Around the Yard

Things to do this week:

* Plant dormant roses and fruits. Now, while they are briefly dormant in January and February, is the time to buy roses and deciduous fruit trees (such as apples and plums) “bare root” at nurseries. The leafless, cut-back plants have no soil around their roots so they are much less expensive than they are at other times of the year when they are sold in cans. Many gardeners prefer bare-root planting because there is no interface or barrier between potting soil and garden soil.

However, it is important that the roots are plump and pliable, not dried out. To make sure, soak the roots in water overnight before planting. Even after soaking, plants that became too dried out at garden outlets may not sprout in spring. To prevent this, bare-root plants may come with roots wrapped in plastic (though these can stay too wet), or the roots may be temporarily put in individual pots or kept in bins filled with sand or sawdust. It’s easier to check on the condition of roots of plants taken from bins.

Bare-root trees and bushes are planted in a different way, but nurseries often have handouts with bare-root planting instructions. Ask for one.

* Prune dormant roses and fruits. Roses and deciduous fruit trees and vines need yearly pruning, usually done after Jan. 13 in areas such as Pasadena that may get late frosts, or earlier in frost-free spots nearer the coast.

The general idea is to remove old, nonproductive branches and to encourage new growth that will be productive in the future, while slightly diminishing the size of the plant. How exactly to prune varies with the kind of plant, but there are books on the subject and public gardens often have how-to demonstrations. See Garden Calendar.