Homescape Designs, LLC : Serving North S.D. County

Gardening Tips for Winter in Southern Calif. January: Prune: All Deciduous trees that are out of shape or have gotten too large or thick. (Deciduous means they've lost their leaves for the winter) Especially your deciduous fruit trees!                            Also, Wisteria, Raspberries, Grapes, California Natives, Grasses (to the ground please), naked Coral Trees, and conifers ( pine trees)                           DO NOT Prune Tropicals now! ( Palms, evergreen Magnolias, Carrotwood, etc.) ALSO, DO NOT prune out frost damage.   Water: Your automatic timers should be in the OFF position by now...turn them on manually if we've had 5 consecutive days of dry hot weather. Otherwise, let your plants rest for the winter. Good Time to Plant: Succulents, Winter Vegetables (like spinach, broccoli, cabbage,) Camellias and Azaleas ('cuz they're in bloom now and you'll know what you're getting) Bare root roses, trees and vines.   Pests and Diseases: Apply a dormant spray to roses, Sycamores and deciduous fruit trees, Control snails, slugs and ants, Control rust on lawns, pull weeds, put down a pre-emergent for crabgrass. Fertilize: Please use organic fertilizers...they are so easy to find now. Then feed: Brunfelsia with double nitrogen.Treat Citrus trees for chlorosis ( yellowing of leaves) and cool season flowers. Lawn:  Please do consider removing some (or all) of your lawn. 70% of our water use goes into our landscapes. 75% of THAT is for our lawn. Our lawns are an unsustainable little habit we've been addicted to for hundreds of years. There ARE some areas in the U.S. that can sustain a lawn with very little unnatural practices (other than the never-ending mowing) However, Southern California is NOT one of those areas.  It's simply a losing battle. I know it's expensive to remove it and replace it and some of us have kids that actually play on it (but if we're honest with ourselves...not very many) so...for that lawn we do still have:                                                                                                                             To achieve a more drought tolerant lawn: Improve your soil so the roots get longer.  Add organics, humus, and aerate 2 times per year.  If your lawn is thick and healthy, you also will have VERY few weeds to deal with.                                                                     Can man survive without his lawn?      OR     How LONG can man survive WITH his lawn? Considering artificial turf for your home?  Think again...check my blog, https://plantsmack.wordpress.com  e-mail us with your question:
Please REMOVE these tiny strips of lawn near the sidewalk. Replacing with low water ground cover or plants will help keep irrigation from running into the street so often.	About 1/3 of this lawn had ugly brown patches and was removed and replaced with drought tolerant plants and a fun dry stream bed.
During Spring and Summer, pinch back spent blooms to get your plants to work to produce more for you!	Try a group of colorful succulents in an interesting container for easy maintenance and whimsy!