Time to Finish Fall Tasks, Prepare for Winter Chores

* The shorter days give gardeners little time outside. Fortunately, there is not much to do. Days are chilly enough to slow growth to a near halt, even though the occasional Santa Ana wind will temporarily warm things up. It’s a time to finish what you started in fall and get ready for pruning and bare-root planting.

The first rains bring up a whole new crop of winter weeds, mostly annuals. You can easily hoe them out before they set seed, but don’t leave them on the ground or they’ll quickly root back into the soil in this cool weather. With all the leaves falling this month, now is a good time to start a compost pile.

From the 2001 Los Angeles Times Garden Calendar