use light machine oil on metal parts to prevent rust.
• Clean out gutters to avoid overflow and direct water to downspouts.
• Prune pines and other dormant conifers. Don’t trim back individual branches, rather, thin trees where necessary by pruning out entire branches. You can control the size of most pines by pinching out the new shoots or ‘candles’ in each cluster.
• Winter is the season when rats forage – and damage – our plants. If you have had problems in the past or if your neighbors have noticed rats, put out traps early before the rats devour fruit trees, vines, climbing roses and the like.
• Plant Amaryllis or Paperwhites inside, or get some Pointsettias or bring in evergreen boughs to decorate the house – you will likely be spending more time inside than out in December!
• Dormant-spray fruit trees, olives and roses with horticultural oil after they have lost their leaves, in order to control fungal infections and kill overwintering insect eggs.