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My Garden Diary

January and February 2018

Copyright © 2018 by David E. Ross

Many years ago, when I first started my Web site, I created an online diary of my gardening activities and observations. However, with work and the commute from Hell, I was often so tired I had to choose between maintaining my garden and maintaining my diary. Sometimes, I did neither. In 1998, I stopped my diary and removed the pages from my Web site.

Now I am retired. I am well-rested and have plenty of time to both garden and maintain a diary. This diary is primarily for my own benefit, so that I can look back upon what I did and when. But I thought others might also be interested, so here it is.

Also see What's Blooming in My Garden Now?

Diary entries for 2004 through 2012

Entries below are in reverse order (latest at the top). Daily, I might stoop to pull a weed or use a hose to water some potted plants; however, I don't consider those significant gardening activities. Thus, you will not see daily entries. Also, I might accumulate a few entries before updating this page on the Web.

When plants have well-known common names, their scientific names are given only the first time they appear on this page (entry closest to the bottom). There, the common name is in bold or appears as a link to another Web page.

Dates without years refer to other entries in the same year as the entry in which they appear — including entries on prior pages for the same year — unless a different year is given.

Date and Weather	Observations and Activities
26 Feb Mostly clear with scattered clouds, mostly sunny, and cool Temp: 48-63 Winter chill: 110.4 hours Humidity: 41% Wind: 0-16 Rain — This season: 1.98 Days since last: 39	Today, a professional tree service trimmed my trees. In front, they thinned the Japanese zelkova (Z. serrata) and valley white oak (Quercus lobata), making sure their lowest branches were at least 16 feet above the street and sidewalk and that the oak's branches over our house were not close to the roof. (The county requires at least a 14-foot clearance over the street and sidewalk; I wanted more clearance so that new growth would not soon require a repeat trimming.) In back, they thinned The Tree so that strong winds would blow through it without breaking branches (30 Apr 2014). On My Hill, they trimmed the volunteer coyote bush (Baccharis pilularis) growing above the cross-hill V-ditch and cut down the larger ash trees (Fraxinus uhdei, sometimes called shamel or evergreen ash), seedlings from The Tree.
25 Feb Clear, sunny, and cool Temp: 44-65 Winter chill: 110.4 hours Humidity: 14% Wind: 0-21 Rain — This season: 1.95 Days since last: 37	This winter is NOT the warmest. With 110.4 hours of temperatures at or below 45°F since the beginning of November, this is only the second warmest, only slightly colder than the winter of 2014-2015, which had a total of 102.4 hours. However, I fear that the winter chill we recently experienced — 81.4 hours in the past 8 days — might be too little and too late for my peach tree and other plants in my garden that require a cold winter. Removed some more mounds of leaves from the paths in back. Fed the roses with ammonium, iron, and magnesium sulfates.
18 Feb A few scattered clouds, sunny, and cool Temp: 53-66 Winter chill: 29.0 hours Humidity: 34% Wind: 1-14 Rain — This season: 1.95 Days since last: 30	Cleared more mounds of leaves from the paths in back. Gave my roses super-phosphate. Phosphorus promotes flowering, and it has been about 8 years since I last injected super-phosphate into the soil around my roses. Phosphorus does not readily dissolve, so I used a steel rod to poke three holes into the soil around each rose plant and carefully filled each hole with the fertilizer. Broadcast a generous amount of iron sulfate around the liquidambar tree (L. styraciflua) in front in an attempt to prevent chlorosis (14 Jan). Spread generous amounts of gypsum (calcium sulfate) around the Camellia japonica, C. sasanqua, azaleas (Rhododendron indica), and 'Goodwin Creek' lavender (Lavandula lanata × dentata) in back. These plants all require good drainage, which is hard to achieve with my clay soil. The gypsum reacts chemically with the clay, however, to make it granular and porous. I spread gypsum over my entire garden — front and back — every second winter, but I have to give these particular plants a dose of gypsum every winter.
9 Feb Clear, sunny, and mild Temp: 67-82 Winter chill: 18.0 hours Humidity: 17% Wind: 3-10 Rain — This season: 1.95 Days since last: 21	This past week, my favorite landscape contractor removed the roses — climbing 'Dublin Bay' in back and 'Brandy' and 'Burgundy Iceberg' in front — that I want to replace. With most leaves from my trees already fallen, started moving the mounds of leaves into the green trash bin for the county's composting program. Sprayed the peach tree and remaining roses with a mixture of copper-based fungicide and dormant oil. I had some spray left over, which I used on the two lower grape vines on My Hill and on the ground in the camellia bed.
4 Feb Clear, sunny, and warm Temp: 67-86 Winter chill: 18.0 hours Humidity: 15% Wind: 1-16	Climbed to the top of My Hill to prune the 'Flame' grape vine. While I was up there, I cut down some seedling trees that were blocking a sprinkler head. All winter pruning is now done. Rain — This season: 1.95 Days since last: 16
31 Jan Clear, sunny, and warm Temp: 64-84 Winter chill: 18.0 hours Humidity: 12% Wind: 1-11	Pruned the 'Perlette' and 'Black Monukka' grape vines near the bottom of My Hill. While I was there, I also cut down a number of seedling trees that volunteered on My Hill. Rain — This season: 1.95 Days since last: 12
28 Jan Clear, sunny, and mild Temp: 63-75 Winter chill: 18.0 hours Humidity: 19% Wind: 21-34 (gusts to 52) Rain — This season: 1.95 Days since last: 9	A Santa Anna weather condition is definitely upon us. Pruned the climbing 'Peace' rose in back. It fought back, leaving both my hands bleeding from thorns. No, I do not wear gloves. When pruning roses, I need to feel for new growth buds, including on the side of the branch away from me and my sight. In any case, some of my roses have thorns that will easily penetrate leather work gloves. I decided not to prune the climbing 'Dublin Bay' rose. Its lack of vigor disappoints me, so I plan to replace it. When I did my weekly watering of the indoor plants downstairs, I included a small amount of mild fertilizer in the water. The only other time these are fed is when I repot them and include a small amount of bloodmeal in my homemade potting mix.
26 Jan Clear, sunny, and cold Temp: 46-60 Winter chill: 18.0 hours Humidity: 33% Wind: 4-24 (gusts to 36)	Pruned the climbing '4th of July' rose in front. I was going to also prune the climbing 'Dublin Bay' rose in back, but it was just too cold to continue working in my garden. Rain — This season: 1.95 Week: 0.01
24 Jan Clear, sunny, and mild Temp: 56-70 Winter chill: 18.0 hours Humidity: 15% Wind: 0-14	Raked even more leaves in front and back. Pruned the 'Iceberg' and 'Arizona' roses in back and the 'Oregold' rose in front. The 'Color Magic' rose in back died, and I am going to replace the 'Brandy' and 'Burgundy Iceberg' roses in front. Those, of course, will not be pruned. I still have to prune the climbers: '4th of July' in front and 'Peace' and 'Dublin Bay' in back. After that, I will have to climb My Hill to prune the three grape vines. Rain — This season: 1.95 Week: 0.01
17 Jan Mostly clear, sunny, and mild Temp: 59-78 Winter chill: 12.0 hours Humidity: 24% Wind: 0-11	Finished pruning the peach tree. Rain — This season: 1.94 Week: 0.01
15 Jan Mostly clear, sunny, and mild Temp: 60-76 Winter chill: 12.0 hours Humidity: 26% Wind: 0-14	Started pruning the peach tree (Prunus persica 'Santa Barbara'). I did about half before getting too tired to continue. However, I had just enough energy also to prune the 'Sunsprite' rose. Rain — This season: 1.94 Week: 1.84
14 Jan mostly clear, sunny, and mild Temp: 56-75 Winter chill: 12.0 hours Humidity: 6% Wind: 0-11 Rain — This season: 1.94 Week: 1.87	Gave the dwarf Burford holly (Ilex cornuta 'Burfordii Nana') in front generous amounts of gypsum and soil sulfur. These have been struggling since the exterior of the house was painted about two years ago. They need good drainage (which the gypsum will improve) and a soil that is somewhat acidic (which the sulfur will provide). I also gave the liquidambar tree (L. styraciflua) gypsum and sulfur along with iron sulfate in an attempt to reduce the chlorosis that afflicts the tree. Raked leaves again. After filling the green trash bin — collected for the county's composting program — I started making mounds of leaves in back on the patio and on the paths around the lawn.

Date and Weather

Observations and Activities

26 Feb

Mostly clear with scattered clouds, mostly sunny, and cool

Temp: 48-63
Winter chill: 110.4 hours
Humidity: 41%
Wind: 0-16

Rain —
This season: 1.98
Days since last: 39

Today, a professional tree service trimmed my trees.

In front, they thinned the Japanese zelkova (Z. serrata) and valley white oak (Quercus lobata), making sure their lowest branches were at least 16 feet above the street and sidewalk and that the oak's branches over our house were not close to the roof. (The county requires at least a 14-foot clearance over the street and sidewalk; I wanted more clearance so that new growth would not soon require a repeat trimming.)
In back, they thinned The Tree so that strong winds would blow through it without breaking branches (30 Apr 2014).
On My Hill, they trimmed the volunteer coyote bush (Baccharis pilularis) growing above the cross-hill V-ditch and cut down the larger ash trees (Fraxinus uhdei, sometimes called shamel or evergreen ash), seedlings from The Tree.

25 Feb

Clear, sunny, and cool

Temp: 44-65
Winter chill: 110.4 hours
Humidity: 14%
Wind: 0-21

Rain —
This season: 1.95
Days since last: 37

This winter is NOT the warmest. With 110.4 hours of temperatures at or below 45°F since the beginning of November, this is only the second warmest, only slightly colder than the winter of 2014-2015, which had a total of 102.4 hours. However, I fear that the winter chill we recently experienced — 81.4 hours in the past 8 days — might be too little and too late for my peach tree and other plants in my garden that require a cold winter.

Removed some more mounds of leaves from the paths in back.

Fed the roses with ammonium, iron, and magnesium sulfates.

18 Feb

A few scattered clouds, sunny, and cool

Temp: 53-66
Winter chill: 29.0 hours
Humidity: 34%
Wind: 1-14

Rain —
This season: 1.95
Days since last: 30

Cleared more mounds of leaves from the paths in back.

Gave my roses super-phosphate. Phosphorus promotes flowering, and it has been about 8 years since I last injected super-phosphate into the soil around my roses. Phosphorus does not readily dissolve, so I used a steel rod to poke three holes into the soil around each rose plant and carefully filled each hole with the fertilizer.

Broadcast a generous amount of iron sulfate around the liquidambar tree (L. styraciflua) in front in an attempt to prevent chlorosis (14 Jan).

Spread generous amounts of gypsum (calcium sulfate) around the Camellia japonica, C. sasanqua, azaleas (Rhododendron indica), and 'Goodwin Creek' lavender (Lavandula lanata × dentata) in back. These plants all require good drainage, which is hard to achieve with my clay soil. The gypsum reacts chemically with the clay, however, to make it granular and porous. I spread gypsum over my entire garden — front and back — every second winter, but I have to give these particular plants a dose of gypsum every winter.

9 Feb

Clear, sunny, and mild

Temp: 67-82
Winter chill: 18.0 hours
Humidity: 17%
Wind: 3-10

Rain —
This season: 1.95
Days since last: 21

This past week, my favorite landscape contractor removed the roses — climbing 'Dublin Bay' in back and 'Brandy' and 'Burgundy Iceberg' in front — that I want to replace.

With most leaves from my trees already fallen, started moving the mounds of leaves into the green trash bin for the county's composting program.

Sprayed the peach tree and remaining roses with a mixture of copper-based fungicide and dormant oil. I had some spray left over, which I used on the two lower grape vines on My Hill and on the ground in the camellia bed.

4 Feb

Clear, sunny, and warm

Temp: 67-86
Winter chill: 18.0 hours
Humidity: 15%
Wind: 1-16

Climbed to the top of My Hill to prune the 'Flame' grape vine. While I was up there, I cut down some seedling trees that were blocking a sprinkler head. All winter pruning is now done.

Rain —
This season: 1.95
Days since last: 16

31 Jan

Clear, sunny, and warm

Temp: 64-84
Winter chill: 18.0 hours
Humidity: 12%
Wind: 1-11

Pruned the 'Perlette' and 'Black Monukka' grape vines near the bottom of My Hill. While I was there, I also cut down a number of seedling trees that volunteered on My Hill.

Rain —
This season: 1.95
Days since last: 12

28 Jan

Clear, sunny, and mild

Temp: 63-75
Winter chill: 18.0 hours
Humidity: 19%
Wind: 21-34 (gusts to 52)

Rain —
This season: 1.95
Days since last: 9

A Santa Anna weather condition is definitely upon us.

Pruned the climbing 'Peace' rose in back. It fought back, leaving both my hands bleeding from thorns. No, I do not wear gloves. When pruning roses, I need to feel for new growth buds, including on the side of the branch away from me and my sight. In any case, some of my roses have thorns that will easily penetrate leather work gloves.

I decided not to prune the climbing 'Dublin Bay' rose. Its lack of vigor disappoints me, so I plan to replace it.

When I did my weekly watering of the indoor plants downstairs, I included a small amount of mild fertilizer in the water. The only other time these are fed is when I repot them and include a small amount of bloodmeal in my homemade potting mix.

26 Jan

Clear, sunny, and cold

Temp: 46-60
Winter chill: 18.0 hours
Humidity: 33%
Wind: 4-24 (gusts to 36)

Pruned the climbing '4th of July' rose in front. I was going to also prune the climbing 'Dublin Bay' rose in back, but it was just too cold to continue working in my garden.

Rain —
This season: 1.95
Week: 0.01

24 Jan

Clear, sunny, and mild

Temp: 56-70
Winter chill: 18.0 hours
Humidity: 15%
Wind: 0-14

Raked even more leaves in front and back.

Pruned the 'Iceberg' and 'Arizona' roses in back and the 'Oregold' rose in front. The 'Color Magic' rose in back died, and I am going to replace the 'Brandy' and 'Burgundy Iceberg' roses in front. Those, of course, will not be pruned. I still have to prune the climbers: '4th of July' in front and 'Peace' and 'Dublin Bay' in back. After that, I will have to climb My Hill to prune the three grape vines.

Rain —
This season: 1.95
Week: 0.01

17 Jan

Mostly clear, sunny, and mild

Temp: 59-78
Winter chill: 12.0 hours
Humidity: 24%
Wind: 0-11

Finished pruning the peach tree.

Rain —
This season: 1.94
Week: 0.01

15 Jan

Mostly clear, sunny, and mild

Temp: 60-76
Winter chill: 12.0 hours
Humidity: 26%
Wind: 0-14

Started pruning the peach tree (Prunus persica 'Santa Barbara'). I did about half before getting too tired to continue. However, I had just enough energy also to prune the 'Sunsprite' rose.

Rain —
This season: 1.94
Week: 1.84

14 Jan

mostly clear, sunny, and mild

Temp: 56-75
Winter chill: 12.0 hours
Humidity: 6%
Wind: 0-11

Rain —
This season: 1.94
Week: 1.87

Gave the dwarf Burford holly (Ilex cornuta 'Burfordii Nana') in front generous amounts of gypsum and soil sulfur. These have been struggling since the exterior of the house was painted about two years ago. They need good drainage (which the gypsum will improve) and a soil that is somewhat acidic (which the sulfur will provide).

I also gave the liquidambar tree (L. styraciflua) gypsum and sulfur along with iron sulfate in an attempt to reduce the chlorosis that afflicts the tree.

Raked leaves again. After filling the green trash bin — collected for the county's composting program — I started making mounds of leaves in back on the patio and on the paths around the lawn.

Weather data are from the Cheeseboro (CHE) weather station, about 2 miles ENE of my house.

The high temperature (°F) is daytime for the indicated date; the low temperature (°F) is for the previous night.

Winter chill is the cumulative hours of temperatures at or below 45°F from 1 November through 31 March. It is reported during that period and through April.

The relative humidity is at noon. (In my garden, it is likely higher than reported, a result of regular irrigation.)

Wind speeds (mph) are average (not peak) low and high, midnight to midnight (subject to later correction for diary entries posted before the end of the day). I also indicate peak wind gusts parenthetically when they are significantly high.

Rain is in inches. Season is the cumulative amount of rainfall from 1 October until 30 September of the following year (our "rain-year"). Week is the cumulative amount of measurable rainfall from noon seven days ago until noon of the indicated date. If no measurable rain fell in that period, Days since last is reported.

Characterization of the weather (e.g., Clear, sunny, and warm) is purely subjective; for example, "warm" might occur with higher temperatures than "hot" if the former occurs with lower humidity and more breezes than the latter. Also, a day that would normally be characterized as "mild" might instead be "warm" if the immediately previous days were quite cold. Finally, such characterization reflects when I was actually outside and gardening and ignores changes that occur while I am inside.

The signature line I use when writing messages about my garden includes the following:

Climate:  California Mediterranean

Sunset Zone: 21 -- interior Santa Monica Mountains with some ocean influence (USDA 10a, very close to Sunset Zone 19)