January is prime time to sharpen your skills – and your pruners
The orchard at the Fair Oaks Horticulture Center looks quiet in winter, but crucial pruning happens at this time. It will be open to visitors and staffed by master gardeners during Open Garden Day on Jan. 21. Bring questions! Kathy Morrison
OK, gardeners, the holidays are behind us, even if the rain is not. Time to focus for real on winter garden care, especially the pruning of trees, shrubs, berries and roses. (Pruning of grapevines should wait until February.)
Debbie posts frequently here on rose pruning, and will do so again soon. Links to some of her past posts are at the bottom of the page.
The focus in this post is the other types of pruning, a topic that can provoke confusion and anxiety among gardeners: What if I prune my favorite fruit tree wrong? Will the perennial shrub blossom or even grow back properly if it is cut back heavily, as some suggest? What happens if a raspberry bush is left alone and never pruned?
It’s not a good idea to prune anything in the rain, so stick to indoor learning when it’s soggy out. Certainly reading material and videos on the subject abound. Just be sure of the source of the information, and stick with knowledgeable experts as opposed to self-anointed ones – less danger to yourself and the health of your plants.
The UCCE master gardeners in the region are an excellent source of information on pruning. If you’re the type of gardener who prefers in-person workshops, January includes several opportunities to watch and learn. Unless otherwise noted, these events are free and do not require registration:
– Saturday, Jan. 7, 9 a.m. to noon, Open Garden, Sherwood Demonstration Garden, maintained by the El Dorado County master gardeners. With 16 garden areas to peruse, there’s plenty to see and learn. This event is part of the El Dorado group’s First Saturday series, which offers a docent-led tour starting at 9 a.m. sharp. Note: Watch the weather forecast if you hope to attend. The garden will be closed if the chance of rain is 60 percent or more between 9 a.m and noon, or if temperatures below 40 degrees are expected. 6699 Campus Drive, Placerville
– Saturday, Jan. 14, 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., “10 Tips for Backyard Orchards,” presented by the Placer County master gardeners. In addition to discussing fruit tree choice and planting, the workshop will discuss pruning tips and care advice. Loomis Library, 6050 Library Drive, Loomis.
– Saturday, Jan. 14, 10 a.m. to noon, “Pruning With Purpose,” presented by the City of Roseville and the Roseville Urban Forest Foundation, covering many types of pruning. Free, but requires registration. A few spots remain as of this writing. Register here for Jan. 14. An evening workshop also will be offered, 6-8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 26. Register here for the evening session; many spaces remain. And another Saturday morning class will be offered on Feb. 4.
– Saturday, Jan. 21, 9 a.m. to noon, Open Garden Day at the Fair Oaks Horticulture Center, the demonstration garden of the Sacramento County master gardeners. The primary focus of this first 2023 Open Garden is pruning, especially in the Orchard, but also in other areas of the FOHC such as the Berry Garden and the Water Efficient Landscape. Ask questions, take notes and gain some pruning courage! 11549 Fair Oaks Blvd., Fair Oaks.
– Saturday, Jan. 21, 9 a.m. to noon, “Fruit Tree Pruning Demonstration” presented by the El Dorado County master gardeners at their Sherwood Demonstration Garden. 6699 Campus Drive, Placerville.
Here are some of Debbie’s previous posts on pruning roses:
-- December rose care: Start pruning now
-- Late pruning is better than no pruning
-- How do you prune carpet roses?
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Flowers in My Back Yard Series
Sept. 15: Plant seeds soon for fragrant spring blooms (sweet peas)
Sept. 8: A must for fall gardens, asters are little powerhouses
Sept. 1: Yarrow an easy-care, sturdy flowering plant
Aug. 25: Crape myrtles, Sacramento's unofficial tree of summer
Aug. 18: Pollinators adore scabiosa, aka pincushion flower
Aug. 11: Hardy hibiscus adds big tropical impact
Aug. 4: Dianthus a deceptively hardy flower
July 28: Naked Ladies put on summer show
July 21: Thank Luther Burbank for these long-lasting beauties (Shasta daisies)
July 14: How to keep hydrangeas happy
July 7: Grow these bright cosmos for bees and butterflies
June 30: Agapanthus adds blue fireworks to the garden
June 23: Easy-care gazanias fill those hot corners
June 16: Daylilies are perfect for water-wise gardens (and a lot more)
June 9: Grow coneflowers for pollinators -- and yourself
June 2: Sunflowers capture Sacramento's summer attitude
May 29: Are your roses going 'blind'?
May 26: Zinnias are the summer flowers every garden needs
May 19: Plant dahlias now for late-summer flower power
May 12: Know your coreopsis from your bidens
May 5: Mums the word on Mother's Day weekend
April 28: Majestic Matilija poppy is worth a look
April 21: Celebrate roses, America's favorite flower
April 14: Small flowers with outsized impact
April 7: Calendulas do double duty
April 3: Make Easter lilies last for years to come
March 31: In praise of a pollinator magnet (small-leaf salvias)
March 24: Azaleas brighten shady spots
March 17: The perfect flower for beginners? Try zonal geraniums
March 10: Keep camellias happy for years to come
March 3: Fruit tree blossoms are a fleeting joy
Feb. 27: Are your roses looking rusty?
Feb. 24: Treasure spring daffodils now and for years to come
Feb. 17: How and why to grow wildflowers
Feb. 10: Let's talk Valentine's Day roses
Feb. 3: Why grow flowers?
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Garden checklist for week of Sept. 13
Now is the time to plant for fall. The warm soil will get these veggies off to a fast start.
* Keep harvesting tomatoes, peppers, squash, melons and eggplant.
* Compost annuals and vegetable crops that have finished producing.
* Cultivate and add compost to the soil to replenish its nutrients for fall and winter vegetables and flowers.
* Fertilize deciduous fruit trees. Make sure to deep water before and after feeding.
* Plant onions, lettuce, peas, radishes, turnips, beets, carrots, bok choy, spinach and potatoes directly into the vegetable beds.
* Transplant cabbage, broccoli, kale, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower as well as lettuce seedlings.
* Sow seeds of California poppies, clarkia and African daisies.
* Transplant cool-weather annuals such as pansies, violas, fairy primroses, calendulas, stocks and snapdragons.
* Divide and replant bulbs, rhizomes and perennials.
* Dig up and divide daylilies as they complete their bloom cycle.
* Divide and transplant peonies that have become overcrowded. Replant with “eyes” about an inch below the soil surface.
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Food in My Back Yard (FIMBY) Series
Lessons learned during a year of edible gardening
WINTER
Is edible gardening possible indoors?
Hints for choosing tomato seeds
Why winter is the perfect time to plant fruit trees
When to plant? Consider staggering your transplants
How to squeeze more food into less space
Plant a fruit tree now -- for later
Win the weed war by tackling them in winter
Tips for planting bare-root trees, shrubs and vegetables
Time to give vegetable seedlings some more space
Ways to win the fight against weeds
FALL
Add asparagus to your edible garden
Soggy soil and what to do about it
Plant artichokes now; enjoy for years to come
It's late November, and your peach tree needs spraying
What to do with all those fallen leaves?
Prepare now for colder weather in the edible garden
Plant a pea patch for you and your garden
As citrus season begins, advice for backyard growers
We don't talk (enough) about beets
Seeds or transplants for cool-season veggies?
How to prolong the fall tomato harvest
SUMMER
How to get the most out of your pumpkin patch
Summer-to-fall transition time for evaluation, planning
To pick or not to pick those tomatoes?
Enhance your food with edible flowers
Why won't my tomatoes turn red?
A squash plant has mosaic virus, and it's not pretty
Tear out that sad plant or baby it? Midsummer decisions
How to grow summer salad greens
Weird stuff that's perfectly normal
SPRING
Help pollinators help your garden
Battling early-season tomato pests
Where are the bees when you need them?
How to help tomatoes thrive on hot days
Your plants can tell you more than any calendar can
Maintain soil moisture with mulch for garden success
What's (already) wrong with my tomato plants?
Should you stock up on fertilizer? (Yes!)
Grow culinary herbs in containers
When to plant summer vegetables
Don't be fooled by these garden myths
Fertilizer tips: How to 'feed' your vegetables for healthy growth
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