This week in the garden:

Try grafting new fruit tree varieties onto your existing trees. Fruit of the same species are easily grafted together - peach onto peach, plum onto plum.

Tasks

• · Irrigate citrus and almonds at night if frost is expected.
• · Apply pre-emergent herbicide in early February to flower beds and water-permeable paths.
• · Provide frost protection. Move or cover tender plants. Use floating row covers or fabric and uncover plants during the day. Plastic is not recommended.

Pruning

• ·· It is now or never for pruning hydrangeas. Remove a third of the old wood for maximum bloom.
• · Prune evergreen shrubs such as pittosporum, podocarpus, euonymus, lavender, sage, buddleja, rosemary.

Fertilizing

• ·· Apply one third of the needed annual amount of fertilizer to deciduous fruit, nut, and citrus trees. They need feeding two to three weeks before bloom.
• · Fertilize annuals and perennials that were planted in the fall.

Planting

• · Make certain a plant’s basic sun and shade needs are considered before planting.
• · Bare root planting season ends in early February.
• · Perennials: Lenten Rose (Helleborus), Salvia ‘Rose Pink’ (Salvia greggii), Euphorbia ‘Ascot Rainbow’, Euphorbia ‘martini’.
• · Perennial Grasses: Needle Grass (Nassella), Pink Muhly (Muhlenbergia capillaris), purple fountain grass (Pennisetum setaceum ‘Rubrum’).
• · Fruits and vegetables: potatoes and rhubarb.
• · Annuals: phlox drummondii, plant from seed.
• · Trees, shrubs, vines: sweet gum (Liquidambar), Chinese pistache (Pistacia chinensis), Chinese tallow (Sapium sebiferum).

Enjoy now

·· Annuals and perennials: annual phlox drummondii, sweet peas.

· Bulbs, corms, tubers: hyacinth (Hyacinthus).

· Trees, shrubs, vines: forsythia.

· Fruits and vegetables: navel oranges, spinach, chard.

Things to ponder

· In years when rainfall is below normal, consider planting drought tolerant plants. Look for native or Mediterranean labels.

· When forsythia begins to bloom, apply pre-emergent herbicide to your lawn to prevent crabgrass.