Heleborus ×hybridus is a group of evergreen, late-winter or early-spring flowering perennials in the buttercup family (Ranunculaceae). Helleborus (hellebore) is a small genus of about 20 species of herbaceous perennials native to Europe and Asia. Common names include hellebore, oriental hellebores, or Lenten rose.

The Lenten rose has many attractive features: easy to cultivate, hardy, long-lived, and evergreen. Flowers emerge in the dead of winter and continue a showy display for several months. Flowers come in a variety of colors and styles. Blooms can make good cut flowers, and their seed heads add interest to dried floral arrangements. Hellebores, like other members of the Ranunculaceae family, have alkaloids in the leaves and seeds and can cause mild dermatitis in sensitive gardeners; be sure to wear gloves when working around hellebores. These same alkaloids make the leaves undesirable to deer, rabbits, moles, and voles. Hellebores are extremely frost-hardy and very tolerant of dry conditions once established. They are summer dormant, and they require little attention. What's NOT to like about this plant? It is certainly worth planting in our Northern California coastal gardens.

Lenten roses are an outstanding plant for adding color and texture to the ornamental shade garden. They grow in areas between deciduous shrubs and under trees or naturalize in woodland areas. They can be the stars of the early spring garden as specimen plants or mixed with other spring bulbs. Attractive in the summer, the coarse, leatherlike foliage makes a good backdrop to more delicate shade plants. They are also excellent for planting on a hillside above a path where the downward-facing flowers can be viewed from below.

Mature plants can form clumps that are 18” to 24” tall and 24” to 30” wide. The glossy, deep green foliage can vary in color and shape, even within the same hybrid. The leaves are divided into 7 to 9 segments with an umbrella-like shape held up on a woody stem. The toothed, leathery foliage remains attractive throughout the growing season, remaining evergreen in mild climates.

FLOWERS

Gardeners are most attracted to the hellebore for its early flowers, which can be seen starting in late December or early January/February and last for 2 to 3 months. Available in both single and double forms, it is available in a rainbow of muted colors, ranging from apple green and chartreuse to ivory, mauve, eggplant, and wine.

Flower buds form during the previous summer, and the flower spikes emerge from the underground rhizome in late winter. Mature plants often have 50 or more flowers per plant.

Flowers have five petal-like sepals (a modified calyx) surrounding a ring of small, yellowish-green, tubular nectaries in an open, bell shape. The nectaries are the petals modified to hold nectar. Inside the ring of petals, there are numerous stamens and several pistils. After the flower is pollinated, the petals and stamens fall off, but the sepals remain on the plant for 1-2 months or more (probably contributing to seed development).

Flowers are often followed by unusual seed pods that offer ornamental interest and can produce viable seeds if left on the plant. The carpels eventually dry and split to release the bean-shaped, shiny black seeds, each with a white elaiosome that becomes wrinkled with age. Seeds are self-planted when ripe and can slowly naturalize in the garden.

 CULTURE and PROPAGATION

Hellebore does best in partial shade to full sun and well-drained, humus-rich, fertile garden soil. They are relatively drought tolerant once established but do best with consistent moisture. They are very sensitive to soggy soil, so the site must have good drainage. This plant requires little maintenance. The previous season's leaves will be dried and tattered after the winter and are best cut off at the ground as the flowers emerge in the spring. Sprinkle with a fresh layer of compost around the base of the plants before the flowers emerge. Fertilize in Spring. Apply slug and snail bait as the flower spikes emerge.

Commercial plants are propagated from seed, division, or tissue culture, but germination is slow. It can take four or five

years to produce a plant of flowering size, and seedlings will not come true from seed. Seeds ripen in late spring and early summer and must be sown fresh. Leaving the seed pods on the plants to allow volunteers to sprout is probably the easiest way to get seedlings. These can be carefully dug to move to pots or other garden areas or left to enlarge the clump. Established clumps can be left alone for 20 or more years but may be divided (each division should have several crowns), preferably in the fall or at flowering time. The recovery time is slow with division.

 CUT FLOWERS

A lot has been written about the fickle nature of Hellebores as a cut flower, but everyone agrees that they are worth the effort. The flowers make exquisite small winter bouquets. Different methods are used to increase the water uptake of the immature stem with some success. However, the more mature blooms will last the longest. Basic floral conditioning techniques work. Cut blooms in the morning using a diagonal cut. Plunge stems into cool water up to the flower head and keep in a cool dark place for 24 hours or until ready to arrange. Stems can also be cut at an angle and dipped into boiling water for several seconds to seal the stem, or the stem can be scored vertically with a knife to increase water uptake. Place stems into cool water.

Possibly the best advice comes from Erin Benzakein, the owner of Floret Farms, in her book Cut Flower Garden, “Getting Hellebores to last as cut flowers is simple but requires you to have some self-control: you must select blooms at the proper stage; otherwise, they'll wilt within a few hours of picking. …you must wait until the blooms develop seedpods in the center. The more developed the seedpods, the sturdier the cut hellebore will be and the longer it will last. A very mature hellebore bloom will hold up, unscathed, out of water for an entire day, lending itself to wearable creations such as boutonnieres, corsages, and flower crowns.”

 hope you are convinced of the many virtues of the Helleborus. This reliable perennial is worth trying. Planting a Lenten Rose or hellebore will bring you many years of enjoyment!

Resources:

Say hello to hellebores, January 28, 2018
https://www.floretflowers.com/say-hello-hellebores/

University of California, UC Master Gardener Program of Sonoma County, Hellebores
https://sonomamg.ucanr.edu/Plant_of_the_Month/Hellebores/

Wisconsin Horticulture, Division of Extension, Lenten Rose, Helleborus x hybridus
https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/lenten-rose-helleborus-xhybridus/

 

The Humboldt Master Gardener/Del Norte Help Desk is staffed by volunteers trained by the University of California to answer gardeners' questions using information based on scientific research. Thank you to Annie Sicotte, Humboldt Master Gardener, for researching this question.

When Do I Harvest Meyer Lemons?

Q. I have a Meyer lemon tree that has been covered with fruit for months, but not all of them are turning yellow. The fruit looks to be mature size, but some are still dark green. Recently, my tree has started to bloom again. Is this normal? Can I harvest the lemons even if they have not turned yellow?

A.  One great thing about Meyer Lemon is that it can bear fruit all year round. Lemons will flower and fruit more than once per year if conditions are favorable. On the coast, Meyer Lemons often have blooms and fruit in varying stages throughout the year.

Meyer lemons are typically ready to harvest when they have turned a deep yellow or orange color and feel firm to the touch with just a slight “give.” They should also be fragrant. It's best to harvest them when they are fully ripe for the best flavor. The heaviest harvest is usually late Winter/Spring.

The reason your fruit has not turned yellow may be that we have not had enough cold weather to encourage the color change. It occurs naturally as the fruit ripens, but cold weather speeds up the process.Citrus turns color in Fall, but the color does not affect the sweetness of the fruit.

The Meyer lemon is a cross between an orange and a lemon and is known for its milder taste, so if you pick it green, it will be more acidic in taste than your typical Meyer lemon, and you may be disappointed. The fruit is usable at any stage past dark green but will have a stronger acid flavor if you pick it before it is fully ripe. Meyer lemons don't ripen any further once picked, so if it's the milder taste you want, then it's best to leave the fruit on the tree as long as possible. That said, when citrus fruit freezes, it can become pithy and lose its juiciness. Protect your tree and the ripening fruit by covering it with a blanket, heavy tarp, or row cover on those nights when it's predicted to dip below freezing.

The best place to store the fruit is on the tree. Once you pick the fruit, it does not increase in sweetness or ripen more fully. However, if you do pick the fruit, it will keep for about 4 to 6 weeks under refrigeration. Juice from lemons can be frozen for up to 4 months.

For more information on growing citrus and frost protection, check out

The University of California book, The California Backyard Orchard, or on the web https://homeorchard.ucanr.edu/Fruits_&_Nuts/Citrus/

https://sonomamg.ucanr.edu/Food_Gardening/FRUITS/Meyer_Lemon/

https://www.redding.com/story/life/2022/11/04/what-do-if-meyer-lemons-do-not-ripen-turn-yellow-master-gardener/10589465002/

Flowers and veggies lingered in my garden this year, encouraged by the mild autumn weather. Then came the holidays, followed by rain. So much for Fall garden tasks and cleanup chores. Between rainstorms in January, I walked around the garden amazed at how quickly the ground turned from golden fall leaves to a green carpet. As the summer garden died back, weeds took advantage of less competition and filled in the open spaces. They grew from seeds that blew in, were dropped by birds, or were stored in the soil “seed bank' from previous plants that went to seed – just waiting for the right conditions to germinate. Constantly moist soil and cool weather allow seedlings to get their roots established before the soil dries out.

Those beds of weeds are often ignored until Spring weather urges us to get our summer garden started. By then, the weeds are lush and well-rooted. “Weeding” becomes an unpleasant, daunting task if we wait.

Since weeds rob plants of nutrients and provide habitat for unwanted pests, it is important to control them early while they are still small. Although pulling weeds seems like a no-brainer, there is a definite way to do it efficiently. Grab a knee pad, hand hoe, Hori-Hori or trowel, and a big bucket. Kneel at the open edge of a bed and work on the weeds closest to you. Gently pull the largest weeds, lifting the root with a Hori-Hori or trowel. Next, with your fingers, pinch the base of an individual plant and “pluck” the weed out. This loosens the soil around it. making the next plant easier to pull. Gently shake the soil off the roots back into the bed before putting the weed in your bucket. Now, give the cleared area a shallow scuffle with the hand hoe to dislodge small seedlings. Don't dig weeds with a spade or disturb the soil deeper than an inch. This is hard on the soil structure and brings more weed seeds to the surface. Don't get anxious. If you try to grab and pull large handfuls, it only breaks off the leafy tops, which soon regrow from the leftover roots. It's better to do a smaller area thoroughly. Finally, add a 1” layer of weed free compost to the cleared area. This prevents light from germinating new seedlings.

Pulling weeds will give you a chance to appreciate the abundance of slugs and snails as well! It always catches me off guard to see how early the eggs begin to hatch. These voracious tiny babies are everywhere I look. Weeds, as it turns out, are a perfect hiding place to avoid predators. Tucked under the flat rosette of Shepherd's Purse or in the axis of an Asparagus leaf, slugs can eat and grow and not be found. Removing the weeds will greatly reduce their hiding places, as will removing last season's straw mulch and keeping the grass short around the garden beds… But slimy things are persistent in coastal gardens.

The undersides of wilted summer foliage keep snails happy and dry until tastier foliage emerges. They do serve a function, of course. Slowly, they help the decomposition of plant material. Summer plants that have been left to rot give slugs and snails an easy dinner. As I clean the debris and cut back the plants, I have found tiny little snails by the hundreds this year. Cleaning the beds reduces snails, but it also redirects them to the fresh new growth of healthy plants. Although I would love to just leave them for natural predators, there aren't enough birds, snakes, opossums, or other critters to make a dent in this year's bumper crop of mollusks.

There are no sure-fire exterminators for slugs and snails in the home garden. Environmentally concerned gardeners use Iron Phosphate baits like Sluggo with some success. But even the heavy-duty snail baits- the ones that contain Metaldehyde or Carbaryl (that also harms worms, reptiles, birds and some mammals) - only work on the snails that come in contact with the chemical. Many of the small hatchlings emerge and head for a sheltered place above the ground. You'll find them hiding in the tender tops of plants, under the lips of flowerpots, or behind shrub foliage where their ‘foot' never touches the ground. In the cool, damp air of night, they glide from their perch to devour prized plants – which seem to be their favorites. Controlling them becomes a bit more problematic and requires a combination of approaches.

I hesitate to share that hunting slimy slugs and snails has become a bit of a questionably sane, definitely weird obsession for me. You won't find me excited by a dish of beer with a few drunken snails in it. Instead, I clean, prune, plot, bait, consider the possibility of becoming an Escargot farmer, and then become the Human Predator. (That's right -  it's my Super- Power. ) To tackle the problem, I put on the garb of a crazed gardener - a bright LED headlamp, rubber gloves, a container of soapy water - and head into the night garden to make my rounds. As I examine each plant, turning over leaves to check bothsides, I pluck my slow-moving prey and pop it into the container, where it sinks to its demise. It's not a pretty sight. But there are just SO many snails!

As the nights go by and the population dwindles, I marvel at the impact I can have on a single population of slugs and snails. Yes, that's right, “a single population” because there will be more eggs hatching. A single snail can lay 6 batches of eggs in a year with up to 80 eggs each. That's 480 eggs for every snail! It's never-ending. But I'm doing my part.

So, I encourage you to get a head start on the weeding and garden cleanup this year. Keep that cool fashion-statement headlamp handy, and just ignore the neighbors' comments about your new nighttime gardening chore. For what it's worth, I can vouch for your sanity.

 

For additional information about Integrated Pest Management (IPM), including weeds and mollusks, Check out the University of California website  https://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/menu.homegarden.html?src=302-www&fr=3723

For help identifying and controlling weeds, https://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/weeds_intro.html

For more on slugs and snails, https://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7427.html

 

All photos are courtesy of the author, Annie Sicotte, and are used with permission.

 

Winter is here. Put your garden to bed for winter and prepare your garden for the dropping temperatures and wet season. Here are tips from the University of California Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners.

General Tasks

Compost: Turn compost and keep it as moist as a wrung-out sponge. Cover compost during the rainy weather to prevent it from becoming waterlogged.
Drainage: Correct any problems in low or poorly drained areas in the landscape.
Frost: Watch for frost warnings and protect sensitive plants. Light frost 32-29 degrees F, medium frost 28-25 degrees F, heavy frost 24 degrees F and below for four-plus hours.
Irrigation: Reduce irrigation or turn it off completely if rainfall is adequate.
Maintenance: Inventory all sprays and pesticides; take outdated or unneeded chemicals to a hazardous waste center.
Mulch: Add mulch to garden beds where bulbs are planted, and to areas where weeds have been removed.
Soil: Prevent compaction and poor aeration of soil by avoiding working, walking on, or using heavy equipment on wet soil.
Tools: Clean and sharpen dull blades, lubricate garden tools and repair damaged grips. Cleaning can be done with soapy water and a wire brush or steel wool; air dry and apply a light coat of oil to prevent corrosion. Tools with wood handles can be sanded and rubbed down with linseed oil. File cutting tools, including shovel blades, to sharpen. Store tools in a dry, covered area. Have your lawn mower serviced to get a jump on spring tasks.
Weeds: Inspect lawn and manage rainy season weeds before they flower, using nonchemical methods such as cultivation, hand weeding, or mowing; use toxic chemicals as a last resort. Destroy all roots and underground parts.

Edibles

Clean-up: Control over wintering pests by removing fruit mummies and fallen leaves on the ground from fruit and nut
trees, especially if codling moth has been a problem. Dispose in green recycle bin. Composting this material could reintroduce pests/pathogens to your garden.
Feed Plants: Fertilize citrus trees in January/February just prior to bloom.
Plan: Plan your summer garden and order seeds early.
Plant: Bare root deciduous trees, shrubs and vines, for example cane berries, fruits and nuts, grapes, and perennial vegetables. For planting, care and maintenance tips see: 
    Berries and Vines - https://cagardenweb.ucanr.edu/Berries/ 
    Fruit Trees - https://homeorchard.ucanr.edu/Fruits_&_Nuts/ 
Propagate: During the cool season, winter, and spring vegetables should be started indoors 6-8 weeks before planting out (in December and early January). Some can be direct sown. Warm season summer vegetables should be started indoors 8-10 weeks before setting out (late Jan-Feb). Optimum soil temperature for transplanting is 55-60°F.
Protect: Watch for frost warnings. If a frost is predicted, protect citrus, sub-tropical and tender plants. Pull the mulch away from trees and water well, keeping the root zone moist but not soggy. If not already done in November, cover trees sensitive to frost.
Prune: If not done in November, prune deciduous fruit and nut trees, such as apple, pear, and stone fruits. Prune grapes and cane berries now; it's too late once they have leafed out. Note: apricot and cherry trees are the exception;
prune these in July and August only.

Landscape

Clean-up: Do a general clean-up of the landscape on a dry day; avoid walking on wet soils.
Plan: Select blooming azaleas, camellias and rhododendrons while you can see their color. Order summer blooming bulbs to plant out in early spring.
Plant: Plant container ornamental trees, plants and shrubs except subtropical plants. These include frost tolerant
perennials; hardy spring blooming annuals; summer blooming bulbs; bare root deciduous trees, shrubs and vines (like roses); seedlings of cedar, fir, pine and spruce. Scatter wildflower seed if this was not done in November. Plant azaleas,
camellias and rhododendrons.
Propagate: Start frost tender perennials and warm season annuals. 
Protect: If a frost is predicted, water your plants, keeping the root zone moist but not soggy. Cover frost-tender species
as appropriate (bougainvillea, hibiscus and succulents).
Prune: Prune winter flowering shrubs just after bloom; woody shrubs and evergreen trees; hardy deciduous trees;
dormant shade trees; summer blooming vines; hydrangeas and summer-blooming perennials. Roses should be pruned
by mid-February. Wait to prune spring flowering trees and shrubs until after they bloom.