Enjoy the fresh scent and beautiful colors of rain in the garden this weekend. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

Tasks

• Water citrus trees well now to produce a good crop next year.
• Check and improve drainage around plants in low areas.
• Monitor rainfall and adjust water accordingly to keep soil moist for new plantings.

Pruning

• Cut back chrysanthemums to 6 inches.
• Prune back spent wisteria canes.
• Do not apply any treatments to pruning cuts or other plant wounds because these materials are ineffective and often detrimental.

Fertilizing

• Fertilize cool-season annuals, perennials and vegetables with a light, high-nitrogen or organic fertilizer.

Planting

• Bare-root planting season begins this month. Consider the hardiness of the rootstock when selecting bare-root fruit trees.
• Citrus, avocado, and other frost-tender plants should be planted in spring after the danger of frost has passed.
• Fruits and vegetables: asparagus (transplant), onions, parsley.
• Annuals: toadflax (Linaria maroccana), stock (Matthiola incana).

Enjoy now

• Annuals and perennials: toadflax (Linaria maroccana).
• Bulbs, corms, tubers: paperwhite (Narcissus).
• Trees, shrubs, vines: holly (Ilex), Koreanspice (Viburnum carlesii).
• Fruits and vegetables: Brussels sprouts, citrus, sweet potatoes.

Things to ponder

• Use trimmings of magnolias, juniper, pine and redwoods for holiday greens. Deodar cedar, spruce and western hemlock lose needles quickly.