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Mailbag: What size rose to plant? Is my garlic OK?

Potted roses can be transplanted now, but it's better to wait for bare-root season

Pink and white rose bloom
Secret, a hybrid tea, is one of the most popular roses in
Sacramento. It's no secret that roses can be planted any
time in the Sacramento region. (Photo courtesy Sacramento
Rose Society)
and Kathy Morrison

Q: What size rose bush should I purchase to plant in November?

-- Debra Gordon

A: If you’re planting in November, you most likely will be purchasing a bush from a nursery that’s already potted and has been growing throughout 2021. So, purchase a 5-gallon plant (preferably) or larger, at least if it’s a hybrid tea, floribunda, shrub or other full-size variety. (Miniature roses come in 1-gallon pots.)

If you can wait until December, you’ll find a much larger selection of bare-root plants. Those are 3-year-old bushes, ready to go in the ground (or pot), and an excellent value (compared to already potted roses).

When buying bare-root, make sure to rehydrate the roots in a bucket of water overnight before planting. Bare-root roses are field grown and dug up in late September or October. Their roots are wrapped in straw or other material, and the bushes kept in cold storage until (often wrapped and) shipped. They need a drink.

November is prime time for planting shrubs – especially with soft soil after recent rains. It’s easier to dig the hole, yet the soil is still warm enough to prompt root growth.

If transplanting a rose now, it likely will still have its foliage. Do some early pruning; reduce the plant’s canes by one-third in size. Cut out any damaged or dead growth. Loosen the rootball and add a little compost to the planting hole. Otherwise, skip fertilizing until February or March after the rose puts out its first new growth. With winter coming, the bush soon will drop its leaves and enter dormancy.

Even though we had rain, remember to water your new transplant. A full-size rose needs about 5 gallons a week until it goes into dormancy. Then, roses usually get enough water from winter rain.

Garlic sprouts and straw mulch
Give garlic a layer of light mulch for the colder months.
(Photo: Kathy Morrison)


Q: This winter is my first fall/winter garden. I planted garlic 2 weeks ago thinking it would not sprout till spring but it has sprouted. Is that common and will it survive the winter? If not, should I pull it? Thank you. Your posts are very helpful.

-- David Weisbach

A: That sounds normal to me! If you planted the cloves 1 to 2 inches deep they should be fine.

Do you have any mulch on the area where it’s planted? Garlic appreciates a layer of light mulch such as straw or leaves. And keep weeds pulled, since garlic doesn’t like “competition.” Finally, don’t overwater — the rain we’re getting right now should be sufficient for a bit, but if we have a dry December, water only when the soil dries out.

Garlic’s a great crop for our area and you’ll be glad you’ve grown some.

-- Kathy Morrison

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Garden Checklist for week of June 15

Make the most of this “average” weather; your garden is growing fast! (So are the weeds!)

* Warm weather brings rapid growth in the vegetable garden, with tomatoes and squash enjoying the heat. Deep-water, then feed with a balanced fertilizer. Bone meal can spur the bloom cycle and help set fruit.

* Generally, tomatoes need deep watering two to three times a week, but don’t let them dry out completely. That can encourage blossom-end rot.

* From seed, plant corn, melons, pumpkins, radishes, squash and sunflowers.

* Plant basil to go with your tomatoes.

* Transplant summer annuals such as petunias, marigolds and zinnias. It’s also a good time to transplant perennial flowers including astilbe, columbine, coneflowers, coreopsis, dahlias, rudbeckia, salvia and verbena.

* Pull weeds before they go to seed.

* Let the grass grow longer. Set the mower blades high to reduce stress on your lawn during summer heat. To cut down on evaporation, water your lawn deeply during the wee hours of the morning, between 2 and 8 a.m.

* Tie up vines and stake tall plants such as gladiolus and lilies. That gives their heavy flowers some support.

* Dig and divide crowded bulbs after the tops have died down.

* Feed summer flowers with a slow-release fertilizer.

* Mulch, mulch, mulch! This “blanket” keeps moisture in the soil longer and helps your plants cope during hot weather. It also helps smother weeds.

* Thin grapes on the vine for bigger, better clusters later this summer.

* Cut back fruit-bearing canes on berries.

* Feed camellias, azaleas and other acid-loving plants. Mulch to conserve moisture and reduce heat stress.

* Cut back Shasta daisies after flowering to encourage a second bloom in the fall.

* Trim off dead flowers from rose bushes to keep them blooming through the summer. Roses also benefit from deep watering and feeding now. A top dressing of aged compost will keep them happy. It feeds as well as keeps roots moist.

* Pinch back chrysanthemums for bushier plants with many more flowers in September.

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