Planting:

• Many succulents, including cacti, bloom in winter and spring; purchase new types now.

• Plant seeds of warm-season flowers for transplants to put out in spring. Stover Seeds are high quality seeds that are available at all locations!

• Azaleas & Camellias. Plant azaleas and camellias this month. Camellias and azaleas are best planted while in bloom not only because you can see what colors you are adding to your garden but also because you can take advantage of the post-bloom growth spurt. Whether or not they're flowering, plant them in a location that provides good soil drainage and afternoon shade.

• Bare-Root Berries. Plant bare-root cane berries this month. Choose varieties suitable for our climate. Suitable blackberry varieties include youngberries and boysenberries. Other suitable varieties include bababery (a raspberry variety developed in Southern California) and rabbiteye (a blueberry developed in Florida). Note: Rabbiteye blueberries require cross-pollination so two different cultivars should be planted.  

• Bare-Root Grapes. Bare-root grape vines should be planted this month. To get quality fruit, you must choose a variety that fits your climate, train it carefully, and prune it regularly.

• Bare-Root Ornamental Trees. Bare-root ornamental trees should be planted this month. Trees that can be purchased bare-root include birch, Chinese pistache, liquidambar, purple-leaf plum, Chinese flame, Tashkent chitalpa and desert willow (Chilopsis).

• Bare-Root Roses. Bare-root roses should be planted this month. Choose not only for color and fragrance but for growth habit (hybrid teas, florabunda, climbing, or shrub), disease resistance, and climate. You can save money by purchasing "old" varieties that are no longer patented but always buy "No.1 Grade" plants.

• Bare-root fruit trees should be planted this month. Choose varieties suitable for your climate. The most important considerations are the variety's chill hour and pollination requirements

• For Bare-root planting use Kellogg’s Gromulch. Mulch around plants to hold in moisture. Apply Liquinox Start Vitamin B-1 to prevent transplant shock.

• Summer-Blooming Bulbs. Since it's a good time to plant summer-blooming bulbs this month, nurseries usually have good supplies in stock. Summer-blooming bulbs include baboon flower (Babiana), canna, crocosmia, dahlia, gladiolus, hippeastrum, homeria, laitris, lilies, nerine, tigridia, tuberose, and tuberous begonias.

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Feeding:

• If you live near the coast start fertilizing your citrus this month. If you live inland, wait until March (to avoid frost damage). Mature citrus trees need about one pound of “actual” nitrogen per year.

• Feed cool-season flowers.

• Feed coo-season lawns with Best Nitra-King 19-4-4. This fertilizer will green up your lawn and keep it green!

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Maintenance:

• Deciduous fruit and ornamental trees need to be dormant sprayed. Dormant sprays such as horticulture oils and copper fungicidal sprays are applied after a deciduous plant has gone dormant and the leaves have dropped. Dormant sprays such as Lilly Miller Superior Type Spray Oil are used to control over-wintering mites and insects such as scale. Copper Fungicidal sprays such as Monterey Liqui-Cop are used to control diseases such as peach leaf curl.

• Spray peach and apricot for peach leaf curl, use Monterey Liqui-Cop

• Mow cool-season lawns. Most warm-season lawns are dormant now and don't need mowing

• Protect your plants from frost. Use Dewitt-N-Sulate Blankets, Anti Stress 2000 or Cloud Cover Spray to reduce stress.

• Get ready for winter rains. Grangetto’s carries a full line of erosion materials such as, straw wattles, straw mats, silt fence, and jute netting. Grangetto’s also carries rain gear, such as Rain Boots & Suits, Tarps and Plastic Sheeting.

• Repair drain systems if needed. Grangetto’s carries a variety of drainage supplies, such as Drain Pipe, Grates and Boxes.

• Replace old sprayers with a new sprayer. Use the SP1-E Economy Back-pack Sprayer, it’s easy to use and holds 4 gallons.  For smaller areas us Grangetto’s Hand-held sprayers. Available in 1 and 2 gallon sizes.

• For control of weeds and crabgrass before they germinate on your lawns use Green Light Crabgrass Preventer. For ground cover and flower beds use Green Light Amaze.