The Digging Fork
A Davis Garden Newsletter
January – February 2007
January
Planting Bare-root plants: artichokes,
rhubarb, strawberries
see
asparagus, roses, grapes,
Plant notes
ornamental and fruit
trees, shrubs, berries
Cool season annuals:
pansies, Iceland poppies,
annual chrysanthemum,
calendula
Perennials: stock, cyclamen,
snapdragons, primroses,
ornamental cabbage (biennial)
Warm season bulb:
amaryllis (force into bloom
inside)
Seeding Cool season vegetables:
Outside --peas (late Jan).
see
Inside for transplanting
Plant notes
into the garden in Feb. --
cabbage, broccoli, lettuce
and cauliflower.
Warm season vegetables:
inside for transplanting
into the garden mid April--
basil, peppers,
tomatoes, eggplant
Cool season annuals: sweet
pea, larkspur, breadseed
and Shirley poppy, forget-
me-not, bachelor’s
button, Bishop’s weed
Calif. native wildflowers:
Calif. poppies, mountain
garland, farewell-to-spring
Warm season annuals: can
start many varieties inside
Fertilize
Pest & Spray nectarines/peaches
with fixed copper around
Disease New Year’s Day for peach
Control leaf curl.
When pruning, look for
borer damage and cut off
infected limbs.
Spray deciduous trees, shrubs,
and roses with horticultural
oil to kill over-wintering
insects and eggs.
Tasks Prune: deciduous trees,
roses, fruit trees (don’t
see prune spring flowering shrubs,
Plant notes trees, vines or once blooming
roses until after bloom)
Continue garden cleanup:
pick up leaves, cut back
perennials, dig and mulch
Remove unwanted
seedlings or transplant
Divide & replant perennials
Order bulbs for spring
planting--gladiolus, calla,
dahlias, begonia, daylilies,
caladium, rain lily, etc.
Water Water under large eaves.
Hydrated plants survive
frosts better than dry ones.
Calendar layout thanks to Lyle Wilen
February
Cool season vegetables:
cabbage, broccoli,
lettuce, cauliflower,
Swiss chard, cilantro,
seed potatoes (late Feb.),
shallot bulbs
Warm season bulbs:
gladiolus
Cool season annuals:
Last chance to plant is
early Feb. to avoid the
heat.
Cool season vegetables:
beets, carrots, cilantro,
Swiss chard, lettuce, Rose hips on ‘Red Max Graf’ (once blooming ground cover rose)
leeks, radish, green
onions
peas (early Feb., soak first) Planting Bare-root
Fall is over, your garden tools are put away and
Cool season annuals:
Last chance to plant is your mind couldn’t be further from thinking about
early Feb. going out and digging in the soil. But wait--don’t
forget that January is the ideal time to plant bare-root.
Cool season seeding has
pretty much ended this Ornamental trees and shrubs, fruit trees, berries,
month. Plants seeded grapes, strawberries, rhubarb, artichokes, asparagus
late winter tend to bloom
later than those seeded
and roses are all available in bare-root form now.
in the fall. We start to Bare-root plants are dormant (not actively growing)
think about warm and without soil. Nurseries will either carry them
season vegetables and
annuals soon. bagged with shavings packed around the roots or dug
into big barrels of sand or shavings. The advantages of
Citrus with citrus fertilizer buying bare-root are many. First, the selection is
Spray nectarines/peaches greater than if buying in containers and generally
with fixed copper around
Valentines Day for peach
cheaper in cost. Secondly, there is the opportunity to
leaf curl. check out the root system. Finally, being planted with
only native soil helps the plant become established
When pruning, look for
borer damage and cut off sooner. One disadvantage is the winter rains
infected limbs. preventing planting by making the ground a muddy
Start to watch for snail and
mess. If you know where you are going to be planting,
slug damage. cover that area with plastic. When it comes time to
Finish pruning deciduous plant, the area will be dry enough to dig.
trees.
Finish pruning fruit trees
Sometimes it is not possible to plant right away.
The roots should never dry out, so place the plant
before they bloom.
Finish pruning roses by
where the roots can be covered with moist compost or
Valentines day.
Paint trunk of newly loose soil (heeled in). If bought in a bag, heel in or
planted trees with make sure to put drainage holes in the bag.
whitewash to
When planting trees keep these important tips in
protect from sunburn.
Remove unwanted mind:
seedlings or transplant 1. When you are ready to plant, soak roots, in
Divide & replant perennials
Weed control starts!
lukewarm water a few hours to overnight to hydrate.
2. With our heavy clay soil, planting on a mound is
Check drip lines and flush
them. It is easy now but
advantageous to aid in drainage.
much more difficult 3. When planting grafted trees, locate the bud union
with more plant growth. and place this side towards the northeast to prevent
direct sun on this spot.
 4. After planting, paint the trunk of the tree to Marlene & Patricia’s Garden Workshops
prevent sunburn. Some think painting the lower 2/3 or Workshops are held in Patricia’s one acre country garden in
whole tree of fruit trees is even better. Sunburn results Davis. There is time to explore and ask lots of questions.
in cracking and borer infestation. Cost of workshop $25. If you bring a friend or spouse the
5. Even if the tree is standing on its own, it is a cost is $20 per person. Class size is limited.
good idea to stake the tree for future winds. Two
stakes placed about a foot from the trunk located to the Pruning & bare-root planting (roses, ornamental and fruit
trees, shrubs, berries, strawberries, rhubarb, grapes, etc.)
east and west will take the brunt of the wind, but still
Sunday, January 7 12:30-4:00 pm
allow for movement of the trunk.
Back up date due to rain – Sunday, January 14
6. For more details on planting home orchards go
Vegetables for Warm Season
to UCD website http://homeorchard.ucdavis.edu .
Saturday, March 10 11am -2:30 pm
Bare-root berries, roses and grapes are planted
Back up date due to rain – Saturday, March 17
similarly. For good drainage it is a good idea to plant
Spring Garden Cleanup and Planting
on a mound. Roses can be either grafted or on their
May –date TBA
own rootstock. Grafted roses are more likely to come
with viruses that eventually weaken the plant. Also, To register for workshops:
grafted rootstock often sends up suckers that, if not Call Marlene (530) 297-5855 or Patricia (530) 753-0607
removed, can overpower the desired cultivar. Roses or email TheDiggingFork@gmail.com
grown with their own rootstock tend to solve both
problems. For own root roses, a favorite is Heirloom
Roses www.heirloomroses.com. If you are looking
for a particular rose, check out the site
www.helpmefind.com.
Strawberry and rhubarb do not need to be soaked
and should be planted so their crowns are a few inches
above the soil line. If the crown area stays wet, the
plant will rot out very quickly. Planting in an area with
a drip system is ideal. Rhubarb will also benefit from
being planting in an area with afternoon shade.
So get out the shovel and realize that a little work in Early Narcissus in December (Grand Soleil d’Or)
the cold will have big benefits with the first flush of
spring blooms appear on your roses and fruit trees.
More local classes and workshops
Woodland Community College Weekend classes:
Bare-root can be found locally at Lemuria Nursery in
Landscape Pruning Jan. 19-20
Dixon, Davis Ace Lumber, Redwood Barn Nursery
Gardening: Selecting Trees & Shrubs Jan. 26-27
and Youngmark Nursery in Woodland.
Gardening: Designing the Yard Feb. 16-17
Gardening: Controlling Yard Pests March 9-10
Gardening: Irrigation March 30-31
Classes meet Friday evenings and Saturday
mornings. For more information and cost:
www.yccd.edu or (530) 661-5700
Master Gardener Workshops:
Rose Pruning Jan. 6 10 am -12 noon
Fruit Tree Pruning Jan. 13 10 am -12 noon
(back up date Jan. 20)
Gardening with Disabilities Feb. 3, 10 am-12 noon
Garden Symposium in the spring - TBA
Workshops are free. Information (530) 666-8143
Borer damage on fruit tree 2 year old peach tree planted
on mound – and still painted UCD Project Compost Workshops:
Worm Composting: I Can Compost Under My
Good News!!! Kitchen Sink! Jan. 27 or Feb. 24 11am to 1 pm
The new edition of the Sunset Western Garden Book is expected to For information: (530) 754-8227 or
be out in February. For Davis gardeners, this book is very helpful projectcompost@ucdavis.edu
because it uses Sunset Zones rather than the USDA Zones which Davis Parks & Community Services & TREE Davis
are based only on minimum temperatures. Sunset zones take into
consideration winter minimum temperatures as well as summer Tree pruning, grafting and proper staking.
highs, length of the growing season, humidity, rainfall patterns, Jan. 6 or Jan 20, 9 am to 12 noon Cost $16
elevation, ocean influence, and so on. Sunset Zones are becoming For information www.cityofdavis.org/pcs
more and more common on plant labels. Davis is Sunset Zone 14.
2

Calendula Pig squeak
Winter in the Garden
There are really only two months of winter in
Davis—December and January. So winter is now half
over and, if this is a typical year, spring will soon
arrive early February. Winter gardens can be quite
interesting even if they don’t have an abundance of
flowers. Many of the trees are still losing their leaves
in December adding a bit of color to the winter
landscape. Some of the deciduous trees and shrubs
have a beautiful leafless form or interesting bark.
Rose hips are the fruit of the rose which come in
many sizes, shapes and colors. Not all roses produce
hips but it is nice to have a few in the garden to add to
winter interest. Many trees and shrubs have colorful
fruit or berries. Some examples are the fruit of the
citrus and persimmons, beautyberries with bright violet
berries, and the California native snowberry with large
white berries.
Evergreen plants give the garden structure. The
“bones” of the garden, the evergreen trees and shrubs,
especially stand out this time of year. Leaves of some
herbaceous, evergreen perennials change color with the
cold weather. A spiderwort called ‘Blushing Bride’
has green leaves all summer that change to green,
white and pink during the winter.
Many of the grass flowers are still interesting –even
if they aren’t green. Unusual pods and seeds can be
left on fall blooming perennials to attract birds.
And yes, there are some plants that flower in the
winter! The common ones are pansies, annual
chrysanthemums, calendulas, cyclamen, African daisy
and primroses. A couple less familiar ones are
hellebore and pig squeak.
This year, when adding plants to the garden, include
a few plants to increase winter interest.
Spiderwort ‘Blushing Bride’ California native – Snowberry
3
Plant notes!
Here is more information about some plants mentioned in this newsletter.
Bare-root:
asparagus Look for UCD varieties
rhubarb Green and red stem varieties. Leaves are poisonous.
strawberries Everbearing (day neutral) and June-bearing varieties.
Cool season annuals:
annual chrysanthemum Chrysanthemum paludosum Reseeds.
bachelor’s button, cornflower Centaurea cyanus
Bishop’s weed Ammi majus Reseeds.
breadseed or opium poppy Papaver somniferum Reseeds.
calendula Calendula officinalis Reseeds-can be a pest. Edible fls.
forget-me-not Myosotis sylvatica Sun or shade, reseeds.
larkspur Consolida ambigua Sun, reseeds and is much easier to
grow than delphinium. All parts of plant are poisonous!!
pansy Viola x wittrockiana Winter sun, edible flowers.
sweet pea Lathyrus odoratus Soak seeds overnight before planting.
Shirley or Flanders poppy Papaver rhoeas Sun, reseeds.
Cool season vegetables:
peas Pisum sativum Soak seeds overnight or pre-germinate seeds
(4-5 days on wet paper towel inside) before planting.
California native plants:
California poppy Eschscholzia californica Cool season annual.
farewell-to-spring, godetia Clarkia amoena Cool season annual.
mountain garland Clarkia unguiculata Cool season annual, sun.
snowberry Symphoricarpos albus Deciduous shrub, white berries.
Perennials (and biennials):
African daisy Osteospermum
beautyberry Callicarpa bodinieri ‘Profusion’ Violet berries.
cabbage (ornamental) Brassica oleracea Biennial.
cherry (flowering) Prunus Deciduous tree, grown for flowers.
forsythia Forsythia Deciduous shrub that blooms in spring.
hellebore, Lenten rose Helleborus orientalis Shade, evergreen.
Iceland poppy Papaver nudicaule Grown as annual, sun.
narcissus Narcissus Early and late blooming varieties
pig squeak Bergenia The leaves do squeal like a pig when rubbed.
primrose Primula polyantha Often grown as annual. It does
well under deciduous trees as they need summer shade.
quince (flowering) Chaenomeles Deciduous shrub that is
usually the first to bloom in spring.
snapdragons Antirrhinum majus Often grown as annual. If plant
reaches bud stage before night temperatures fall below 50 deg F., will
bloom all winter until hot weather.
spiderwort Tradescantia ‘Blushing Bride’ Part sun.
spiraea Spiraea Evergreen and Deciduous shrubs.
stock Matthiola incana Often grown as annual. Plant gets woody
and eventually declines. Wonderful fragrance!!
wisteria Wisteria Deciduous vine that blooms in spring.
zebra grass Miscanthus sinensis ‘Zebrinus’ Gets big --to 6 feet.
Warm season bulbs:
amaryllis Hippeastrum Often forced to bloom inside. Then plant
outside in sunny location to bloom again the following year in June.
begonia (tuberous) Begonia
caladium Caladium bicolor To get plants earlier, plant indoors in
March, transplant outdoors in May. Plant in shade.
calla Zantedeschia A favorite-- Z. elliottiana is yellow and likes sun!!
dahlia Dahlia See article in Nov-Dec 2006 newsletter.
daylily Hemerocallis
gladiolus (grandiflora) Gladiolus To extend the bloom, plant
bulbs every 15 days starting in February.
rain lily, fairy lily Zephyranthes Will naturalize and spread.
Warm season vegetables:
Starting plants inside for tomatoes, basil, eggplant and peppers may not be
worth your time and effort unless you want a hard-to-find variety. The
nurseries are carrying more and more starter plants of heirloom tomatoes
and a larger variety of peppers and basil.
 Choosing an Ornamental Tree
Planting a tree is a large commitment. Most trees,
even in the urban environment, can live up to 50 years
or more. Generations after us will be caring for trees
planted today. For this reason, planting the correct tree
in the correct place is a must. It’s not uncommon to
see a healthy tree being removed because it was
planted in the wrong location. A little research before
purchasing and planting a tree will result in a big
payoff with fewer headaches down the road.
The following are criteria that can be used to
narrow down the search for the right tree.
Size of the tree - Most people live in homes with fairly
small yards. A large tree should be planted about
15’ from the foundation of a home, medium trees
10’ and small trees 6’. Keep them about 3-5 feet
from the sidewalk as well. Also, look at the size of
the house. Would the tree cover the house
completely or just enhance it? All trees need to be
pruned and maintained. Some small trees can be
reached with a ladder while large trees need a
pruning company. The size of the tree is a big factor
in choosing a tree.
Location of tree- If a tree is going to be planted in a
lawn, the tree should be able to handle frequent
irrigation while trees placed in non-irrigated areas
need to be able to live through the summer with no
water. Are there power lines close to the area where
the tree is to go? Small trees (up to 20’ tall) are the
only trees that should be planted near power lines.
Utility companies will prune (often unsightly) any
trees coming close to the lines. Is a vegetable
garden close? Within a few years a vegetable
garden, needing lots of sun, can be shaded by
nearby trees.
Deciduous or Evergreen- Deciduous trees if placed
on the south or west of the house can shade your
____________________continued next column _______________
More gardening tips!
Fertilizing citrus. Most citrus trees flower in March-April and
this is the most critical time for the plant to have nutrients
available. Therefore, the fertilizer application in February is the
most important. Fertilizing in November and December (as
previously stated in The Digging Fork Nov-Dec 2006), is not
the ideal time.
Sources for California native wildflower seeds:
Wildseed Farms www.wildseedfarms.com
Larner Seeds www.larnerseeds.com
Redwood Barn Nursery website: www.redwoodbarn.com
Pruning spring flowering shrubs, trees, vines and once-
blooming roses is delayed until after flowering. If pruned
now, blooms are sacrificed. The flower buds were actually
formed last summer. Some examples are flowering quince,
forsythia, wisteria, spiraea and flowering cherries. Try forcing
spring flowering trees and shrubs into bloom by cutting stems
with swollen buds and putting them in a vase inside the house.
4
home in the summer but also allow light in the
winter. However, evergreen trees can create year
round privacy. Evergreen trees lose their leaves
year round with a heavy drop once a year. Despite
what a lot of people think, the continual shedding of
leaves from evergreen trees can be just as messy, or
even messier than deciduous trees. Are you going to
have a garden underneath the tree? Is there a pool
nearby? These are good questions to ask. Many
deciduous trees have interesting bark or changing
leaf color, another attribute to consider.
Flowers or Berries - There are some positive and
negative considerations when choosing a tree with
berries or flowers. Are cars going to be parked
under the tree? Are there sidewalks, swimming
pools nearby? Some berries are relatively hard and
don’t make a mess, while others splatter, are sticky
or can stain. With berries come birds and this can
be a plus or minus depending where the tree is
situated. Flowers are usually welcome, but can be
slippery on sidewalks or coat a swimming pool.
Also, keep in mind when a tree flowers or sets fruit.
Some trees bloom very early February while others
bloom later in the year.
Pest/Diseases/Cultural Problems- Our water contains
a good amount of boron. By the end of August
some trees show boron toxicity with dead leaf
edges. Other trees tend to attract insects year after
year or are more susceptible to diseases, requiring
more maintenance.
There are no “perfect“ trees nor are there “horrible”
trees. Trees need to be planted in the best location with
considerable thought beforehand. The following
websites are good resources for more help: Yolo Co.
Master Gardeners http://Ceyolo.ucdavis.edu. and a
directory of Davis trees to view around town
www.cityofdavis.org/pcs .
________________________________________________________________________________
Boron toxicity on Patricia’s potted Zebra grass in winter
coffee tree
Newsletter created by:
Marlene Simon -- UCD graduate in Horticulture
Patricia Carpenter -- Garden Design and Education,
with 30 years of Davis gardening experience.
The bi-monthly newsletter is free if received by email. If
mailed, the cost is $6 per year. To be added to the
subscription list or to unsubscribe, contact us at:
TheDiggingFork@gmail.com updated 1-23-07