Sow seeds now to enjoy California native wildflowers in your garden next spring. (Photo: U.S. National Park Service)

Tasks

• Monitor rainfall and adjust automatic sprinklers accordingly. If rainfall is adequate, warm-season grasses require no supplemental irrigation.
• Spray stone-fruit, apple, pear, nut and flowering trees and roses with dormant oil spray.
• Now that the soil is cool and damp, sow seeds of spring wildflowers such as California poppy, clarkia, and cornflower.

Pruning

• Remove leaves from roses to force them into dormancy in preparation for pruning next month.
• Prune out fire blight infections. Cut the infected shoot or branch at its point of origin.

Fertilizing

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

Planting

• This is not a big planting month unless you have purchased plants or bulbs and have not yet planted them.
• Fruits and vegetables: radishes, spinach, plant from seed.
• Annuals: forget-me-not (Myosotis), Iceland poppy (Papaver nudicaule), fairy primrose (Primula malacoides).

Enjoy now

• Annuals and perennials: stock (Matthiola), Iceland poppy (Papaver nudicaule).
• Bulbs, corms, tubers: paperwhite (Narcissus).
• Trees, shrubs, vines: heavenly bamboo (Nandina) Maidenhair tree (Ginkgo biloba).
• Fruits and vegetables: persimmons, potatoes, Savoy cabbage, snow peas.

Things to ponder

• Be alert for frost warnings and cover tender plants when freezing temperatures are expected. Apply a layer of mulch to protect roots of vulnerable plants.
• Amaryllis bulbs will bloom indoors and may do well planted outside with some shade and rich, well-drained soil.