GENERAL MAINTENANCE: January is a great time for cleaning and repairing garden tools and equipment. Check out these Tool Conditioning Tips from DIY and lawnmower winterizing tips from Texas Cooperative Extension.

Clean up plant debris (fallen leaves, weeds, last season's annuals, warm-season veggies, etc). You'll be eliminating hiding places for pest and diseases. All but the diseased stuff and weeds that have gone to seed can be added to your compost pile!

Frosts are common this time of year, so be ready to provide protection (in the form of lights, blankets, plastic, etc.) for frost-tender landscape plants (citrus, bougainvillea, etc.). Click here for tips from the California Rare Fruit Growers.

Make sure your irrigation system is winterized. Check out these tips from Rain Bird.

LAWN MAINTENANCE: Rake any leaves remaining on the lawn and add them to your compost pile. Minimize foot traffic on wet lawns. Bermumdagrass lawns...or lawns suffering from evil, wretched bermudagrass invasions... are dormant (i.e. dead-looking).

Crabgrass prevention... put down a pre-emergent now if you've had a problem with crabgrass.

Is it raining? If so, no need to water. Is your grass growing much? Probably not. Enjoy your mowing holiday...

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: Deciduous trees (i.e. naked in winter), can be pruned through January. Get a good pruning book (Sunset, etc.) before you start hackin' away...better yet, attend a pruning clinic (look for those held by Cooperative Extension, nurseries, the Tree Foundation, etc.). If you hire someone to prune your large landscape trees, look for a certified arborist.




Sacramento Tree Foundation Pruning Events (see website for contact info) http://sactree.tycahill.com/events/index.asp
Saturday, December 6
10 AM - Learn how to prune and help work on the trees at Del Paso Elementary School - 2700 Maryal Dr. Contact Luanne for more info.

Saturday, December 13
2 PM - Learn how to prune and care for your trees. Fair Oaks Library - 11601 Fair Oaks Blvd. Contact Fran for more info.

Saturday, January 10
10:30 AM - Pruning clinic - learn how to prune your young shade trees. Meet at South Natomas Library - 2901 Truxel Rd. Contact Fran for more info.

Saturday, January 17
1:30 PM - Pruning clinic - learn how to prune your young shade trees. Meet at Rancho Cordova Library - 9845 Folsom Blvd. Contact Fran for more info.

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: Almond, Apple , Apricot, Avocado, Berries (blackberry, blueberry, raspberry, and strawberry) , Cherry, Chestnut, Citrus (grapefruit, lemon, mandarin, and orange) , Fig, Filbert (Hazelnut), Grape (table), Kiwifruit, Loquat, Nectarine, Olive, Peach, Pear, Pecan, Persimmon, Pistachio, Plum & Prune, Pomegranate, Quince, Walnut. November was when you applied the first "dormant spray" to control overwintering insects and diseases. An easy-to-remember dormant spray schedule is "Thanksgiving, Christmas and Valentine's Day," but if you want to know exactly what to spray, when to spray, and why you're spraying, see University of California's California Backyard Orchard page, The Big Picture- Pests and Diseases (http://homeorchard.ucdavis.edu/general-pests.shtml).

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

Insulate your exposed irrigation pipes with foam collars (available at hardware stores).

ANNUALS: Cool-season annuals can still be planted if you didn't install them in early fall.

PERENNIALS: Avoid heavy pruning of spring/summer/fall bloomers until late winter or early spring, when new growth is just beginning to emerge. That extra foliage will help protect roots and lower leaves from potential frost damage.

ROSES:

4: Pruning of Sacramento's McKinley Park Rose Garden by local rosarians, 9 AM -- ??. Rain date is January 11th. Local area rosarians and the public are invited to come down to McKinley Park Rose Garden and learn how to prune and help out on pruning this rose garden's 1300 rose bushes. Tool sharpening demonstration by Bill Humenick. Free tool sharpening for the workers or for a small fee to the public.

9: Sacramento Rose Society Meeting at 7:30 P.M. at the Shepard Garden and Arts Center, 3330 McKinley Blvd, Sacramento, CA. Program: Pruning demonstration by members of the Sacramento Rose Society. Tool sharpening demonstration will be included in the program..

11: Pruning Demonstration. Citrus Heights City Hall interior Rose Garden by members of Sierra Foothills Rose Society, 9 AM -- ??. SRS Pruning Demonstration by Consulting Rosarian Muriel Humenickl will be between 10 A.M. - 12 Noon. Rain date is January 18th. Local area rosarians and the public are invited to come down to the old Fountain Square Rose Garden now Citrus Heights City Hall Rose Garden and learn how to prune and help out on pruning this rose garden. Tool sharpening demonstration by Bill Humenick. Free tool sharpening for the workers or for a small fee to the public.

11: Pruning Demonstration. Time: 10:00AM - 12:00 Noon. Place: Bell Road Baptist Church, Auburn, CA by members of the Gold Country Rose Society. Contact Ernie Magill for more information.

11: Pruning Demonstration. Time: 1:00 PM. Place: Auburn Chamber of Commerce, Auburn, CA by members of the Gold Country Rose Society. Contact Ernie Magill for more information.

12: Mother Lode Rose Society Meeting at 1:30 P.M. at the Senior Center, Jackson, CA. Program: Rose Pruning Clinic & Winter Care. For more information Contact Elsina Dean. The Senior Center is located at 229 New York Ranch Road, Jackson, CA. The public is invited to attend.

14: Gold Country Rose Society Meeting at 7:30 P.M. at the Auburn Civic Center Rose Room, Auburn, CA. Program: Rose Pruning Demonstration & Winter Care.

18: Rose Pruning Demonstration, 9:00 A.M. at Dry Creek Ranch Rose Garden, 6852 Dry Creek Rd, Rio Linda. Rain date is January 25, 2003. Contact Adena Kalal for more details.

19: "Diagnosing Rose Pests and Diseases" to Seattle Rose Society by Baldo Villegas. Contact Baldo Villegas for more details.

25: Rose Pruning Demonstration, 10:00 AM - 12:00 P.M. by Baldo Villegas at St. John's Church, near Manzanita & Locust, Carmichael, CA. Rain date is February 1, 2003 at the same time. Contact Baldo Villegas for more details.

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

PESTS: Rain sends ants indoors. Click here for control measures.

Visit the IPM website for control measures. While you're on the site, check out the photos of beneficial insects as well.