Emu bush. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

This evergreen perennial grows two- to three-feet tall and up to twice as wide. It's form can be prostrate and spreading or more upright, depending on the variety. The emu bush's narrow gray green leaves have a medium-fine texture. Tubular flowers range in color from yellow to orange to red with some varieties showing interesting color morphing as flowers age.

Plant emu bush in full sun to dappled shade. It tolerates most soils, including alkaline, but must have good drainage. Overly wet conditions can quickly lead to fungal problems or root rot. Plant vigor can be controlled by adjusting the amount of supplemental water.

Emu bush is cold hardy to 15 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit. Prune the plant in early spring to shape and encourage denser growth.

Emu bush can occasionally be found in garden centers, but more varieties are available by mail order.

Orange clock vine adds color to the winter garden. This specimen - pictured Dec. 5, 2024, at the Clovis Botanical Garden - was planted by UC Master Gardener Rodger Pachebel. (Photo: Jeannette Warnert)

Tasks

• Apply pre-emergent herbicide to lawns and beds later this month.
• Deep-water trees and native plants if rainfall has been light.

Pruning

• This is the time to work on dormant, deciduous plants - shrubs, vines, grapes, and roses, plus fruit and nut trees.
• Crepe myrtles and redbuds may be pruned now.
• Cut back and divide perennials.

Fertilizing

• No fertilization is recommended this month.
• When you do fertilize, always read labels carefully before application. Consult a plant expert at a nursery or a Master Gardener if you have questions.

Planting:

• This is the beginning of bare-root planting season. It is difficult to visualize the potential of bare-root plants, but they usually come with pictures to give you an idea.
• Bulbs, corms, tubers: canna and crocosmia.
• Fruits and vegetables: asparagus, cabbage, and bare-root berries.
• Trees, shrubs, vines: azalea and camellia.

Enjoy now:

• Annuals and perennials: snapdragon (Antirrhinum), calendula, and Chrysanthemum Paludosum, Holiday cactus (Schlumbergera).
• Bulbs, corms, tubers: crocus and cyclamen.
• Fruits and vegetables: beets, bok choy, chives, and mandarin oranges.

Things to ponder:

• This is a good time to look through seed catalogs.
• Wood ashes are not beneficial in the garden as they increase soil alkalinity.

Horticultural oils are great tools for controlling and reducing pest insect populations and for treating fungal problems.  The oils kill on contact by coating and suffocating the larvae, eggs, adults and nymphs of soft-bodied insects, including aphids, whiteflies, scale, leaf-miners and red spider mites. They also disrupt the insects' summer feeding patterns.

In winter, when sprayed on fully dormant trees and bushes, the oils further reduce pest insects' populations before they become active again in spring. When added to the regular practice of good garden sanitation (cleaning up litter, weeds and pest-infested leaves and debris as well as picking up fallen fruits and removing dried fruit mummies from bushes and trees) home gardeners should see very few, easily manageable infestations of soft-bodied pest insects.

Horticultural oils can also act as preventative fungicides. The oils coat leaf and stem surfaces, smothering the spores or pathogens and preventing them from attaching to the tissue and germinating. Success in controlling fungus problems depends greatly on the type of fungus being treated, weather patterns and timing of applications. Powdery mildew and black spot seem to be more easily controlled with applications of horticultural oils than rust or botrytis.    

There are several weights and types of horticultural oils available to home gardeners and label descriptions often use terms that can be confusing. Horticultural oils can be formulated from petroleum-derived mineral oils or can be plant-based, such as neem oil, jojoba oil and canola oil.  

Superior and supreme oils are interchangeable terms. Both are light weight, highly refined mineral oils and do not contain sulfur, which can harm sensitive plants. Supreme and superior oils can be applied when plants have leaves.  Some newer formulations of dormant oils are now labeled as supreme or superior oils. Dormant oils not labeled as supreme or superior should only be applied during the winter dormancy season.

Dormant oils are slightly more viscous or heavier than summer-weight oils and are sprayed on deciduous plants and trees in winter when the plants are fully dormant and leafless, before bud break in spring. Applying heavier-weight dormant oils in summer when temperatures are high risks burning plant tissues.

Summer oils are a type of superior oil. They can be applied in every season but might not be as effective as dormant oils in winter or during spring rainy seasons.

Year-round oils can be safely used in every season. Check labels for temperature ranges. Neem oil is a year-round oil, as are superior oils.

Horticultural oils should be sprayed to drench every surface – the undersides of leaves, branch crotches and bark cracks.  They are ineffective during freezing weather and can cause damage to plant tissues when temperatures are above 90 degrees. Labels provide information on application rates during every season and also list plants that are sensitive to the specific horticultural oil.

Horticultural oils should not be sprayed on drought-stressed plants. Monitor soil moisture levels and deep irrigate trees and bushes that may be drought-stressed before applying horticultural oils. During our hot summers do not spray plants when they are in full sun even if temperatures are below 90 degrees.

Sources:

Monterey Horticultural oil, GrowOrganic.com

Oils: Important Garden Pesticides, Pests in the Urban Landscape Blog. Author: Mary Louise Flint, March 11, 2014

Horticultural oil spray: How dormant oil works, EpicGardening.com, June 20, 2023

A David Austin Rose, 'The Squire,' tipped with hoarfrost. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

So, what do we do in the rose garden in December? This month is a month of rest. The only chore for the rose garden is to water (except when we have received enough rainfall). The city of Fresno allows watering once a week during the winter. Other cities in Fresno County are different, so pay attention to the local ordinances and only water on your specified day(s), when necessary. 

Now is the time that rose companies and nurseries will start to carry their new roses for the coming spring. Look and see if there are any new roses you might like to add to your garden. If you happen to purchase a rose at a big box store, try to get them as soon as they arrive in the store. Those roses are typically wrapped in plastic and they will begin to grow inside. If the staff at the store can't get water to the roots of those roses, the canes will turn brown and start to die. Therefore, freshness is important!

When you get your plant home, fill up a 5-gallon bucket with water and put it in a cool and dark place. Carefully remove remove and discard any packing material. Many of these roses come wrapped in moist, shredded newspapers, wood shavings, etc. Place the now bare roots in the water and fill up with water up to the bud union of the plant. The bud union is the round area where the canes are growing. 

Leave the rose in the water for 24 hours. This will allow the rose to rehydrate. The next day, you can plant your rose in a 5-gallon pot (with holes on the bottom) filled with good potting soil and place it in a shaded area. If you are able to work the soil in your yard and know where you want your rose to ultimately live, go ahead and plant it in the ground. If you notice, before planting, that any of the roots are broken, cut the broken parts off with sharp, clean shears. The bud union should be just above the soil line. Make sure you spread the roots out. Don't plant them in a little clump. I like to make a volcano shape in the soil, place the rose on the top of it and then spread the roots down around that shape, and fill in with the remaining soil. 

I also spread some mycorrhizal fungi in the soil before I plant the rose. What is mycorrhizal fungi? It is a beneficial fungi that forms a symbiotic relationship with the plant roots. This relationship increases the plant's ability to absorb nutrients and water from the soil.   

There is no need to fertilize your established or new roses currently. Fertilize when your roses show new growth in the spring. If you decide to keep your rose planted in a container, rather than in the ground, make sure when the weather turns warm/hot, that your potted plant gets morning sun and afternoon shade.

Since we are in our rain and fog season, you might see some gray fuzz on your rose buds. This is botrytis. You might also see some black spots on your leaves. That disease is called black spot (original name, huh?). Here is some information from UC Agriculture and Natural Resources regarding diseases you may see this time of year: Roses: Diseases and Abiotic Disorders. 

Until next time, "It's ok to feel delicate sometimes. Real beauty is in the fragility of your petals. A rose that never wilts isn't a rose at all.” ~ Crystal Woods