SIRS BRANCH #1 GARDENING GROUP

DECEMBER/JANUARY IN YOUR GARDEN Revised 12/4//07

In the following 10 pages, you may only be interested in a few of the subjects. I suggest you use a highlighter to highlight things you need and want to do. Underline or write down plants you want to buy in the next few months, or have heard about that interest you. December and January can be busy months for some, with many things to do. Also, you might want to make notes in your Table of Contents calling attention to the above.

Remember, if your own successful experiences with plants differ from those which I share in the following pages from my literature research, my experience and yours don’t be concerned. There are numerous factors that determine the condition of individual plants, and in most cases they can account for differences in our experiences. In addition, I have recently found several recommendations that I had previously accepted and included were not accurate, and those I have corrected, and I will continue to correct as I find them.

Suggested gardening resolutions for 2007

1. I usually recommend that any perennial plant in your yard that has done poorly for more than a year should probably be replaced. An example could be your roses. Those in my front yard are for my enjoyment, as well as my neighbors, and I have had many complements from my neighbors about them. In front I had at least 1 bush that had been doing poorly for the previous 2 years. I usually replace them with a new AARS (All American Rose Selections) winner, or J & P (Jackson Perkins) Rose of the year. Keep in mind that the last few years have been as usual very abnormal years, and it might be well to not include any bad experiences you had this year. Also, the reverse is true; remember that some things that did better than usual this year may not be duplicated next year.

2. I am sorry if you tire of me emphasizing automatic irrigation, but I feel that it is very important, as I will describe in 19 below. If you don’t have an automatic irrigation system in your yard, you should consider one this year, and if you do have one, plan to update it. There are at least 2 reasons for doing so. Sometime in the next few years we are likely to have another drought period with water rationing. Thus far this year, we are way behind on our snow pack, which is our main source of water. Number 2, at the rate that new housing construction is occurring throughout California, there will be an increased need for more water by itself. For the most part, every attempt to build dams and reservoirs always ends up being a controversy. However the future looks more promising. Even if some are finally approved, and work scheduled to begin, when will they be completed? An automatic system can save you 50-75% of the water that you now use, and should allow you to adequately irrigate during water rationing, with little or no setback of your plants (HWL discuss experience). A third reason is that as we age we tend to forget things more often and failure to maintain soil moisture around your plants frequently mean their loss. If you don’t do anything else, put this near the top of your list of Things to do in 2007. Also, check with me on which models are easiest to manage. Over at Fran’s, Jim Chiapelone has re-landscaped her front yard and has included a new elaborate irrigation system.

3. What should I plant in December and plan to plant in January? Remember, this is normally the start of the

dormancy period for most perennial plants, and is the time to transplant (move) or repot. This is particularly

true of plants that have outgrown their containers. However with most plants like cymbidium orchids,

azaleas, camellias, rhododendrons, and others it is best to wait until the immediate end of blooming, for

each plant but before new buds are formed.

A. (December), Annuals-a: (plant calendulas, cinerarias, lobelia, pansies, primroses, snapdragons, stock and

sweet peas. Perennials-p: coral bells, cyclamen (some recommend protecting them from rain). Plant delphinium,

Iceland poppies, primroses (several different species-) and violas. It may be too late to sow wild flower seed,

because the rain tends to seal off the soil surface, leaving the seed exposed. However, if you scratch and loosen

the soil surface with a rake, you could then seed them. (January) For midwinter bloom, because of cool weather,

some suggest that you buy 4-inch pots; as smaller sizes will usually sit until spring. However, this depends upon

the specific plant. As an example, Iceland poppies that we have planted in late-November grew quite well

considering the temperatures we had. Also, you may choose to repot plants into bigger decorative pots or set

them out in flowerbeds. In January, if you plant them in the ground use the following guidelines- (sun) (annuals)

calendula, dianthus (a & p), Iceland poppy, larkspur, ornamental cabbage, pansy, schizanthus, snapdragons,

stock (perennials) English daisy, mimulus and viola, (shade) annuals: candytuft (a & p), cineraria, perennials: cyclamen, primroses: English-Primula vulgaris-also P. polyantha, fairy primrose P. malacoides, P. obconica and

Kalanchoe spp.,

B. Bulbs, corms, rhizomes and tubers to plant: 1). Daffodils (Narcissus), tulips, hyacinth, Anemone, Crocus, Dutch iris, Freesia and Ranunculus-we are well into the planting season for these, and there may not be many good bulbs left. 2). As for the next group to watch for in the nurseries are tuberous begonias, callas, Cannas, Dahlias, Gladiolus, Nerine (related to Amaryllis) and Tigridia (tiger lily), which should start showing up in January. 3). Glads-they can be planted almost anytime, even though planting usually starts in the spring. One year we had glads in bloom in December that were planted in August. Those underlined do best after 4-6 weeks in your refrigerator. Bulk bulbs, like daffodils, and tulips may be sold out.

4. The bare-rooted plant season is upon us. With deciduous perennials, many of the bare-root planting materials are preferred because are less expensive and become available within a month or two of when they are dug in their growing grounds. With trees and roses the best bare-root plants will be displayed in wet sawdust or similar media in bins or large containers, and have a reasonably large root system, but these won’t be available until January. More commonly bare root roses will come packed in a moist potting mix, sawdust or other media, in containers similar to paper milk cartons, or variations of this, and with less of their root system intact. This type is expected to arrive in the nurseries around the middle of December. The only nurseries in San Mateo county with the more extensive root system, and which I am aware of are Wegman’s-Redwood City, Reynold’s in Menlo Park, and Carlmont in Belmont. Also, some nurseries may do a poor job of keeping the roots moist in the cardboard boxes, and the plants can become dry and begin deteriorating. Nurseries with limited space can only carry bare-root roses in cardboard boxes. These require having their roots trimmed to fit into the box. However, if properly cared for in the nursery, they will usually produce very acceptable rose bushes. Also below p3 5B are other sources, particularly mail order roses. I consider these sources for roses that you would like to plant, but are not available at the above nurseries, and other local nurseries. In the mail order catalogues, I never see them listed as #1’s, and that is a good reason to use your local nurseries when available there.

A. Roses: December and January are important months for the rose gardener-selecting new plants, ordering, purchasing, and planting. The most common type of rose is the shrub type. The most popular rose form is the hybrid Tea. Plants are ever-blooming and flowers are large and well shaped, with one large rose per long stem. They are usually preferred for cutting arrangements. Floribundas-have numerous smaller roses produced in a cluster at branch ends. Plants are usually smaller in size than teas, and are good for mass plantings, hedges or in containers. Grandifloras-flowers are either single or in clusters on long stems. Usually vigorous growers and large; making them good for use as screens, background plants, or as physical barriers. However, many of the newer varieties produce large numbers of flowers and are good for cutting. Climbers-classic roses are often available in named varieties found in other rose groups. Canes grow long enough to train on a fence, trellis, arbor or other such support. Tree roses, which are also called standards are usually ‘teas’ grafted onto a tall cane (tree). They are usually planted along walks leading to the front door of the house. 1.) Remember, 2).When making your selections, decide which are your important considerations

a.are they for appearance or for cutting, b. disease resistance, c. color, d. fragrance, etc. If your roses are for cutting, and fragrance is important, a single highly fragrant rose, in a bouquet can fill the room with its fragrance. Also a few in your plantings can produce a similar effect. 3.) In this issue, I am still doing a literature research on many sources for information on the AARS annual rose selections primarily from 1998 to 2008.

B. The 2008 All-America Rose Selections (AARS) were as follows: 1) Dream come True (grandiflora), a yellow blend?, a very disease resistant rose, with a sweet fragrance,an exhibition rose. 2). Mardi Gras (floribunda), blend of yellow, orange and pink, a strong repeat bloomer, disease resistant, and fragrant. 3). Wild Blue Yonder (grandiflora), mauve, disease resistant, very fragrant, an exhibition rose. The 2007 All-America Rose Selections (AARS) were as follows: 1) Strike it Rich (grandiflora) a golden blend, brushed with coppery pink, a disease resistant exhibition rose, and very fragrant. 2). Moondance (floribunda) a creamy white disease resistan tall bush. 3) Rainbow Knock Out (landscape shrub), disease resistant and possibly one of the best landscape shrub roses. The 2006 were as follows: 1) Julia Child (floribunda) a medium size bush, deep yellow, a disease resistant exhibition rose 2) Rainbow Sorbet (floribunda), a yellow blend, a disease resistant exhibition rose 3) Tahitian Sunset (hybrid tea), a very fragrant apricot blend, a disease resistant exhibition rose, and 4) Wild Blue Yonder (grandiflora), a very fragrant mauve, disease resistant, exhibition rose. The 2005 were 1) About Face (grandiflora) bronzy red –golden orange, light apple fragrance, 2) Day Dream a landscape shrub, fuchsia pink, highly disease resistant, light sweet scent, highly disease resistant, 3) Lady Elsie May, landscape shrub, clusters of coral pink, semi-double flowers, disease resistance,, 4) Elle, (hybrid tea), shell pink with gold-orange, intense spicy citrus fragrance, disease resistant, exhibition rose, The 2004 were 1) Day Breaker (floribunda), which blooms nonstop throughout the season a disease resistant, exhibition rose. 2) Honey Perfume, Here’s one great prize-winning rose-the winner of a Gold Medal in Barcelona, Silver in Genoa, AARS honors and Jackson Perkins 2004 Floribunda of the Year! Plush apricot-yellow flowers with an intriguing spicy scent soften tone to near white, set on an upright, well-branched bush with rapid re-blooming and excellent disease-resistance. It’s a real garden treasure’. 3) Memorial Day (hybrid tea), a bright, easy-to-grow rose, extremely productive and bursting with vitality even on hot, sunny days. Just one of its large flowers releases enough fragrance to fill an entire room’. The 2003 were 1) Whisper (hybrid tea), Imagine the freshness of spring and you’ll appreciate why judges at the 2003 AARS trials succumbed to ‘whisper’s perfect ivory blooms, unfurling from classic greenish white buds and graced with hint of musk. Prolific flowering on a vigorous bush. 2) Eureka (floribunda). An excellent choice for spreading color though the landscape or among perennial plantings. Sets loads of blossoms that hold their hue to the end in large clusters of apricot warmed by copper. A rose with exceptional vigor and disease resistance. The 2002 were 1) Love & Peace, Hybrid tea, yellow blushed pink, A disease resistant, exhibition rose. 2) Starry Night, a groundcover-bush. 3) Cherry Parfait –Grandiflora. It flowers freely, presenting sprays of white blossoms edged in red. The delicious color holds up in the heat. Excellent disease resistance. Vigorous in all climates. The 2001 All-America Rose Selections (AARS) were 1) Marmalade Skies. A compact tidy and amazingly prolific. Tangerine-orange clusters add tropical color spring to fall, disease resistant. The 2000 All-America Rose Selections (AARS) were, 1) Veteran’s Honor, a hybrid tea, deep bright red on long straight stems, 2) Gemini, hybrid tea, coral pink and cream blend, a disease resistant exhibition rose, 3) Crimson bouquet, a grandiflora, bright garnet red, medium long stems, tolerates heat. 4) Glowing Peace (grandiflora) a blend of golden yellow tones. 5) Knockout, Fluorescent cherry-red flowers with sweet tea rose fragrance are set off by mossy-green foliage. Big, bright orange and disease resistant. The 1999 All-America Rose Selections (AARS) were: 1) Betty Boop, a Floribunda, a yellow edged red single, disease resistance. 2) Candelabra, a Grandiflora, orange and apricot, disease resistant and tolerates heat. This is recommended by some as the best of the three, 3) Kaleidoscope, a Floribunda, tan-mauve blend, 4) Fourth of July, a white and red striped climber (VG), tolerates heat. The 1998 All-America Rose Selections (AARS) were 1) Fame, a pink, disease resistant Grandiflora, some of the most perfect blossoms Rayford Redell has seen. Also, possibly the longest lasting cut blooms, 2-3 times as long as most, tolerates heat. 2) Sunset Celebration (Sunsets 100^th anniversary), a hybrid tea, a soft peach to apricot in color, a well behaved bush and disease resistant (rust?)Tolerates heat. Also, on page 10 I have started a tabular alphabetical listing of AARS that you may find an easier way of initially selecting some of the varieties you may be interested in purchasing. From these choices you may review the above listing for possibly more information on each variety.

C. Regan’s retail nursery in Fremont CA, each year they put out an updated catalogue covering over 500 varieties of roses which they have available for ordering, with excellent descriptions of each, giving very good specific information on each variety. I believe they have available most of the AARS selections, dating back several years. I have a few copies of their catalogue. Also, they order their roses from the following growers: Arena, Baker, Certified, Del, Edmunds, Enderlein, Hand Roses, Hortico, Jackson Perkins, Meilland Star, Pickering, and Weeks. They also sell roses by mail, call 510-797-3222 ,

D.All-America Rose Selections (AARS) which are available at Edmunds Roses (2005-catalogue), toll free-1.888.481.7673. All four 2005, AARS roses are available-About Face, Day Dream, Lady Elsie May, and Elle. Others available but without year awarded were Opening Night ,Color Magic, St. Patrick, Whisper, Olympiad, Rio Samba,Gemini, Sunset Celebration, Secret. Sheer Bliss, Double Delight, Miss All-American Beauty, Love & Peace, Touch oof Class, Memorial Day, Electron, Honey Perfume, Hot Cocoa, Day Break, Betty Boop. Singin in the Rain, Intrigue, Scentimental, Amber Queen, Cherry Parfait, Queen Elizabeth, Crimson Bouquet, Tournament of Roses

E Back in 1990, I abstracted from various publications some varieties you might prefer - Sunset’s “Defiant Dozen”, Feb. 1990, lists in order of disease resistance-Rust: Olympiad(red), Gold Medal(yellow), Honor (white), Pristine (white), Iceberg(white), Voodoo (multicolored), Precious Platinum, French Lace(white), Sunsprite (yellow )and Sunflare(yellow), Black Spot: Olympiad(red), Brandy (orange), Iceberg(white), Pristine(white), Gold Medal(yellow), Fragrant Cloud (orange tones) and Queen Elizabeth(pink). Note Olympiad, Iceberg, Gold Medal and Pristine are on both lists and may be some you should consider.

F. If disease isn’t an overriding concern here are some of the Peninsula Rose Society’s 1996 favorites 1. Mister Lincoln (fragrant velvety dark red) foliage rated disease-resistant and tied for No.2. Intrigue (plum) and White Lightning (pure white). Other favorites were Bewitched, (pink), Color Magic (pink blend), Fragrant Cloud (orange red), Honor (white), Just Joey (orange blend), Keepsake (pink), Mon Cheri (red blend), New Day (yellow), Paul Shirville (light pink), and Silverado (mauve). Some of these may have disease resistance.

Some Favorites Reported Several Years Ago

G. Here are Rayford Redell’s 1997 comments & recommendations (SF Chronicle, 11/19/97) : His 1^st choice of the 1998 All-America Rose Selections (AARS) was Fame, a pink, disease resistant Grandiflora. Some of the most perfect blossoms that he has seen. Also, possibly the longest lasting cut blooms, 2-3 times as long as most. Our experience confirms this. His 2^nd AARS-1998 choice Is Sunset Celebration (Sunsets 100^th anniversary), a hybrid tea. It is soft peach to apricot in color, a well behaved bush and disease resistant.

H. Favorites from Family Circle, 6/24/97 are Blanc Double de Coubert (1892), Bonica (1982), Carefree Delight and Fantin-Latour (1900). Other earlier AARS disease resistant selections are Cathedral, 1976-orange, a Floribunda and Singin’ in the Rain, 1995, apricot & gold, disease resistant.. Other local rose favorites recommended are Angel Face (1969), Bewitched (1967), Brandy (1982), Color Magic (1978), French Lace (1982), Honor (1980), Peace (1946) and Singin’ in the Rain (1995). I. Filoli (Fitler) favorites: 1. Double delight, 2.Mister Lincoln, 3. Just Joey, 4. Pristine, and Friendship. J. Some of Kathy Guthrie’s favorites are: Veterans’ Honor, Pink Lemonade, Perfect Moment, Louise Estes, Brigadoon, Double Delight, Pascali, JFK (white), Disco Dancer, Sexy Rexy, Sperry, Semini, Knockout, Streisand (most fragrant), and the Fairy. Incidentally, Ed Tuft said that Kathie told them, that orange shades of roses were “in now”, the color of choice.

Look at your rose catalogues to get a better idea as to what they look like.

K. Choices to make: Choose what you like from experience, but always consider new varieties when you replace old or poorly performing varieties. Never keep a rose that has done poorly, or you don’t like; you may want to replace it this winter, and have several years to enjoy it..

L. Plant site and site preparation-do it now before you buy your plants (you will also know how many plants to buy). Most roses require a minimum of 6 hours of direct sun per day. Regan’s have a list of varieties that do reasonably well in areas where 6 hours of sunlight isn’t available. Amend your soil with compost and other organic matter, etc. They need good drainage and on a good watering and fertilizing schedule, or better yet, use a slow release fertilizer like Osmocote or Apex in March. Incidentally, the number of months of effective fertilizer release is stated on the packages, and they vary from one formulation to another. I would suspect that most are labeled to reflect the shortest period of effective release of nutrients. In the hotter areas, where the plants are growing faster and are watered more often, they would be expected to use up the nutrients earlier..

M. Recommended source of roses: Kathy Guthrie recommends Wegman’s, Redwood City, for the best quality and price, and Carlmont, Belmont ran it a close second. I suspect Reynolds in Menlo Partk is somewhat comparable. All 3 have their bare-root roses in wet saw dust in large containers. The important point is these have more extensive roots. Usually, one of their workers will help you select your varieties, and select the best available., They usually will prune both the roots and the tops so they are ready for planting. I believe Wegman’s has the largest selection of varieties, but they don’t stock all varieties. These you will probably have to get in containers at other nurseries or order from a catalogue, such as Regan’s, 4268 Decoto Rd, Fremont, CA 94555, 1-800-249-4680. Jackson Perkins, Medford, Oregon 1-800/545-344,: Weeks, Upland, CA 1-800-992-4409 or Edmunds-5C above.. These can be good roses, but based how they are packed, expect a trimmed back root system. If you are unable to find what you want in your nurseries, E-mail or call me for the telephone numbers of the mail order houses.

N.Pruning: January-February is usually the best months for pruning roses, and best completed by Valentine’s Day. When pruning roses, don’t be afraid that you will do it the wrong way. Rosarians don’t all prune exactly the same way. Unless your pruning is drastic, roses will usually respond satisfactorily to whatever you do. 1) What you need is a good pair of sharp by-pass pruners (scissors action type), sharp loppers, a small saw, a sealant, and a pair of rose gloves, or heavy leather gloves. You can use as a sealant Elmer’s Wood Glue, and needed only on cuts of canes larger than a lead pencil. The addition of an insecticide may be valuable. To a small quantity of wood glue, add the insecticide, stir and spread on the cut with something like a popsicle stick. 2) How much of last year’s growth should I leave? The choice is yours. If space between bushes is critical, prune somewhat severely to control growth. 3) When should I prune? Usually January/February is best in our area, when the bush is somewhat dormant and leafless. Otherwise strip off the leaves. Note the number of stems and their varying thickness. 4) If you want long stemmed roses, you must select such varieties, pruning won’t do this. 5) Final shape: A properly pruned rose bush resembles a wine glass with an open center. 6) First, cut out canes growing into the center, as well as weak, and any rubbing another. Remove all of the leaves. 7) Leave how many canes? Usually 2-5 large canes should be left, forming the wine glass. A weak bush, 2-3 canes, a vigorous bush, 4-5 canes. Canes should be at least the diameter of a pencil, and preferably much larger. A weak bush may need to be replaced. 8) Cut where? About ¼ inch above a bud eye pointing in the direction you want growth to occur, on a 45° angle, and at the height desired, usually a 12-36 inches high, dependent upon space available, as per 2) above. You should have on hand, some sketches of the above. If you don’t have a Sunset, Ortho, or other book specific on pruning, look in your Sunset Western Garden Book. However, climbers, ground cover, and miniature roses are pruned differently. Miniature roses and ground cover roses are basically cut back to the smaller size and shape your prefer, and not using the above directions for rose bushes.

O. Spray: Following pruning, a dormant oil insecticide/fungicide spraying is usually a good practice. P. Resistant AARS roses: During our 1998 visit to Redell’s Garden Valley Nursery in Petaluma, Dan Deevy (and others) have stated that all or most AARS recent rose entries grown, evaluated, and selected appear to be quite disease resistant. However, disease resistance means they are resistant to one or more of the 3 most common diseases-rust, black spot, and powdery mildew, but they may seldom completely free of the diseases. However, the more vigorous you maintain the plants with water and fertilizer, usually the more resistant they become. Most diseases develop when the older foliage becomes senescent (old), when the leaves are yellowing and no longer functioning. Usually rust and black spot are our most serious diseases on most varieties. Most of the new varieties are reasonably resistant to all 3 foliage diseases. Also, the Regan catalogues listed in p3 5B3 above are ranked for each variety. Most new AARS selections as well as other new varieties (cultivars) are patented for 17 years, and as such you usually pay a little extra for them.

5. SPECIAL NOTE on bare-root plants of all types: Never let the roots dry out or the plants will die. If you can’t put plants in the ground right away, “heel them in”-which means to temporarily plant them in a trough with plants close together, and on an angle in soil or wood shavings, sawdust, or whatever you have to keep the roots moist. Preferably, within a week remove and plant them after you have the planting sites prepared and the soil is not too wet. It is best to have the sites ready before you buy, as suggested above. Another alternative is to plant them in 5 gallon containers, but be sure you water them about every 2^nd or 3^rd day. Because such containers allow the water to drain out, you won’t over water them. The groundcover types that outgrow the area you planned for them should be pruned back severely, and restrict them to the area you in which you wanted them to grow.

6. Camellias, Azaleas & Rhododendrons: There are several species and many varieties, and the best time to select them is when they are in bloom, so you can see the color, size and shapes of the blooms...(note-botanical names are usually binomials [2 parts] and are in italics, Genus [first word in the binomial] is capitalized], species [second word] is not capitalized, a variety [var.] may be capitalized, example-Camellia japonica var. Pink Perfection [another designation for variety is cultivar]: Like roses, there has been extensive breeding programs with azaleas, camellias, and rhododendrons. All can be planted any time because they are not available as bare-root. However, they do have preferred times for planting. They are usually semi-dormant when in bloom, and this is normally the better time to plant. Also if you want to move a bush in another location, now is the time, However, there is one complication, which is the time of blooming. It varies from early to late bloomers. This period usually starts about early November and continues into spring. Azaleas, which are a type of rhododendron, are similar, suggesting that they can be planted anytime, and usually best transplanted when they are in bloom. However, florist varieties, which you find in the flower shop section of stores are available all year long and they may not have distinct blooming periods, and now may be a good time to plant them outside...However, moving house plants from a warm room out in to the cold is best done in stages, such as a somewhat warmer garage near a window where they can get indirect sunlight. Rhododendrons: In our area it may be best to plant them in September or October if they are going to be exposed to summer heat; this allows them to get established before the summer heat, otherwise plant almost any time during the winter or spring. Sometimes Orchard Supply and Home Depot have good inexpensive 2 & 5 gallon outdoor plants available from about December-March. Actually all three of these plants are usually well supplied during this time period, suggesting a preferred time to plant in our area.

7. Camellias, Azaleas & Rhododendrons all need similar soil preparations as for roses. Many varieties of azaleas and rhododendrons, particularly the older varieties are more susceptible to the water molds brought on by “wet feet”. However, varieties differ and some are more susceptible than others. If you are on a slope, and have clay soil, be certain when you dig the hole for the plant, that you create a ‘down hill’ 6 inch channel, as deep and draining downward, which is later filled with the same soil. This allows downhill drainage. If on flat ground, with soil that drains poorly, plant on a mound 3-4 inches high. Azaleas and rhododendrons generally prefer to be planted under trees, but some can be planted in the sun, commonly the Southern varieties. Also they vary as to their susceptibility to pests and diseases, so you might want to keep a record of your experience with each variety to guide you in future purchases. Camellias-there are at least 9 species of camellias, the most common being Camellia japonica which has the most varieties (cultivars) from which to choose. The favorites of C. japonica are Alba Plena, Elegans (Chandleri Elegans), Daikaagura, Debutante, Magnoliaeflora, Nuccio’s Carousel, Nuccio’s Gem and Wildfire. However, every year new varieties are being introduced, and you may want to check out these. By planting several species of camellias you can extend the bloom period. As a trivia point of interest- tea is made from the leaves of a Camellia species, Camellia sinensis. Pruning-see 20 below.

8. Dormant bushes, vegetables, shrubs, berries, fruit and shade trees, vines & plants:

A. Many of these are available as bare-root plants some years as early as November (underlined below) and are the best to plant. Most should be available in your nurseries through January, buy them early, before the best plants have already been sold. Avoid plants that appear almost dead.

B. Choose from, grapes, fruit trees, cane berries (red raspberries, Olallie blackberries, Boysenberries, Loganberries) and strawberries, as well as artichoke, asparagus, horseradish, onion sets and rhubarb. Select the varieties you want,

C. Again, prepare the planting sites ahead of time, and for the larger plants, make the holes as large as practical, preferably about 12-18” in diameter and 12-18” deep, incorporate a fertilizer with a fertilizer mix low nitrogen (N) (NPK) and compost if available or other organic amendments. Be sure the hole has good drainage such as described for roses above. Note care of bare-root plants as listed above for roses.

9. Persimmons: There are 5 varieties, ‘chocolate’, ‘Fuyu’, ‘Hachiya’, ‘Tamopan’ and ‘American’. Chocolate and Fuyu can be eaten while still firm, they are not astringent, they don’t pucker your lips when eaten firm. The other 3 need to be mushy before eating, as they are astringent. Their foliage displays fall colors.

10. Peony cultivars adaptable to our area: Marde Ross & Company in Palo Alto (328-5109) claim that the Japanese single and early double peonies are most suited to the mild climates of California. Call the above number, and they will probably send you a catalogue. However, their catalogue includes many things other than peonies. It probably best to see if one of your nurseries carries the above or can order them for you.

SOIL PREPARATION & FERTILIZATION

9. Soil preparation is one of the most important jobs you can do before planting. The soil is usually compacted from rain, irrigation and gardener’s feet. Plant roots need plenty of air (oxygen), moisture, drainage and nutrients. Any bare soil should be spaded to at least 6 inches deep, but before doing this cover the soil with fertilizer. If you have made a practice of applying a balanced fertilizer like 16-16-16 (NPK-nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium), it might be best to use just ammonium sulfate. Also add 2-3 inches of compost or other organic amendment. One secret of great gardens is to amend the soil at least every year to increase its capacity to hold air, water and nutrients around the roots. Most soil organic matter can degrade rather rapidly, depending upon type and size of its particles, but the degradation products such as humates are very beneficial in improving the soil texture. *Also, remember P & K are relatively immobile and move through the soil only a few inches in the soil water and are best distributed when incorporated during spading or rototilling and thus distributed where most of the roots can absorb them.

10. What to fertilize. Lawns, camellias, azaleas, rhododendrons, citrus, cymbidiums and winter annuals should be fertilized about once a month. Orchids such as Cymbidiums should be fertilized with a high PK fertilizer while coming into and during bloom. This is true of most plants coming into bloom at this time of year. However, some P & K will move a little with the rain and irrigation water and application at the beginning of the rainy season is advisable for all, and especially around plants where it can’t be spaded in. Also, you don’t want to encourage new growth at the expense of bloom development. If necessary, you can use 16-16-16 or similar, if 0-10-10 isn’t available. P & K are substantially less expensive per unit with 16-16-16. The principal reason 0-10-10 is recommended now rather than 16-16-16 or something comparable is that the application of N may produce new growth at a time when the plants should be hardening off to minimize any potential frost damage. Also, N would be expected to leach down below most of the roots, as well as the fact that many plants don’t utilize N very effectively during the cold winter months. However, plants actively growing, particularly those recommended for planting during the winter, do need N and usually can utilize it. Fertilize cool season flowers and vegetables planted last month.

PEST CONTROL

9. Clean up-It is always a good practice to cleanup and dispose of leaves, blossoms and fruit on the ground because they can harbor insects and disease organisms. Don’t compost them, but use your garbage company’s recycling container. Their composting methods generally develop high enough temperatures to kill most organisms.

10. Peaches & nectarines- Peach leaf curl and peach blight, spray with lime sulfur mixed with dormant oil. Previously I recommended spraying with fixed coppers or lime-sulfur, but the University of California and Sunset no longer recommend fixed coppers. However, if you can’t find lime-sulfur use the fixed copper with sticker. Spray again in January or early February. The most critical spray and a must is the ‘pink bud‘stage when the buds are showing pink, but not open flowers. Also spray apricots for disease control.

11. Roses-after pruning back your rose bushes, as in p4, N above, it is a good time to apply Bayer’s 2 in 1 Rose & Flower Care as it will do 2 things for you. It will serve as a starter fertilizer for your roses, and also be present to control the first brood of aphids. Remember, the first aphids are winged and fly in and bear their first brood, after that they lay eggs. This first brood has to feed on the plant juices to ingest a lethal dose of the systemic insecticide.

12. Insects (over-wintering egg stages of mites, aphids, scale and some worms and fungus spores): Dormant oil (horticultural oil) is effective on these on roses, deciduous trees (flowering and fruit) and others. The addition of an insecticide with insects, will usually improve the control. However wait until after pruning and when most of the leaves have dropped before spraying, but spray before the plants start putting out new leaves. For coverage, spray the branches, branch crotches, trunk and ground. When spraying it is usually a good idea to spray the soil under the plant out to the drip line.

13. Sucking insects, their control and systemic insecticides: The term sucking insects identifies the insect’s method of feeding on plants. Basically they suck juices from the plant, and do not eat the foliage as most of the more common insects do. As such, systemic insecticides can be very useful in controlling them. Using a foliar spray of these when the first flush of leaves are out, will allow a fair portion of the insecticide to be absorbed through the leaves, and move into the plant juices (sap). Once in the plant juices, it is further distributed throughout the plant, and within the plant loss and degradation of the insecticide slows. Also, soil applications or drenches, injections into the trunk, and trunk or limb applications of pastes can be useful methods, and also end up in the plant juices. As such the insecticide will distribute itself through the plant in places where ‘spray misses’ occurred, resulting in better ‘overall’ control. Soil drenches are probably the least efficient use of such an insecticide, because the insecticides tend to sorb onto the soil organic matter and reduce their depth of distribution. However, when incorporated in a granular fertilizer (several products for roses) and scratched into the soil surface, the fertilizer portion stimulates production of feeder roots near the surface where the systemic insecticide can be readily taken up. There are at least 2 such incorporated into granular fertilizer, 2 by Bayer and 1 by Ortho. The Bayer systemic insecticides are usually the best. Sucking insects: The common names for most of these insects are aphids, scales, mealybugs, spittlebugs, psyllids, and spider mites. Most of these are also capable of transmitting viruses after feeding on an infected plant.

14. Scale on cymbidium orchids and other orchids: Now is a good time to check your plants before they come into bloom. Before the systemic insecticides became available, I found it easiest to remove the scale by using an old toothbrush. I brushed each leaf on top and on the undersides. This also cleans the leaves and makes the foliage more attractive, particularly if you bring the plants inside when they are in bloom. Bayer’s 2 in 1 Rose & Flower Care is very effective. The formulation contains disyston on a fertilizer. Chewed leaves suggest weevils, Cattleya flies, sowbugs, springtails, snails or slugs, and require other insecticides. Some of the snail species on orchids are extremely small and might otherwise go unnoticed. Mottled or disfigured foliage usually indicates the presence of sucking insects, such as: scale, thrips, mealybugs or spider mites.

15. Snails & slugs: Reduce their numbers by eliminating hiding places; clean out leaf litter and garden debris. Hand-pick, or trap by allowing them to collect on the underside of a slightly raised board, i.e. 1”x12”x12”, or use a commercial bait, or stale beer in a shallow pan.

16. Weeds: Wherever you use mulch, clear out weeds and apply a new layer of mulch. Also, you may want to add a product like Preen, which is a pre-emergent weed seed herbicide. Apply Preen Garden Weed Preventer anytime during the growing season around established plants and transplants. This product may also be incorporated into established plants and transplants. The product may also be incorporated into the soil after mulching beds. Since it does not kill existing weeds, you must first remove any that have already begun to grow. By applying Preen Garden Weed Preventer as early as possible, you can eliminate or reduce hand weeding. Rain does not wash this product out of the soil. To keep ornamental beds weed-free all season long, reapply Preen every 9-12 weeks. Lawns (weeds-crabgrass, spotted spurge and annual bluegrass, all are annuals which sprout from seed): You have from now until March 1, to apply a pre-emergent herbicide (seedicide) for these weed species

17. Pruning. December is not generally the time to prune most trees and other plants, especially deciduous. The exception being a few leafy evergreen bushes that have just finished blooming. January-March is generally the best time for deciduous plants, after they have dropped most of their leaves, one exception being deciduous flowering trees and vines, in which case prune after blooming. However, now is the time to prune back chrysanthemums to about 6 inches. Prune for Holiday greens: Long-lasting choices include evergreen magnolia, juniper, pine, redwood and others.

18. Dividing and/or digging up bulbs, tubers, etc. Agapanthus, tuberous begonias, dahlias, daylilies, glads, primroses and Shasta daisies. The underlined are usually best dug, cleaned, divided and stored in paper bags, best in dry sand or sawdust, and stored in a cool, dry (not subject to freezing) location. Begonias are highly susceptible to water molds and leaving them in the ground favors their loss by water molds and other diseases that may be present.

19. Automatic irrigation systems: This year I have had an abnormal number of complaints about friend’s roses that have died. With one, the gardener said the soil was probably to acid. Others have said that everything I plant there dies or never grows like it should. Almost without exception, it has been very inadequate amounts of water being delivered to the plant. Frequently, it is a rose or other perennial on the edge of their lawn where the lawn sprinkler only wets the upper few inches of soil. In other cases it’s where they have been relying on an outlet with inadequate water delivery. This year I experienced a break in one of my electrical leads from the timer to the solenoid valve, that took more time to correct that I could spare. I manually watered about every other day, and several of the plants received much more water, than the emitters were delivering. The hibiscus near the front door, went from poor growth to excellent, meaning that I need to change my emitter systems in some cases, in others, I need to increase the irrigation time, which I plan to do next spring.

20. Irrigation: A. If you have an automatic system and it is raining at least once a week, you should be able to put it on the rain cycle (off). If it stops raining for more than a week, you may need to turn it back on. However those with and automatic irrigation system, I suggest program your timer to irrigate only once a week; because if you’re like me, you’ll likely to forget that it’s on ‘Rain’ (meaning temporarily off). Even when it rains, once a week irrigation should not result in excessive water. To be more certain of soil moisture levels and frequency needed, use your moisture meter mentioned in B. 3 lines below. However, remember those plants that may be protected from rain, under eaves, on a porch, etc, still need watering, but you can reduce the frequency. Outdoor potted plants: With these usually just reduce the frequency of irrigation. B. Moisture meter: I would highly recommend that you buy one. They are about $8 at Orchard Supply. My experience with using the commonly recommended ‘feeling the soil surface’ method, can be very misleading, ending up with a soil too dry or too wet. Also, it won’t indicate the moisture at the 6 inch depth. I’ve observed that with different potting soils, you can get somewhat different readings, which normally reflects differences in the water holding capacity of the mix. However, with the most common units, they have a detailed list attached when you purchase them of the water needs for various plants. With experience you will soon have confidence in the unit. It is especially useful for houseplants, including live indoor Christmas trees during the winter months. With annuals, when plants are suffering from the lack of water, if wilting is detected early, the plants will usually revive after watering. However, with woodier perennials, by the time you see visual evidence of wilting from inadequate watering, the plant is likely to be already past recovery. Something else to watch for is plant like bougainvillea that is somewhat drought tolerant. Some may even wilt when the soil is too wet, this may be due to a slight case of a water-mold root disease. Many drought tolerant plants tend to be susceptible to water molds, which are dependent upon wet soils for growth of the fungus, and potentially death of the plant.

21. Protect against frost (December & later): Killing frosts often hit this month but this has been an abnormally- abnormal year of weather records. I wouldn’t predict what is going to happen. However, watch for periods of dry, cold (temperature below 45 F by 10 PM), still air, and starry nights. Be prepared to protect tender plants with sheets, tarps, big cardboard boxes or plastic (held up with poles, preferably not draped over leaves). Plants must be adequately watered to survive a freeze; as drought-stressed plants are more susceptible to damage. Also, saturated soil will usually prevent the soil from freezing in depth and killing the roots. At temperatures slightly below freezing, ice on the foliage actually insulates the leaves. Plants moved close to the house, gain heat radiating from the walls during the night, especially those on the sunny sides of the house. Another alternative is to spray plants with Cloud Cover. On page 11, I have copied a good 2002 article on frost protection.

22. CHRISTMAS PLANTS & OTHERS

23. Potted blooming and actively growing house plants may require watering 2-3 times a week. The combination of flowering and low humidity in your house from the furnace heater may require such. With Anthuriums I found that I needed to water these about every other day. There are humidifier trays available for orchids, You can improvise a humidification set up by using large decorative bowls with gravel, or marbles on which your pots are placed, however you must avoid excessive accumulation of water in the bottom of the bowl, which will drown the plant roots. You can do the same thing using plastic saucers, as a modification of the double saucer system discussed under Irrigation below. See me for suggestions. Seriously consider using your moisture meter, and especially the double saucer method of watering these plants. Irrigation: There are two ways to water, 1.from the bottom, by using a saucer and letting the water sub-up, and 2.watering from the top. Watering from the top where practical is usually the better method, because it should minimize the accumulation of salts in the surface soil. However, some plants like African violets, and others can develop spots on the leaves if water gets on them. When watering from the top, it usually advisable to use a small plastic ‘watering can’, and use your fingers to open a spot between the foliage to keep the water and any fertilizer off the foliage. Also, recently I have observed that many potted plants in stores and nurseries have the potting mix flush with the top. In these cases bottom watering is usually necessary. Using either method, the ‘double saucer catch system’ is one of the better methods. The inner saucer should be about 1 inch larger than the base of the pot, and the outer saucer at least one size larger. The saucers usually come in 3,4,5,6 etc. inch diameters. When watering from the bottom, fill the inner saucer and let the water sub-up into the pot. When watering from the top, add the water incrementally, until the water draining into the inner saucer is about half full. The outer saucer, with both methods is a ‘safety’ to catch any overflow. Let stand about 15-30 minutes, and if the water has subbed back up into the pot, fill from the top again, or add to the inner saucer. With both methods, repeat this until there is no further subbing up into the pot. This repeat aspect is especially important when the pots are on the

    dry’ side, because much of the initial water applied to the top surface will usually flush right through the soil.

9. Poinsettias and other plants: There are at least 3 ways of displaying them. A. If you choose to display them in the foil they come in, place the pot with foil in a plastic saucer so they won’t scratch a table top. 1.) To water them, carefully slide the foil off and place them in a plastic saucer, and water from the top or bottom. Let the saucer fill up, and let it stand for 10-15 minutes, so water can sub up and completely water the plant. If all of the water subs up into the pot, add water to the saucer until at least ½ inch of water remains in the saucer. Dump the water out and the slide the watered plant back into the foil. 2). However a better system follows- Before displaying, punch holes in the bottom of the foil, and place in a plastic saucer. as in 1). above. Otherwise, B. remove the foil and place in a decorative pot with drainage. Then place the pot in a plastic saucer, and that within another plastic saucer 1 or 2 inches larger. The second plastic saucer is a ‘safety net’ to catch any excess water when watering the plant. Water that overflows can damage the furniture or a favorite doily, either staining or even causing it to deteriorate. Also, the plastic saucer can protect the table top from being scratched.

10. Care of gift plants after Christmas: After they finish blooming, trim spent blossoms from hardier plants like azaleas, cinerarias, cyclamen and cymbidiums and move them to a protected spot outdoors. Keep tender plants such as amaryllis and kalanchoe indoors in a well-lighted spot. Water regularly. If plants dry out quickly, repot in fresh soil in the next larger container. Fertilize amaryllis, azaleas, and cymbidiums after bloom finishes with a fertilizer that is moderate to high in nitrogen (N). Fertilize others lightly every three to four weeks.

11. Care for living Christmas trees in the house before and outside after Christmas: Be sure they are watered adequately, and it is a good idea to use a moisture meter and probe the soil in several locations. Have some type of protection so the water doesn’t get on the floor or carpeting. After Christmas move living Christmas trees outdoors. Put them in a partly shaded spot to begin with, and then move them into full sun after a week or two. Rinse off the foliage and thoroughly soak the soil.

12. Zygo cacti are usually referred to as Christmas cactus, but there is more than one species. Zygo cacti grow naturally in tropical jungle areas where they attach themselves to trees. As a container plant, they do well in the house or outside in a warm sheltered area. Their bright winter blooms make them a wonderful Holiday centerpiece. Indoor Care Information: Water-Water frequently enough to keep moist, but not soggy. Again use a moisture meter. Light-Bright, indirect light is best. When it warms up in the spring, they can be placed outside, in a partially shaded area, away from direct sun. Temperature-Does best in a range of 50F to 70F. Fertilizer-Feed a diluted houseplant fertilizer every two weeks during the growing season-March through May. To Set Bloom-Your Zygo cactus will bloom again next holiday season if you keep the plant where it will receive cool evening temperature and 14 hours of darkness per day in late fall. With proper watering and in the right location they can bloom several times a year. Most of mine have bloomed at least 3 times this year.

13. Houseplants: Generally, houseplants may require a more frequent watering schedule in winter because of drier air in the house from use of the furnace.

14. Humming bird feeders: Certain of these ‘hummers’ stay in Northern California throughout the wintertime. If you have been feeding them, remember flowers are scarce at this time of year, so it’s important to keep your feeder filled. Clean and refill it regularly. Remember for easy cleaning, fill a plastic basin with water, and add chlorox. Unscrew the feeder base, and place both parts in the basin. Get as much water as possible into the feeder. Let stand for at least a few hours, or even a day or two. The chlorox will kill and eliminate any mold fungi that has developed in and on the feeder. The black mold turns white and usually sloughs off of the feeder. To do this you may need an extra feeder so that while one is in use, the other can be cleaned.

15. Espaliered camellias: 'Yuletide sasanqua' camellia is the perfect choice for espaliering against a bare wall. The compact, upright grower is easy to train up a trellis, and the abundant red blooms come just in time for the holidays. With camellias, do most pruning right after bloom (next season’s flower buds develop in late spring), but you can prune off some outward growth during the growing season.

16. Christmas Gifts: It is not too early to consider and explore gardening gifts for family members, friends, and those that did something very special for you this year, and wouldn’t let you reciprocate with anything. The following are just a few ideas.

1. Magazines & books: 1). Sunset magazine-a subscription, I take it and each year when I renew it, I get a substantial discount as gift subscriptions for my children and grand children. 2). Sunset Western Garden book. Every gardener should have a copy with a revision not more than 10 years old. 3). Sunset has numerous paper back volumes for different plant groups, pruning, etc. 4). Ortho’s Gardeners Problem Solver. 5). And many others. These books used to be available in stores like OSH, but you may have to get them at a book store.

2. Garden supplies (tools, gloves, etc): The number to choose from is almost endless. 1). Gloves; be sure whoever works in the roses has the gloves that extend nearly to the elbow. Gloves are inexpensive as stocking stuffers. 2). Tools; Fiskars has an extensive array of pruners that are built for the ladies and appreciated by the men who use them. I have found that OSH stocks a more complete line of Fiskars tools than any of the others. 3). Storage and kneeling systems; There are numerable new ones that make gardening much easier.

Green gifts of the season can live to see another year

Victor Vool-Ask Dr. Hort

SF Chronicle 12/18/2005

Every year Dr. Hort's post-holiday mail contains anxious inquiries from the horticulturally harassed concerning live plants received as gifts or used to deck the halls that are exhibiting symptoms of impending expiration. Here are some hints to help your plants survive and thrive Until it's time to fire up the yule log

Amaryllis. These spectacularly beautiful bulbs can grace festive holiday gatherings for years to come with just a bit of effort on your {or someone's) part. Keep them in a bright spot while they're in bloom, watering just often enough to keep the soil barely moist to the touch. Once the flowers have faded, remove them and start fertilizing as the foliage appears; the nutrients stored during the spring and summer growing season will influence the quantity and quality of next year's flowers. Amaryllis should go dormant {die back completely) in the fall. If they don't, induce dormancy by with- holding water and stick the bulbs in a cool, dark spot {crawl spaces and garages are great). About one month before you want them to bloom, repot the amaryllis with fresh soil, water well, place in a well-lit location and crank up the carols.

Livinq Christmas trees. Rooted tannenbaums are pricey alternatives to those with X-shaped wooden stands on the end opposite the star, but the cost can be amortized over any number of years until it gets too big to drag inside. Cardinal Rule No. I: Since artificially heated interiors are the exact environmental opposite of the cool mountain slopes where most of these conifers evolved, don't keep live trees indoors for more than a week if you expect them to continue living. Water the root-ball thoroughly (and hose off the foliage) and let it drain before you bring the tree inside. Should your tree need a drink during the holidays, just toss a tray of ice cubes onto the soil. After the holidays, move the tree outside, rehydrate (foliage too), repot if necessary, fertilize (a time-release like Osmocote is great) and keep it out of direct sunlight for a month or so until the photosensitive phase has passed. Then move your tree to a sunny spot where it will grow until it's time to hang those stockings again. To avoid leaning tower of Pisa syndrome, remember to rotate the tree monthly if it only gets sun from one direction.

Ornamental fruits and vegetables. Interesting and attractive mistletoe alternatives, in some cases every bit as poisonous. Ask at the place of purchase if you're not sure. English holly plants loaded with bright red berries will induce trips to the emergency room instead of visions of sugarplums if grasping little hands can access them. Jerusalem cherries, covered with cherry tomato look-alikes, have been fatal to children who ate as few as three fruits. Some of those beautiful ornamental peppers that come in so many wonderful colors and fruit shapes can melt your fillings should you choose to sample one, as little Dr. Hort painfully discovered many years ago. Ornamental cabbages and kales are feathered in shades of white, pink and purple on a blue-green background and make great centerpieces. Try them grouped with paperwhite narcissus, white hyacinths or red tulips. Same watering drill here as with the amaryllis {just enough to keep the soil moist to the touch), but unlike the amaryllis {and the

English holly) don't bother with fertilizer. These plants are annuals and can just be dumped, along with the fruitcake remnants, after the holidays

Cyclamen Lush and elegant florist’s cyclamen hate it inside, unless your home is unusually cool and bright.

Most rooms are too dark and too hot, the fireplace- and furnace-heated air is too dry and attractive assemblages of cyclamen rapidly become much less so when decorated with eggnog drippings and dropped dipped Doritos. It's best to put them outside in morning sun and keep them well watered and fertilized until the day of the festivities, bring them in for a day or two, then put them back outside until the next crowd of carolers is due. Cyclamen are perennials in mild-winter climates, so plant them out in the garden with ferns, azaleas and other shade and moisture lovers after you've packed up the creche for another year.

Orchids. They're nondenominational decorations that don't look dated on Boxing Day and are becoming more affordable as increasingly efficient mass-propagation techniques are developed. Dr. Hort's friends in Mendocino styled a holiday soiree with massed white phalaenopsis and scarlet poinsettias to stunning effect. At another gathering, the dining room table and sideboard center- pieces were green and white lady's slippers blooming out of silver Revere bowls mulched with chartreuse reindeer moss. Pure white, lightly fragrant cymbidiums dropped into cachepots the color of Santa's suit were simply elegant appointments at another do. orchids come in thousands of flower forms and color combinations, with new hybrids introduced every year, but the green-thumb challenged should stick to temperate orchids like cymbidiums and epidendrums (rather than the tropicals of jungle origin like cattelyas), which can be grown out- side in frost-free climates and enjoyed indoors while in bloom. Different types of orchid require different types of fertilizer, so ask at the garden center to be sure that you get the right one. As for watering, use water at room temperature in the morning so the plants have a chance to dry out a bit before those long, cold nights before Christmas.

Topiaries. Vines (usually ivy or creeping fig), herbs (lavender, rosemary, lemon verbena) or woody shrubs (boxwood, myrtle, holly, scented geraniums) can be clipped, wired and tortured into architectural shapes. Big with those who follow Martha Stewart, Architectural Digest and House and Garden. Same protocol as for living trees, but avoid ice cubes in favor of room-temperature tap water. Restraint is called for when decking the halls with topiary-less is definitely more. Restrain yourself to little twinkle lights, tiny glass ornaments or bows of holiday fabric and remember that attempts to substitute plastic or silk facsimiles will fool no one and only invite snickers and snide remarks under the mistletoe.

Poinsettias. They do best in a bright sunny window, out of drafts, that approximates, if only slightly, their Mexican origin. Available in many colors and bi-colors other than red, white and pink (Dr. Hort has seen plum purple and even a disconcerting artificially induced turquoise, tarted up with gold glitter} in a variety of flower and plant sizes. It is most important that you don't forget to poke a hole in (or better yet, lose} the festive foil pot wrapping or you will have root rot long before Happy New Year. Keep the soil barely moist with water at room temperature, just like the orchids, and consider this a holiday annual' just like the ornamental peppers. Poinsettias are not easily brought back into bloom on' schedule and they are nothing you want to keep around for another year. Start the new year right and just toss them when they become tlresome.

Victor Vool is a certified Bay Area nurseryman. E-mail him at home@sfchIonicle.com.

The following is an incomplete table of AARS winners that I am working on.

Measures to foil frosts Roberta Floden SF Chronicle, January 16, 2002

Lingering frosts come seldom to the Bay Area. Because of this, most of us aren't pre- pared for them. Nor are our gardens. But already this season, we've suffered a number of chilly evenings and icy nights, and some of us have paid in the morning with lost vegetation.

If you know a cold spell is imminent -and sometimes weather predictions actually are accurate -there are some rapid measures you can take to insure minimum loss of plants. You might have to deal with partial damage beyond your prevention, but at least you may not have to witness your plants dying overnight.

When you consider that protecting roots is more important than protecting branches and leaves, you have most of the information you need. The greatest damage comes to plants that can't replace moisture in roots because the soil is too dry or frozen.

So, if you hear that the temperature is going below 32 degrees, give the soil around your plants a good watering, including the ground under eaves that may not have gotten much rain. Moist soil holds more heat than dry soil.

Next, spray water on the leaves of your plants. Water is warmer than freezing air, and a thin protective layer of ice can prevent the foliage from freezing.

Most of all make sure your mulches are thick and plentiful. Use leaves, rice hulls, straw, com- post or other organic materials. Mulch keeps the soil moist and at an even temperature. As it decays, the organic material, while pro- viding nutrients, releases heat to the plant roots.

If possible, those plants that are the most vulnerable -including' fuchsias, orchids, unusual succulents, clivias, citrus, geraniums - should be transplanted to containers and brought inside, if only at night. Do this until all danger of freezing is over. Return them outside as soon as the weather permits.

You could put your prized plants in sheltered areas outdoors or in your garage, but if they are dear to you, those places may prove to be just too cold. If you must leave them outside, water them well, apply a thick mulch,

and cover them carefully with tarps or plastic, making sure the material does not touch plant foliage.

Allowing house lights and yard 'lights to burn all night often provides enough heat to sustain plants. Or consider covering them with outdoor Christmas lights.

You can minimize frost damage by understanding something about the microclimates in your garden. A rnicroclimate is a small area in which the climate differs slightly from the prevailing conditions around it. The differences are due to elevation, wind and windbreaks, hills, the proximity of the coast, the nature of the soil and the proximity of buildings.

Even an individual garden can have a wide range of microclimates -the warm spots, the cool north exposures, the permanently shady areas, the place where rain never reaches, where winds funnel into drafts, where frosts form, where water lies stagnant or where soil heats up rapidly.

The most danger from freezing is to vegetation planted in open stretches of ground that face north. Plants in low areas, in valleys and behind solid fences where cold air is held motionless can also suffer greatly.

The warmest areas are under eaves, on patios, under trees and bushes, and next to south-facing walls. Placing vulnerable vegetation in such sheltered sites definitely helps them to survive.

There are also biodegradable non-toxic commercial products- Wilt-Pruf and Cloud Cover, among others available in nurseries -that can aid in preventing foliage from freezing. Called anti-transpirants or AT’s by the industry, they are sprayed onto plant foliage. They cover the leaves with a protective film that keeps the moisture in the leaves and prevents water loss.

About 99 percent of the water absorbed by the roots of a green plant is released to the atmosphere through the leaf surface (transpiration), and At’s constrict the cells to slow this process down. Because of this, these products are effective in periods of frost as well as drought.

Such sprays have been used for many years by professionals to increase the survival of transplants and to reduce water loss when rooting ornamental cuttings. They are good to use on cut orlive Christmas trees as well, and, later in the year, on exotics that might wilt and dry out rapidly in the Bay Area's summer heat.

If you require another reason to check these products out, the coating they provide has an even more important use. ATs inhibit fungus diseases -including powdery mildew oil roses -and certain insect pests such as thrips and mites. And ATs are inexpensive;

On the first sunny day, it's understandable to want to at least prune away any dead sticks and slimy leaves that cling to stems and branches, simply to find out if there is anything still alive. How- ever, if your plants did survive the frost -and probably most of them did, regardless of what they may -look like -premature pruning may be devastating.

Pruning stimulates new growth. The dead vegetative material is a safeguard. Without this protective material, the new growth will be even more vulnerable to damage should the Bay Area get another freeze.

You might also think it useful to add fertilizer to the soil to give - your plants a jump-start. However, when root systems are damaged by cold, adding nutrients merely adds insult to injury. It's best to wait until your plants show signs of recovery and begin to leaf out before you try to revive them by fertilizing.

In the meantime, make sure the plants you want to save have adequate water. Going dry is probably the worst thing that could happen to your plants at this stage.

When the weather warms up and you're ready to enhance your garden, choose plants compatible with the environment; in other words, the region's natural winter weather pattern of occasional frost. "Hardy" and "semi-hardy" are your guiding words when buying new plants, "hardy" being the term used by horticulturists to specify resistance to cold.

You shouldn't have any problem finding them locally. Even many tender plants, like fuchsias, have now been bred for hardiness and can withstand the test of outdoor exposures in zero temperatures if their roots are protected.

Horticultural consultant Roberta Floden cultivates her garden in Marin County. She can be reached at rbfloden@yahoo.com