By Cindy Watter, UC Master Gardener of Napa County
After the sedate revelry of our pandemic purgatory (and a happy new year to us all), it is time to get back to work in the garden. We have had a few rains, and now would be a good time to prune our roses and tidy up their areas, to help them look their best next spring and summer.
I once taught a rose pruning workshop in Yountville and made two terrible mistakes. The first, and worst, was being frivolous when someone asked what would happen if she didn't prune her roses. I joked that she could end up in a place that was uncomfortably warm. That was wrong. Actually, depending on the roses, and how long you go between prunings, the answers are: a) nothing; and b) something.
You can go for five years without pruning a Cecile Brunner (a climbing polyantha which has many clusters of small flowers), and it will put forth its fluffy pink blooms same as ever. However, if you prune it just a bit after it blooms, you will get a more abundant repeat bloom during the summer.
On the other hand, a rose that is intended for cutting for vases or bouquets will produce larger blooms with sturdier stems if you prune it. These bushes are generally hybrid teas, grandifloras or floribundas, such as Double Delight or Julia Child. Hybrid teas were developed to have stronger stems than the original tea roses from Asia. Grandifloras (large flowers) and floribundas (many flowers on one stem) need strong stems to support all those petals.
The second mistake I made, and it was mortifying, was neglecting to sharpen my clippers before the workshop. Their dull edges would not penetrate the branches of a gnarled, twenty-years-neglected-and-completely-tangled rose, at least in my arthritic fingers. A nice man in the audience helped me out. It was probably a better learning experience that way, but still, sharpen your tools.
Another reason to prune is to remove branches with leaves that have mildew, fungus or rust. First, clean up the area around your roses and remove fallen rose leaves. This will keep winter rains from driving pathogens into the soil and is one of the most important things you can do for general garden health, because it lessens the chances of having to use fungicides later. Do not put these leaves in your home compost, which does not get hot enough to kill the pathogens. Of course you should wear gardening gloves while doing this work.
There are a couple of ways to approach pruning, depending on the purpose of your rose. If you want larger roses with sturdy stems for vase display, prune more aggressively. If you planted roses for landscaping, prune for shape. There are some common guidelines to follow, however.
Remove any damaged or cracked canes. Remove any canes that are thinner than a pencil. If canes are crossing, remove one.
Make clean cuts on a slant. (You sharpened your clippers, right?) All cuts should be above a bud. These cuts will heal so you don't need to paint anything on them. Make sure the center of the plant is open for good air circulation, with no crowding canes. You want to have a shape rather like a vase or an urn.
In general, prune back two-thirds of the growth. Some gardeners take it down even farther.
Roses grow well in Napa County. Even if, to your eyes, the newly shorn rose looks naked, relax. It will grow back better than ever.
Climbing roses shouldn't be pruned the first three years or so after planting. After that, remove all broken canes, leaving about six canes that you will trellis or tie to a form. Every year leave a few new canes and you will have a healthy climbing rose.
Many people are afraid they will destroy their roses if they prune them. Indeed, it is initially a shock to chop off what appear to be perfectly viable leaves and canes. I felt like a horticultural ogre the first time I did it. However, the wonderful thing about plants is that they renew themselves. Roses require a bit more care than our native plants and perennials, but they reward us with their stunning blooms.
Napa Library Talks: First Thursday of each month. Register to get Zoom link. Thursday, January 7: Bare Root Basics.
Free Rose Pruning and Winter Care Workshop: Saturday, January 9. Register for the Zoom link.
Find UC ANR's Healthy Roses publication here.
Garden Questions? Contact our Help Desk. The team is working remotely so please submit your questions through our diagnosis form, sending any photos to mastergardeners@countyofnapa.org or leave a detailed message at 707- 253-4143. A Master Gardener will get back to you by phone or email.
For more information visit http://napamg.ucanr.edu or find us on Facebook or Instagram, UC Master Gardeners of Napa County.
By Cindy Watter, U. C. Master Gardener of Napa County
There were some benefits to the lavish rainfall we experienced this winter and spring. First, Napa residents got proof that the flood-control project worked. Second, and just as important to a rose gardener, the frequent rains washed off all the aphids that like to prey on emerging rose buds.
In addition, the roses appreciated the rain and responded with an explosion of bloom, climbing over fences and up trellises, filling borders and yards, and making a walk in the neighborhood a decidedly enjoyable experience.
Alas, this riot of scent and color was followed by a three-day heat wave that caused many roses to burst into bloom all at once, and then droop and fade soon after. What can the home gardener do to revive roses and coax them to bloom again?
First, recognize that some old (often called "heritage") roses bloom only once a season, while the typical ever-blooming rose can keep up a display into fall. Sharpen your clippers and deadhead your roses. I am serious about the sharpening, as working with dull clippers is an arthritis-inducing chore.
Roses that bloom only once should be pruned at the end of the growing season. Other types should be pruned in winter, at the end of the dormant season. However, all roses can benefit from a light pruning for shape. Remove weak or crossed branches, especially on the inside of the plant, and any suckers that emerge from the rootstock.
Remove any leaves that show signs of disease, such as black spot, rust or fungus. Clean up fallen leaves. To avoid spreading the pathogens, do not put diseased leaves in your home compost pile.
Black spot (Diplocarbon rosae) is a fungus that attacks leaves and stems, leaving them yellowed and covered with black marks. To minimize it, plant roses where sunlight will dry them quickly after watering. If you use a fungicide, apply it after the leaves have been watered, so it stays on for a while. For nontoxic control, Sunset's Western Garden Book recommends a spray composed of 2 teaspoons of baking soda and 2 teaspoons of horticultural oil dissolved in a gallon of water.
Rust (Phragmidium mucronatum) is another fungal disease that leaves rusty-looking pustules on the underside of leaves. Powdery mildew (Podosphaera) looks like talcum powder coating leaves, stems and buds. The University of California's "Rose Pest Notes" recommends a garlic-based or copper soap fungicide for rust. This product also works for powdery mildew, as does the baking-soda spray. Always wear gloves and follow package directions when applying fungicides.
The abundant rain has also encouraged weeds. Pull them before they develop seeds. Weeds can harbor pests, and they compete with roses for water and nutrients.
Fertilize roses after each bloom cycle. A dry fertilizer dug into the ground will encourage repeat flowering.
Sunset's Western Garden Book recommends dehydrated alfalfa pellets for a burst of nitrogen. Local nurseries carry other rose fertilizers. Follow package directions. After fertilizing, apply a thick layer of mulch to keep the roots cool, retain moisture and discourage weeds.
After I attended a U.C. Master Gardener rose-pruning workshop last winter, the presenters gave me a rose bush that had probably been untended for decades. They had salvaged it from a lot destined for the bulldozer. I used it for another pruning demonstration, took it home, planted it and left it alone. I was rewarded with an abundance of creamy white roses with pale pink centers. So far, my rose is perfectly disease free. The experience reminded me of the main point of home gardening: to work outdoors but relax on occasion and enjoy the results of your work.
Workshop: U. C. Master Gardeners of Napa County will hold a workshop on “Rose Care” on Saturday, June 3, from 10 a.m. to noon, at University of California Cooperative Extension, 1710 Soscol Avenue, Napa. The first spring blooms have faded, and many roses are beginning to show stress in the form of black spot, rust, mildew and aphid infestation. U.C. research-based help is at hand. Bring your questions. Online registration (credit card only); Mail-in registration (check only or drop off cash payment).
Master Gardeners are volunteers who help the University of California reach the gardening public with home gardening information. U. C. Master Gardeners of Napa County ( http://ucanr.edu/ucmgnapa/) are available to answer gardening questions in person or by phone, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 9 a.m. to Noon, at the U. C. Cooperative Extension office, 1710 Soscol Avenue, Suite 4, Napa, 707-253-4143, or from outside City of Napa toll-free at 877-279-3065. Or e-mail your garden questions by following the guidelines on our web site. Click on Napa, then on Have Garden Questions? Find us on Facebook under UC Master Gardeners of Napa County.
Who in California needs holly? We Californians are fortunate to have a beautiful native shrub that resembles holly but outshines it. Like holly, toyon (Heteromelesarbutifolia) is evergreen and has bright red berries in winter, but it is easygoing, hearty and well adapted to our lower elevations
Toyon occurs extensively in the chaparral and woodlands surrounding the Central Valley and in other foothill regions of the state below 4,000 feet. In fact, its resemblance to European holly and its abundance in Southern California explain the origins of the name Hollywood.
Toyon got its name from the Ohlone tribe. It is also called Christmas berry or California holly. A member of the rose family, toyon typically grows 8 to 15 feet in height and width. However, some specimens grow larger and work in the landscape as small trees.
The plant has dark green, leathery, oblong leaves that are two to four inches long. In spring, the shrub is covered in flat-topped clusters of fragrant white flowers that attract bees and butterflies. As the season progresses, the flowers give way to dense clusters of small, orange-red berries that last late into the year.
These berries attract many local birds: American robins, quail, towhees, cedar waxwings, mockingbirds and various finches and sparrows. So in addition to its beauty, toyon is an excellent habitat plant. The berries also make the plant useful for home décor at Christmas, if you can get to the berries before the birds do.
Like many of its cousins in the rose family, toyon is susceptible to fireblight. The cultivar ‘Davis Gold,' developed at the University of California at Davis, has striking yellow berries and improved disease resistance. Toyon tends to be ignored by deer, although desperate deer may eat the new leaves of smaller plants.
This hearty California native tolerates serpentine, adobe and sandy soils. Unlike some other members of the rose family, toyon requires little pruning to make a great screen or help with erosion control.
For best results, don't try to contain it in a pot. Plant it in full soon and give it room to grow. Although it can take some light shade, it will be fuller and more compact in direct sun. Water deeply and infrequently the first few years to encourage deep tap roots, then sit back and enjoy all its berry beauty-ness. If you like to bird watch, be sure to plant it where you can watch the birds gorge on the winter berries.
So if Hollywood was named after the Christmas berry, could it be that the “vine” of the famous intersection Hollywood & Vine was named after another California native,Vitiscalifornica(California grape)?Heteromeles&Vitis.Toyon& Grape. Neither pair rolls off the tongue quite as nicely as Hollywood & Vine.
Workshop: U. C. Master Gardeners of Napa County will host a workshop on “Rose Pruning and Maintenance” on Saturday, January 9, from 10 a.m. to noon, at the University of California Cooperative Extension office, 1710 Soscol Avenue, Napa. This workshop will feature demonstrations of proper pruning techniques. Master Gardeners will discuss types of roses, common rose diseases and routine maintenance. On-line registration (credit card only); Mail-in registration (check only).
Workshop: U. C. Master Gardeners of Napa County will host a workshop on “Fruit Tree Pruning and Care” on Saturday, January 16, from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. The workshop includes a lecture session from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the University of California Cooperative Extension office, 1710 Soscol Avenue, Napa. With hands-on session at a local orchard, rain or shine,from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. Please dress for outside weather conditions.On-line registration (credit card only); Mail-in/Walk-in registration (cash or check only).
Master Gardeners are volunteers who help the University of California reach the gardening public with home gardening information. U. C. Master Gardeners of Napa County ( http://ucanr.org/ucmgnapa/) are available to answer gardening questions in person or by phone, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 9 a.m. to Noon, at the U. C. Cooperative Extension office, 1710 Soscol Avenue, Suite 4, Napa, 707-253-4143, or from outside City of Napa toll-free at 877-279-3065. Or e-mail your garden questions by following the guidelines on our web site. Click on Napa, then on Have Garden Questions? Find us on Facebook under UC Master Gardeners of Napa County.
On a recent December morning, I wandered out to the vegetable patch to see how the broccoli plants were faring. I started these plants from seed in early September and transplanted them into the ground on September 26. Initially I covered them with wire cages to keep birds from shredding them, but lately the plants have outgrown the cages and I wanted to see if they were being eaten.
Birds are nibbling, but the plants are starting to form heads and I am hoping that we'll soon be eating home-grown broccoli. I noted in my garden journal that if I want broccoli for Thanksgiving, I need to set plants out in August.
I also checked the lettuce to see if there is anything left to harvest. This bed was seeded in August, and we have been eating salad greens for a couple of months. The plants are fairly bedraggled now, but a surprise was waiting for me in the garden path. Recent rains have provided enough moisture to sprout some arugula from a spring crop that went to seed. If the arugula weren't edible, I'd consider it a weed. Already the plants have one- to two-inch leaves, just right for salads and pizza topping.
If arugula seeds can sprout in December, you know other edibles will grow. Try planting fava bean, parsley, radish and spinach seeds. If you can find nursery seedlings, you could also set out kale, broccoli, lettuce, chard and other greens. Everything grows slowly now, but you can expect some delicious eating in February and March.
It's not too late to set out garlic. If you can't find garlic in nurseries, try organic garlic from the grocery store. Planted now, it will not mature until late May or June, but you can harvest green garlic at any stage.
It's also not too late to set out a few annual flowers for color. Check a local nursery to see what is available. I have a fondness for pansies and violas and usually set out a few plants in the winter vegetable patch. They add color to the beds and to my salads, too.
The peach and apple trees in my yard have lost nearly all their leaves. This leaf drop signals the start of pruning season for deciduous trees, roses and grapes. Remove diseased or damaged branches first. Then assess the tree from all directions before pruning for shape and fruit production.
Some trees, including many apple varieties, produce fruit on spurs (short stubby twigs) over many years, while other fruit trees produce fruit on new shoots every spring. Since this influences the way these trees should be pruned, consult a book, a tree expert, or Napa County Master Gardeners (office hours below) if you are not sure. For ornamental trees, prune mostly for shape.
If I waited for the roses in my garden to lose their leaves, I might never prune them. Go ahead and startcutting them back now. You will be rewarded with healthier plants and more blossoms next spring and summer.
One of my neighbors has a lovely Fuyu persimmon tree in the front yard just dripping with ripe fruit. I have found myself wishing I had my own share of those persimmons. Luckily, bare-root planting season has now begun. Plants sold in the bare-root state include deciduous fruit and shade trees; roses; vines such as clematis, wisteria and grapes; flowering shrubs such as lilacs and berries, including cane berries, blueberries and strawberries; and the perennial vegetables artichokes and rhubarb. The plants are field grown by the propagator, dug up while dormant and sold without soil clinging to their roots. Consequently, they are easier to handle than plants in pots and usually quite a bit less expensive. If you have found yourself coveting your neighbor's unpicked fruit tree, it might be time to plant your own.
Local nurseries will have their largest supply of bare-root plants in January, but now is a great time to order by mail. Bare-root plants need to go into the ground as soon as possible to protect the roots from dying out. If possible, prepare planting holes during a spell of dry weather so they are ready when you bring the plants home. If your soil is too wet for immediate planting, “heel in” the roots temporarily in damp compost or sand in a shady location. Cover the planting area to let it dry out a bit.
Whatever the December weather, you can spend some time in the garden. Maybe you will find some pleasant surprises there.
Workshop: U. C. Master Gardeners of Napa County will host a workshop on “Rose Pruning and Maintenance” on Saturday, January 9, from 10 a.m. to noon, at the University of California Cooperative Extension office, 1710 Soscol Avenue, Napa. This workshop will feature demonstrations of proper pruning techniques. Master Gardeners will discuss types of roses, common rose diseases and routine maintenance. On-line registration (credit card only); Mail-in registration (check only).
Workshop: U. C. Master Gardeners of Napa County will host a workshop on “Fruit Tree Pruning and Care” on Saturday, January 16, from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. The workshop includes a lecture session from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the University of California Cooperative Extension office, 1710 Soscol Avenue, Napa. A hands-on session follows from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. at Silverado Middle School, 1108 Coombsville Road, Napa. On-line registration (credit card only) coming soon; Mail-in/Walk-in registration (cash or check only).
Master Gardeners are volunteers who help the University of California reach the gardening public with home gardening information. U. C. Master Gardeners of Napa County ( http://ucanr.org/ucmgnapa/) are available to answer gardening questions in person or by phone, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 9 a.m. to noon, at the U. C. Cooperative Extension office, 1710 Soscol Avenue, Suite 4, Napa, 707-253-4143, or from outside City of Napa toll-free at 877-279-3065. Or e-mail your garden questions by following the guidelines on our web site. Click on Napa, then on Have Garden Questions? Find us on Facebook under UC Master Gardeners of Napa County.
Chilly nights challenge our citrus trees, succulents and other frost-tenderlandscape plants. On top of the seissues, holiday commitments take up a lot of the time that one might otherwise spend in the garden.
So what should a gardener be doing this month?Some tasks are priorities, so let's tackle those first. If you have citrus trees or other tender plants, you must mitigate their exposure to frost or they will suffer. Already I have recorded night-time temperatures below 30°F at my home.
I have five citrus trees in four locations, so I use a combination of strategies. For the two trees close enough to the house to reach with an outdoor extension cord, I have strung Christmas lights (not LED type) in the branches. I plug in the lights on cold nights. Another tree, a dwarf citrus, is short enough that an old patio umbrella clears its branches. I toss an old comforter over the umbrella ribs when frost threatens. For the other two citrus, I set up ladders to support tarps and old blankets. Once the temperature begins to rise in the morning, I remove all the coverings and unplug the lights. Unless we get an arctic blast, all of these trees should survive the winter.
Water is also a priority. Until rains thoroughly wet the soil, I pay attention to my rain gauge. If we have less than an inch of rain in a two-week period, I figure that any actively growing plants will need irrigation. In my garden, that's mostly vegetables. My fall-planted greens are producing lots of leaves for stir-fry and salad, and November garlic is beginning to emerge.
Citrus trees will also need some water, especially if the weather is cold. During the summer I used gray water from my laundry to water my roses; now that those plants are going dormant, I'm using the gray water for citrus trees. I have switched to a plant-friendly laundry detergent and have not noticed any negative effect on the plants irrigated with gray water. But note that I only use gray water on trees and shrubs; the vegetables get potable water.
Already we have had enough rain in Napa Valley to start greening our hillsides. But the same rains have prompted weeds to emerge in my garden beds. While these weeds are small, they are easy to pull or hoe. Weeds take just as much water as edibles, so removing them now will conserve water for the plants I want.
As you weed, note areas of bare soil. If possible, cover bare spots with mulch or compost, or plant a cover crop if you can keep it moist. Winter is hard on soil. Rain compacts it; wind and sun dry it out. Soil is the foundation for all of your plants so protect it. Earthworms, fungi and other soil microorganisms will reward you with healthier soil next spring when it's time to plant.
Last but not least, finish your fall cleanup. Remove spent vegetable plants. Put diseased plant material in your yard-waste bin rather than in your compost pile. Most backyard compost piles do not get hot enough to destroy pathogens. In contrast, the waste-management companies compost at high temperatures that do control bacterial and fungal diseases. Rake up leaves and other litter to eliminate hiding places for snails, slugs and harmful insects.
In next week's column, we'll look at December gardening activities that are less like maintenance and more like fun. Although I have to admit, on sunny winter days I am perfectly happy to be outside even if all I do is pull weeds. It makes a nice break from working on the computer or in the house.
Workshop: U. C. Master Gardeners of Napa County will host a workshop on “Rose Pruning and Maintenance” on Saturday, January 9, from 10 a.m. to noon, at the University of California Cooperative Extension office, 1710 Soscol Avenue, Napa. This workshop will feature demonstrations of proper pruning techniques. Master Gardeners will discuss types of roses, common rose diseases and routine maintenance. On-line registration (credit card only);Mail-in registration (check only).
Master Gardeners are volunteers who help the University of California reach the gardening public with home gardening information. U. C. Master Gardeners of Napa County ( http://ucanr.org/ucmgnapa/) are available to answer gardening questions in person or by phone, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 9 a.m. to Noon, at the U. C. Cooperative Extension office, 1710 Soscol Avenue, Suite 4, Napa, 707-253-4143, or from outside City of Napa toll-free at 877-279-3065. Or e-mail your garden questions by following the guidelines on our web site. Click on Napa, then on Have Garden Questions? Find us on Facebook under UC Master Gardeners of Napa County.