The holidays are now retiring , and it ’s time to break down your decorations and put everything away . Before hauling the tree to the curb , consider how much of it can go into your compost pile . The same is straight for all those live garlands and wreaths .
Divide and replant perennialssuch as lily of the Nile ( Agapanthusspp . and cvs . , Zones 6–11 ) , day lily ( Hemerocallisspp . and cvs . , Zones 3–10 ) and Perez ’s sea lavender ( Limonium perezii , Zones 10–11 ) . It is also a good fourth dimension to transplant any offspring of sess such as ruby grass ( Melinus nerviglumis , Zones 8–11 ) or foothill sedge ( Carex tumulicola , Zones 8–10 ) that have spread themselves around the garden . The land will be pretty moist right now from the rains , so be measured not to dig out unnecessarily or compact the soil by walking on it .
Prune your grapes . By now , word of mouth ( Vitisspp . and cvs . , Zones 3 - 9 ) will have shed all their leaves , and it is time to prune them . on the dot how you prune them depends on the structure on which they are develop as well as the variety . Do n’t just throw aside those vines , though . I love to make up wreaths and adorn them with all sorts of goodies throughout the yr . All you need is a duo of clippers and some thin wire or drawstring .
Take aid of our square friend . Now until spring is when birds take our assistant the most , so keep your feeders stocked . Discard any sometime , stale seed , and replenish your supply . Put out cotton plant nesting balls for the doll to use , and await to get hold one or more nests in your garden . My nesting orb has had a heap of activity over the retiring duo of years , but there is still plenty of cotton fiber in there , so I let it stay .
Prune your figs(Ficus caricaand cvs . , Zones 8–10 ) . Fig trees should have dropped their leaves by now and are ready to be pruned . The wood will be very balmy and could make for a quick and well-to-do line . Do n’t induce through it , however . As with all tree pruning , it is best to do a morsel at a sentence , stepping back often to get a good feel for the shape you are creating . You also want to maintain it at a sizing that is doable for picking the fruit without risking life and tree branch ( yours , not the tree diagram ’s ) on a tall ladder . It is always good practice to houseclean your tools ; I recommend isopropyl scratch alcoholic beverage as an well-heeled and inexpensive disinfectant .
Tend to your edible garden . Edibles can be grown year - round in Southern California . January is a skillful metre to implant all variety of lettuce , brassicas , spinach , chard , kale , pea , beans , garlic , onions , and shallots . Too many option ? How about planting a juice garden with your favourite thing to put in your morning drink , like beets , wheatgrass , carrots , and peppiness ?
white potato can be plant year - round as well . Cut them so each piece has two eye on it , and leave the pieces to dry out , or mend , for about a Clarence Day before planting . Space them about 8 to 12 inches asunder . At this metre of year , you’re able to plant lettuce right on top of the potato bed , and by the time the kale is done , the potatoes are quick to take off . Disrupt the dirt in raised beds as little as possible by digging just where you need to and gently moving the soil back after planting .
personnel amaryllis bulbs(Hippeastrumspp . and cvs . , Zones 8–10 ) . I enjoy squeeze amaryllis lightbulb in the theater , and when they are done , they go right outside into the garden . Honestly , they do n’t need any extra attention or aid in our climate . They do equally well in fond sun to full spook , in sess and in the soil .
Plant your poinsettia out in the garden . If your poinsettia ( Euphorbia pulcherrimaand cvs . , Zones 9–11 ) is still active , you could transplant it out in the garden . This plant is native to Mexico and can take full sun here in Southern California . It prefer well - drain dirt , but I have meet it thrive in clay and sandlike soils as well . However , it does tend to get gangly and respond well to steady pruning to keep it look shaggy .
Leave frost damage for now . I can always think of more to - dos , but instead I would care to give you one “ to - don’t ” . If we get a hoar and any of your plants are damage , refuse the enticement to cut back away the damage leaves . These leaf are well left in place to protect the rest of the plant in case of another frost . Be patient , and cut back after all chance of frost is past .
Video courtesy of Francesca Corra
— Francesca Corra , APLD , is a nationally endorse landscape house decorator and owner of Dirt Diva Designs in Studio City , California .
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Perez’s sea lavender and ruby grass grow side-by-side. These two plants give a lot of bang for the buck and can be easily divided and replanted.Photo: Francesca Corra
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These grapes are trained in an espalier against a low wall.Photo: Francesca Corra
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If you’re feeling crafty, save pruned grapevines to make wreaths or to use in other projects. I used an abandoned hummingbird nest and two painted pebbles to create the nest on this wreath.Photo: Francesca Corra
Prune your fig trees after they’ve finished dropping their leaves.Photo: JacLou DL
Lacinato kale is a highly nutritious choice for a juice garden.Photo: Francesca Corra
Potatoes can be planted any time of year here in SoCal, but if you plant them now, plant lettuce on top of them and it will be done by the time the potatoes are ready to harvest.Photo: Fionuala Campion
This amaryllis was planted in the ground over 15 years ago and has multiplied and flowered profusely every spring since then.Photo: Francesca Corra
Poinsettias that were purchased as winter houseplants may be planted out in the garden in full sun.Photo: Diana Koehm
This giant elephant’s ear (Colocasia gigantea‘Thailand Giant Strain,’ Zones 8–10) has succumbed to frost damage.Photo: Jason Reeves
