LAWN MAINTENANCE: Feed cool-season lawns (fescue, perennial ryegrass, bluegrass) with high-nitrogen fertilizer when weather warms.

UC GUIDE TO HEALTHY LAWNS: Want to know what type of lawn you have and how to maintain it? Want to put in a new lawn or renovate an old one? Need lawn pest info? The new UC Guide to Healthy Lawns is an excellent resource. So is the UC "Lawn Watering Guide for California".

SHADE TREES: Having any tree concerns? Call a certified arborist for help.

BACKYARD ORCHARD TREES, SHRUBS & VINES: The following links to the University of California Backyard Orchard care sheets will keep you on track and on your way to a tasty harvest:

Citrus are heavy nitrogen-feeders. An application of nitrogen in late winter/early spring will provide adequate nutrients for flower and fruit set.



RECOMMENDED FERTILIZER APPLICATION RATES:

NITROGEN (N): regular application required
1 to 2 year old tree: 2 tablespoons nitrogen fertilizer 3 to 4 times per year or 1/10 lb. nitrogen fertilizer per year
3-year-old tree: 1/4 lb. nitrogen applied to dripline before watering
4+ year old tree: 1 lb. actual nitrogen per tree per year. So, if your nitrogen fertilizer contains 33% actual nitrogen (33-0-0), you will need to apply 3 lbs. Some references recommend dividing applications into thirds, totaling 3 applications per year (early spring, summer and fall). If you follow that recommendation, make sure you avoid feeding oranges and grapefruit during summer to avoid thick rinds, lower juice content and re-greening of Valencia oranges.
PHOSPHORUS (P): 1 lb. phosphate per tree every 3 to 4 years per mature tree
POTASSIUM (K): as needed (deficiency: general leaf pattern begins as a yellowing of the tips and margins, which then gets broader. Necrotic areas and spotting can develop on the leaves) 2.5 to 5 lbs. potassium per mature tree per year for 2 years if deficiency is noted.
MAGNESIUM (Mg): as needed (deficiency noted by yellowing between veins of older leaves followed by dropping.)
ZINC: as needed (deficiency symptom is "mottle-leaf", exhibited by "small terminal leaves with mottling between large leaf veins". Apply late-winter or early spring foliar spray (carefully follow label directions)
IRON: as needed (deficiency symptom is yellowing between large leaf veins... i.e. interveinal chlorosis)
foliar spray (follow label directions)
MANGANESE (Mn): as needed (deficiency: young leaves turn light green between veins, often more noticeable on tree's north side).

Combination "micronutrient sprays" are available at your local nursery if you suspect multiple deficiencies. A specialized citrus fertilizer or "citrus food" likely contains all necessary macro- and micro-nutrients.

References: California Master Gardener Handbook and the following books:

IRRIGATION: If it's raining, make sure your automatic irrigation controller is set to "off". If, however, we have a late-winter dry spell, you may need to water (esp. under eaves).

Keep your exposed irrigation pipes insulated with foam collars (available at hardware stores) until frost danger has passed (toward the end of the month).

Now is a good time to check your drip system for problems. If you're like me, you've managed to chop many of those long tubes into penne pasta-sized bits... It's also a good time to flush out sediment, earwigs, etc.

ANNUALS: Start feeding cool-season annuals as weather warms and active growth begins.

PERENNIALS: Avoid cutting back frost-damaged perennials until you see signs of new growth. Dig and divide semi-dormant perennials like daylilies and agapanthus if they've become crowded.

WEEDS: See the UC Weed Gallery for proper identification and the UC IPM Pest Notes for how to manage them.

PESTS: Slugs, snails and aphids, oh my!.Visit the fabulous UC IPM website for control measures. Here's a link to the slug and snail page:

Slugs & Snails: http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7427.html
Aphids: http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7404.html
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