ANNUALS. It’s not too late to plant pansies, Iceland poppies, or other winter annuals, especially along the coast. In the low desert (Sunset climate zone 13), set out petunias.
BARE-ROOT PLANTS. Stone fruit trees are at peak supply in nurseries (for the best varieties, consult the Western Garden Book or the California Rare Fruit Growers’ website: http://www.crfg.org/). You’ll also find cane berries, grape and kiwi vines, perennial vegetables like asparagus, and, of course, roses (see note below).
SUCCULENTS. Winter-blooming succulents are a fresh way to liven up a dreary winter garden, and they look particularly at home in Mediterranean-style landscapes. Look for flowering aloes, Echeveria, and kalanchoe.
SUMMER BULBS. Plant calla lilies, canna, crocosmia, dahlia, gladiolus, lilies, Nerine, Tigridia, and other summer bulbs at the same time you set out your cool-season annuals.
WINTER VEGETABLES. Germination will be slow, but it’s still possible to start cool-season crops from seed, especially lettuces and other leafy greens. Onions, peas, and radishes are other possibilities. You can also plant broccoli, brussels sprouts, and cabbage seedlings.
COLLECT RAINWATER. Set out containers to catch the rain; use the water to irrigate houseplants.
FERTILIZE SELECTIVELY. In frost- free coastal areas, feed citrus this month. Farther inland, wait until February. Feed staghorn ferns with a high-nitrogen liquid fertilizer. Renew mulch on camellias and azaleas, and gently work cottonseed meal into top 2 inches of soil. Cool-season annuals and emerging bulbs benefit from fertilizing now.
PRUNE DECIDUOUS FRUIT TREES. Deciduous fruit trees should be cut back before new leaf buds begin to form, but the amount of trimming differs for each type. Before starting, consult a pruning reference book or the CRFG website.
PRUNE ROSES. Remove dead, damaged, or crossing branches first, then prune all the remaining canes by one-half to one-third, cutting back each cane to just above an outward-facing bud.
APPLY DORMANT SPRAY. After pruning, spray roses with horticultural oil to smother overwintering insects. To control peach leaf curl on deciduous fruit trees, spray with fixed copper or lime sulfur mixed with horticultural oil (follow label directions). Don’t use lime sulfur on apricots. Spray branches, crotches, and trunks of trees, plus the ground beneath the drip line.
CONTROL CAMELLIA BLIGHT. If your camellias are plagued with petal blight, place shade cloth under the shrubs to catch decaying blossoms and make them easier to gather and discard. This will help break the blight cycle and improve next year’s flower crop.
MANAGE WEEDS. Replenish mulch in vegetables and flower beds and around trees and shrubs to minimize weed germination.
PLANT A BARE-ROOT ROSES
1. Unwrap and shake organic matter from roots.
2. Prune off broken roots and canes.
3. Immerse the roots in a bucket of water for a few hours.
4. Dig a planting hole 2 feet wide and 1 foot deep. If your soil contains a lot of clay or sand, mix in 1 cubic foot of compost.
5. Make a 10-inch-tall cone of soil in the middle of the hole, center the rose over it, and spread out its roots.
6. Fill hole with soil; keep the graft (the thickened area at the stem base) 2 inches below ground level. Water well and rock the rose back and forth to settle it in. Add more soil if necessary.
