What To Plant

  • November through January are the best months to transplant. Any plant in your garden that needs to get moved due to size, lack of sun or any other reason should be done now while it is in its dormant stage. If you want guidance on a transplanting project give us a call.

  • Amaryllis Bulbs are among the easiest bulbs to grow and provide huge, long-lasting blooms. This South African native can be grown indoors or out.

  • Bare root onions have arrived. Our staff prefers to plant bare root onions rather than sets or 6-pack. Check our weekly newsletter for details on varieties and arrivals.

  • You should plant your spring flowering bulbs this month! Daffodils, tulips, crocus, iris, and more! Our bulbs are located in the front breezeway. Get them before they’re gone!

  • Camellias and azaleas are arriving this month. Plant them now and get beautiful blooms in the winter and spring.

  • This is a great month to sprinkle California wildflower seeds. We have a wide selection of CA poppies and more!

  • Get your cool season vegetables in the ground ASAP! Not planting lettuce, peas, broccoli, kale, cauliflower, or tat soi this winter? Give your vegetable beds a boost before spring by planting a cover crop of fava beans, mustard, or red clover instead.

  • Is your garden looking bare or unwelcoming this season? Grab a few 6-packs of annual flowers and brighten up your space all winter long. Icelandic poppies, pansies, calendula, stock, and more. Have a shady spot? Primroses and violas do great!

Plant Nutrition & Protection

  • Thanksgiving time is when you first apply dormant spray for peach leaf curl on your peaches and nectarines. For your best bet you need to apply copper spray at Thanksgiving, New Years Day, and Valentine’s Day. The Valentine’s day application is the most important one. It’s important to catch the buds at ‘popcorn stage.’

  • Turn your Hydrangea macrophylla BLUE next year by applying Hydra Blue now. Plan on a few more applications between now and summer to get them bright blue or stop after one application for a lovely purple hue.

  • Turn off irrigation when rains begin. However, if November and December bring too many dry days you may need to water. FYI if a heavy freeze comes and tender plants are moist, they are more likely to survive.

  • Vegetable gardeners should consider protecting their brassicas from cabbage worms. Spray with Bt every 5-7 dys, exclude the moths with floating row cover, or squish the eggs every 5-7 days.

  • Do not let citrus trees go dry in cold and frosty weather! Also, lay frost cloth over them or decorate them with old fashioned Christmas lights that emit heat to protect them during cold spells.

  • Make sure trees are staked loosely so they can move a bit and establish strong trunks during winter storms. The simple nursery stake that comes with your tree is not suitable for long term use.

  • Apply Master Bloom 0-10-10. Formulated without nitrogen, this fertilizer aids the development of flower and fruit buds. It also helps plants resist diseases and cold weather damage. Use it on fruit trees, flower beds, and spring-blooming trees and shrubs.

  • Rake leaves or leave them be! Fallen leaves can create bare spots in lawns if left too long. However, leaf mulch is excellent under trees, shrubs, and perennials. If you have a leaf shredder, even better!

  • Add compost to your garden beds in the fall. Top dress with a 3” layer of compost or Bumper Crop Soil Conditioner. Winter rain will work it into the soil for you and our plants will thank you come spring.

  • Houseplants like humidity so help them out when the moisture in the air drops. Set them on top of a pie dish filled with pebbles and water. The water will evaporate and create a microclimate helping your plant stay happy. Also, as the path of the sun changes in the sky, consider moving your plants to where they get more sun during the day.

Other Stuff

  • Liven up your porch or entryway with a festive display of plants, flowers or decorations. Is your entryway shaded this time of year? Or maybe you get a lot of sun? We have Pinterest boards with decorating examples for both!

  • Clean, sharpen, and oil your tools. We have a line of products for this job next to the pruning tools in our shop.

Fruit Trees

  • Almond pruning and dormant oil / remove old nuts / control shothole disease

  • Apple pruning and dormant sprays / remove mummified fruit

  • Apricot dormant sprays / remove fruit mummies / control shothole fungus

  • Cherry pruning and dormant sprays

  • Fig remove fallen or overripe fruit

  • Peach/Nectarine pruning and dormant sprays / remove fruit mummies / control shothole and peach leaf curl

  • Pear pruning and dormant sprays / remove mummified fruit

  • Pecan pruning / remove old nuts

  • Persimmon pruning and dormant oil sprays / harvest

  • Pistachio remove mummies and fallen fruit

  • Plum/Pluot/Prune pruning and dormant oil sprays / remove fruit mummies

  • Quince  pruning and dormant sprays / remove mummified fruit

  • Pomegranate  pruning / remove split and decayed fruit

  • Walnut pruning / remove and destroy old and fallen nuts

    Dormant oil and copper spray are only used while trees are leafless.