Bulbs in Pots, Pruning Chores
Don’t feel left out of the bulb-planting season simply because you have insufficient room or no ground to garden in. Having bulbs in pots is more than merely a possibility; it is often the best way to grow them. Bulbs in pots should not be planted as deeply as in the ground; you must leave room below the bulbs for root development. The daffodil, which has one of the largest bulbs, should be in a pot at least five inches deep and should be planted just under the surface. To ensure good root development, keep the plants in the shade at first. Excess warmth will send the leaves shooting upward too soon. When top growth starts, move the pots out of the shade or they will stretch for the light and may soon topple. Stock and matthiola, two sweet-scented flowers that must be planted in the fall, need sun and super drainage to do well. A rich soil will help, although stock can grow in sand. Column stock is the florist type, which has one superb spike per plant. ‘Trysomic,’ ‘Seven Week’ and ‘Brompton’ stock are branching types that most often are used for color in flower borders. Stock comes in the more chic colors of today--lavender, rose, pink, white and cream.
Calendulas--with their daisy-like yellow, gold or orange flowers--are a boon to the California gardener who wants color during the winter. There is not a great deal of choice, though. You can have yellow or orange, unless you order seed from catalogues. If you do, you’ll find dwarf and regular sizes, a slightly pastel mix called ‘Pacific Giants’ and the ‘Kablouna’ strain with large flowers that have crested centers. (Seed is available from Thompson & Morgan, P.O. Box 100, Farmingdale, N.J. 07727.) Nothing could be easier to grow; they often seed themselves and have even naturalized in Palm Springs. Calendulas are great bloomers and tend to exhaust themselves by producing too much seed. To prevent that, cut off the old flowers and give the plants a mild application of fertilizer. Calendulas combine beautifully with pansies and violas. Unless you observe them at arm’s length, they combine less well with Iceland poppies, because the mixed colors and heights are too similar. At one time, calendulas were known as pot marigolds and were grown in the herb garden for medicinal purposes. Snails and slugs seem particularly attracted to anything that’s planted from a flat. It must be the succulent, young growth that snails find so tasty. In any case, be forewarned: If you’re planting from flats, take precautions against snails.
Pruning may not be considered a fall chore in Southern California, but hedges, espaliers and poodle-cut shrubs are nearing the end of their growing season. Prune them before their growth stops completely so that empty spots can be filled. Open up large trees with heavy canopies so that the wind can blow through branches and leaves, rather than push against them. With roses, cut out any spindly growth in the center of the bush, remove rose hips (seed pods), give the bush a gentle shaping and apply some rose food. That will encourage a round of bloom before the required heavy pruning in January. Don’t cut the long, vigorous, sucker-like shoots that appear above the graft on climbing roses. That is strong new growth, and it should be used to replace the old gray stems. When those shoots are tied down in a horizontal position along a fence or over a trellis, they will produce the best blooms.
Also, don’t prune such tropicals as hibiscus, bougainvillea, lantana, bananas and the like; the resulting tender growth will be burned by the first frost. Subtropical plants should be pruned in late spring.
