Dashing between the raindrops
February IS
usually our rainiest month, and not much gardening gets done, but it’s difficult to think it will be as rainy as the soaking of December and January. A typical January gets well under an inch of rain, and that gives gardeners a chance to plant the bare-root roses and fruit trees now at nurseries, to prune existing plants and to do other winter-only chores. This year, some of these activities will have to shift to February.
Protect from frost
If, while listening to the evening news, you hear a frost warning, consider covering tender plants that have been frosted in the past, or move tender things such as orchids under the eaves or even into the garage for the night. Sheets are better than plastic for covering plants. But if you use plastic, be sure to take it off before the sun hits foliage the next day, or it could burn.
Should things freeze
If frost nips plants, don’t do anything now, as tempting as it might be. Wait until mid-spring, when growth begins again, to see what’s actually damaged, and then cut off only that. Remove it now and you might encourage new growth that will get nipped again.
Safe winter sprays
To get a jump on pesky critters, many rose growers spray with “dormant spray,” an oil spray that smothers pests rather than poisoning them. Similar natural controls, usually containing sulfur or copper, will kill overwintering diseases. Be sure to follow directions and to drench branches.
Roses and fruit trees
Bargain-priced roses and fruit trees -- their bare roots packaged in sawdust or plastic bags, or potted up in fiber pots -- are still plentiful at nurseries, and bare root is probably the best way to buy and plant these bushes and trees. At this time of year gardeners will also find the largest selection. The leafless plants will soon begin to sprout, but it is usually suggested that any whitish and elongated sprouts be snapped off before planting. Secondary buds will replace them.
Prune same
Both roses and fruit trees need pruning while they are dormant. It’s a good idea to have the nursery prune your rose and fruit trees before you take them home and plant them, since removing some growth helps them become established. Roses need pruning if they are to have big or plentiful flowers in spring, so consult a good book that acknowledges the different way we prune on the West Coast. Each kind of deciduous fruit tree, whether apples or plums, should be pruned in a special way that will encourage the formation of new fruiting stems, or spurs. There are books on the subject, and how we prune fruit trees here is not as different as it is with roses.
Last-minute flowers
Nurseries have plenty of annual and perennial bedding plants -- most in quart or 4-inch pots -- that can be popped into empty spots for almost instant spring color. Two of my favorites for late planting are coral- colored diascias or blue nemesias (such as ‘Bluebird’), which look quite at home even in wild-looking gardens filled with tough things such as California fuchsias, salvias or wild iris. In more demure settings, pansies and violas are another good bet, and will last until late spring. Primulas, especially the English or Pacific Giant types, thrive in shade and last a long time, even for several years, though they only bloom in winter and spring. Spring-blooming cinerarias, in stunning shades of blue and purple, are extremely frost sensitive and are usually available later in the month.
Early edibles
In frost-free places such as Anaheim or Hollywood, people who garden against warm south-facing walls or other protected spots can try planting ‘Early Girl’ tomatoes toward the end of the month for fruit by Memorial Day. It won’t work every year, but sometimes this early variety pays off. The rest of us can’t plant until late spring, but there are other vegetables that will grow and produce now. It’s a good time to start carrots, beets, lettuce, mesclun mixes, spinach and other crops that can grow quickly in the cool weather.
And don’t forget ...
Though there are things that need doing in the garden, do not walk or dig in soggy soil. Let it drain and partially dry out or it will become compacted and hinder the growth and health of plants. Even after the soil dries a bit, and it becomes possible to plant or prune, distribute your weight by walking or kneeling on wide boards.
