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My Garden Diary

January and February 2022

Copyright © 2022 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 2014

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.

Unless a different year is given, dates refer to other entries in the same year as the entry in which they appear, including entries on prior pages for the same year.

Date and Weather	Observations and Activities
27 Feb Clear, sunny, and mild Temp: 51-68 Winter chill: 193.9 Humidity: 11% Wind: 6-22 Rain — This rain-year: 10.77 Days since last: 12	Used a hose to water the leaf mulch in front around the oak and roses. My goals were to start the mulch composting and to rinse into the soil the fertilizer I placed around the roses (13 Feb). Sprayed the peach tree and the lower grape vines on My Hill with a mix of copper sulfate and dormant oil. The copper is a fungicide that prevents leaf curl on the peach and mildew on the grapes. The oil kills over-wintering insect eggs. With leftover spray, I also sprayed the climbing 'Peace' rose; the other roses were already in full leaf. I finished by spraying the mulch in the Camellia bed to prevent any fallen flowers from hosting a fungus that could cause next winter's flowers to turn brown. Bailed more water out of the compost barrel (20 Feb), using it to water the adjacent compost pile and some potted plants.
20 Feb Morning: Clear, sunny, and mild Afternoon: Gray, some hazy sun, and cold Temp: 50-70 Winter chill: 139.0 Humidity: 30% Wind: 1-11 Rain — This rain-year: 10.77 The past week: 0.06	The Tree never lost all its leaves. Now, it already has new leaves while mounds of last year's leaves are still on the patio and paths in back. And I am still trying to get rid of the leaves piled on the driveway in front. Basil (Ocimum basilicum) is supposed to be an annual, living only one year. My potted basil, however, remained vigorous and productive for two years. Now, it appeared to be dying. So I bought a new small plastic pot of basil at my favorite nursery and potted it in a 10-inch clay pot. While making the potting mix for the basil, I discovered that the coarse sand I use was damp. Rain had gone through a crack in the bin where I store the sand. Then I discovered the barrel where I store sifted compost was full of water to the top; the barrel was previously only one-quarter full of compost. There is a small hole in the barrel's cover; apparently water spilled from the rain gutter directly over it. The sand is okay, but I will have to work to dewater the compost. I used some of the water from the compost barrel to water potted plants and 'Pride of Dorking' azaleas (Rhododendron indica) in back and the potted weeping Chinese banyan (Ficus benjamina) on the front porch. I noticed leaf miner has attacked the semi-dwarf 'Minneola' tangelo (Citrus reticulata × paradisi) in back. Hoping the grubs are still within the leaves, I pruned away the affected branchs.
13 Feb Clear, sunny, and warm Temp: 66-83 Winter chill: 135.8 Humidity: 16% Wind: 2-14 Rain — This rain-year: 10.71 Days since last: 25	The potted Cymbidium orchid on the small circular patio in back has four flower stalks. Buds on three of those stalks are already open. I moved the pot indoors, to our dining room. This was not to protect the plant from the weather but to show it off. On the patio, it was not really visible from the house. Climbed My Hill to prune the 'Perlette' grape vine. The 'Flame' grape vine at the top of My Hill remains to be pruned. Then, I will be done with all my winter pruning. Fed the roses — front and back — with ammonium, iron, and magnesium sulfates. I gave each plant an extra dose of the magnesium sulfate (Epsom salts), which promotes new shoots. When I pruned the roses, many had few or no new shoots. The dwarf navel orange tree (Citrus sinensis 'Robertson') already has new growth starting. I want to trim it. Despite the current hot weather, however, frosts are still possible through the end of March. Any pruning would promote more new growth, which would be easily damanged by frost. Thus, I will wait a few weeks before trimming it and also before feeding any of my dwarf citrus.
4 Feb Clear, sunny, and cool Temp: 51-62 Winter chill: 135.8 Humidity: 17% Wind: 4-29 (with gusts to 51)	Climbed My Hill to prune the 'Black Monukka' grape vine. While on My Hill, I also cut away branches of some kind of weed tree or shrub that is growing on my western neighbor's hill, substantial branches that had grown through the chain-link fence separating our properties. Rain — This rain-year: 10.71 Days since last: 16
2 Feb Clear, sunny, and cold Temp: 47-55 Winter chill: 135.8 Humidity: 14% Wind: 7-25 (with gusts to 47)	Finished pruning the climbing 'Peace' rose. Now all the roses are done. Some are even starting to get leaves. Rain — This rain-year: 10.71 Days since last: 14
31 Jan Cloudy, occasional hazy sun, cool Temp: 51-60 Winter chill: 135.8 Humidity: 39% Wind: 0-10	Checked the pothos (Epipremnum pinnatum 'Aureum') and nephthytis (Syngonium podophyllum) cuttings (31 Oct 2021). They still do not have sufficient roots to replace their parents. Pruned the climbing '4th of July' rose in front. Rain — This rain-year: 10.71 Days since last: 12
28 Jan Clear, sunny, and cool Temp: 55-65 Winter chill: 135.8 Humidity: 10% Wind: 8-23 (with gusts to 37) Rain — This rain-year: 10.71 Days since last: 9	Finished pruning the peach tree. I had planned instead to finish pruning the climbing 'Peace' rose today. However, the rose will not suffer from a delay; but the mild weather this month might cause the peach tree to bloom and leaf out early. Now, all the fruit will be within reach without a ladder. Also, the limbs towards the adjacent block wall are now shorter, slightly reducing the opportunity for squirrels to jump into the tree from the wall. Of course, I will still have to take other measures to protect the fruit; I might sprinkle blood meal along the top of the wall just before the fruit ripens. And yes, stiff peach branches with cut ends poked me such that I will have to bandage new wounds after I shower.
26 Jan Clear, sunny, and cool Temp: 55-66 Winter chill: 135.8 Humidity: 17% Wind: 6-14	Pruned the right side of the climbing 'Peace' rose in back. The green trash bin for the county's composting program is now full. On Friday after the bin is emptied, I will attack the left side of this rose. Strangely, I bled only slightly, unlike when I pruned two limbs of the peach tree (23 Jan) and required three bandages on my right arm and actually bled through them. Rain — This rain-year: 10.71 Days since last: 7
23 Jan Clear, sunny, and mild Temp: 56-70 Winter chill: 135.8 Humidity: 18% Wind: 12-30 (gusts to 50)	Two days ago, pruned another limb on the peach tree. Today, pruned two more limbs. Two more remain, but I think I will attack the climbing 'Peace' rose — perhaps tomorrow — before returning to the peach tree. Rain — This rain-year: 10.71 The past week: 0.15
20 Jan Clear, sunny, and mild Temp: 60-71 Winter chill: 135.8 Humidity: 18 Wind: 2-21 (gusts to 33)	Raked even more leaves yesterday. Because the garden-waste bin is full, there are now mounds of leaves on my driveway in front and on the patio and paths in back. Pruned the 'Honor' rose today, cutting the last bloom to take into the house for my wife. The only rose left to prune in front is the climbing '4th of July'. In back, two roses remain to be pruned along with finishing the peach tree and the grape vines on My Hill. Rain — This rain-year: 10.71 The past week: 0.15
16 Jan Mostly cloudy, occasional hazy sun, and mild Temp: 57-70 Winter chill: 135.8 Humidity: 32% Wind: 1-8 Rain — This rain-year: 10.60 The past week: 0.04	Raked leaves from half of the back lawn yesterday until my back insisted that I quit. Today, I raked leaves in front. Both days, I piled the leaves in mounds because I had almost filled the green garden-waste bin with leaves from the side of the house. Pruned two more tose buses in front. Yesterday, I thought I saw early blossoms near the top of the peach tree. Today, I started pruning the tree, completely finishing one of six main limbs. However, I do not see any blossoms.
10 Jan Clear, sunny, and cold Temp: 56-64 Winter chill: 135.8 Humidity: 19% Wind: 9-20 (gusts to 34)	Started to rake the back lawn. However, the wind proved that to be a wasted effort. I stopped after only raking a small part of the lawn. Pruned four roses in back. Then I surrendered to the cold and went inside. Rain — This rain-year: 10.56 Days since last: 11
1 Jan Clear, sunny, and cold Temp: 42-55 Winter chill: 130.3 Humidity: 26% Wind: 6-19 Rain — This rain-year: 10.56 The past week: 4.68	Despite significant rain in December, we are being warned that the drought is not yet over. The ground is so dry, that much of the runoff — both from the recent rain and later from snow-melt — will soak into the soil and not reach the reservoirs. Also, significant winter chill accumulated in December after a warm November. Perhaps, my peach tree (Prunus persica 'Santa Barbara') will have a good crop this year (if the squirrels permit). Happy New Year! Following my tradition, I braved the cold and pruned three rose bushes in front. I also wanted to rake leaves, but there was too much wind.

Date and Weather

Observations and Activities

27 Feb

Clear, sunny, and mild

Temp: 51-68
Winter chill: 193.9
Humidity: 11%
Wind: 6-22

Rain —
This rain-year: 10.77
Days since last: 12

Used a hose to water the leaf mulch in front around the oak and roses. My goals were to start the mulch composting and to rinse into the soil the fertilizer I placed around the roses (13 Feb).

Sprayed the peach tree and the lower grape vines on My Hill with a mix of copper sulfate and dormant oil. The copper is a fungicide that prevents leaf curl on the peach and mildew on the grapes. The oil kills over-wintering insect eggs. With leftover spray, I also sprayed the climbing 'Peace' rose; the other roses were already in full leaf. I finished by spraying the mulch in the Camellia bed to prevent any fallen flowers from hosting a fungus that could cause next winter's flowers to turn brown.

Bailed more water out of the compost barrel (20 Feb), using it to water the adjacent compost pile and some potted plants.

20 Feb

Morning: Clear, sunny, and mild
Afternoon: Gray, some hazy sun, and cold

Temp: 50-70
Winter chill: 139.0
Humidity: 30%
Wind: 1-11

Rain —
This rain-year: 10.77
The past week: 0.06

The Tree never lost all its leaves. Now, it already has new leaves while mounds of last year's leaves are still on the patio and paths in back. And I am still trying to get rid of the leaves piled on the driveway in front.

Basil (Ocimum basilicum) is supposed to be an annual, living only one year. My potted basil, however, remained vigorous and productive for two years. Now, it appeared to be dying. So I bought a new small plastic pot of basil at my favorite nursery and potted it in a 10-inch clay pot.

While making the potting mix for the basil, I discovered that the coarse sand I use was damp. Rain had gone through a crack in the bin where I store the sand. Then I discovered the barrel where I store sifted compost was full of water to the top; the barrel was previously only one-quarter full of compost. There is a small hole in the barrel's cover; apparently water spilled from the rain gutter directly over it. The sand is okay, but I will have to work to dewater the compost. I used some of the water from the compost barrel to water potted plants and 'Pride of Dorking' azaleas (Rhododendron indica) in back and the potted weeping Chinese banyan (Ficus benjamina) on the front porch.

I noticed leaf miner has attacked the semi-dwarf 'Minneola' tangelo (Citrus reticulata × paradisi) in back. Hoping the grubs are still within the leaves, I pruned away the affected branchs.

13 Feb

Clear, sunny, and warm

Temp: 66-83
Winter chill: 135.8
Humidity: 16%
Wind: 2-14

Rain —
This rain-year: 10.71
Days since last: 25

The potted Cymbidium orchid on the small circular patio in back has four flower stalks. Buds on three of those stalks are already open. I moved the pot indoors, to our dining room. This was not to protect the plant from the weather but to show it off. On the patio, it was not really visible from the house.

Climbed My Hill to prune the 'Perlette' grape vine. The 'Flame' grape vine at the top of My Hill remains to be pruned. Then, I will be done with all my winter pruning.

Fed the roses — front and back — with ammonium, iron, and magnesium sulfates. I gave each plant an extra dose of the magnesium sulfate (Epsom salts), which promotes new shoots. When I pruned the roses, many had few or no new shoots.

The dwarf navel orange tree (Citrus sinensis 'Robertson') already has new growth starting. I want to trim it. Despite the current hot weather, however, frosts are still possible through the end of March. Any pruning would promote more new growth, which would be easily damanged by frost. Thus, I will wait a few weeks before trimming it and also before feeding any of my dwarf citrus.

4 Feb

Clear, sunny, and cool

Temp: 51-62
Winter chill: 135.8
Humidity: 17%
Wind: 4-29 (with gusts to 51)

Climbed My Hill to prune the 'Black Monukka' grape vine. While on My Hill, I also cut away branches of some kind of weed tree or shrub that is growing on my western neighbor's hill, substantial branches that had grown through the chain-link fence separating our properties.

Rain —
This rain-year: 10.71
Days since last: 16

2 Feb

Clear, sunny, and cold

Temp: 47-55
Winter chill: 135.8
Humidity: 14%
Wind: 7-25 (with gusts to 47)

Finished pruning the climbing 'Peace' rose. Now all the roses are done. Some are even starting to get leaves.

Rain —
This rain-year: 10.71
Days since last: 14

31 Jan

Cloudy, occasional hazy sun, cool

Temp: 51-60
Winter chill: 135.8
Humidity: 39%
Wind: 0-10

Checked the pothos (Epipremnum pinnatum 'Aureum') and nephthytis (Syngonium podophyllum) cuttings (31 Oct 2021). They still do not have sufficient roots to replace their parents.

Pruned the climbing '4th of July' rose in front.

Rain —
This rain-year: 10.71
Days since last: 12

28 Jan

Clear, sunny, and cool

Temp: 55-65
Winter chill: 135.8
Humidity: 10%
Wind: 8-23 (with gusts to 37)

Rain —
This rain-year: 10.71
Days since last: 9

Finished pruning the peach tree. I had planned instead to finish pruning the climbing 'Peace' rose today. However, the rose will not suffer from a delay; but the mild weather this month might cause the peach tree to bloom and leaf out early. Now, all the fruit will be within reach without a ladder. Also, the limbs towards the adjacent block wall are now shorter, slightly reducing the opportunity for squirrels to jump into the tree from the wall. Of course, I will still have to take other measures to protect the fruit; I might sprinkle blood meal along the top of the wall just before the fruit ripens. And yes, stiff peach branches with cut ends poked me such that I will have to bandage new wounds after I shower.

26 Jan

Clear, sunny, and cool

Temp: 55-66
Winter chill: 135.8
Humidity: 17%
Wind: 6-14

Pruned the right side of the climbing 'Peace' rose in back. The green trash bin for the county's composting program is now full. On Friday after the bin is emptied, I will attack the left side of this rose. Strangely, I bled only slightly, unlike when I pruned two limbs of the peach tree (23 Jan) and required three bandages on my right arm and actually bled through them.

Rain —
This rain-year: 10.71
Days since last: 7

23 Jan

Clear, sunny, and mild

Temp: 56-70
Winter chill: 135.8
Humidity: 18%
Wind: 12-30 (gusts to 50)

Two days ago, pruned another limb on the peach tree. Today, pruned two more limbs. Two more remain, but I think I will attack the climbing 'Peace' rose — perhaps tomorrow — before returning to the peach tree.

Rain —
This rain-year: 10.71
The past week: 0.15

20 Jan

Clear, sunny, and mild

Temp: 60-71
Winter chill: 135.8
Humidity: 18
Wind: 2-21 (gusts to 33)

Raked even more leaves yesterday. Because the garden-waste bin is full, there are now mounds of leaves on my driveway in front and on the patio and paths in back.

Pruned the 'Honor' rose today, cutting the last bloom to take into the house for my wife. The only rose left to prune in front is the climbing '4th of July'. In back, two roses remain to be pruned along with finishing the peach tree and the grape vines on My Hill.

Rain —
This rain-year: 10.71
The past week: 0.15

16 Jan

Mostly cloudy, occasional hazy sun, and mild

Temp: 57-70
Winter chill: 135.8
Humidity: 32%
Wind: 1-8

Rain —
This rain-year: 10.60
The past week: 0.04

Raked leaves from half of the back lawn yesterday until my back insisted that I quit. Today, I raked leaves in front. Both days, I piled the leaves in mounds because I had almost filled the green garden-waste bin with leaves from the side of the house.

Pruned two more tose buses in front.

Yesterday, I thought I saw early blossoms near the top of the peach tree. Today, I started pruning the tree, completely finishing one of six main limbs. However, I do not see any blossoms.

10 Jan

Clear, sunny, and cold

Temp: 56-64
Winter chill: 135.8
Humidity: 19%
Wind: 9-20 (gusts to 34)

Started to rake the back lawn. However, the wind proved that to be a wasted effort. I stopped after only raking a small part of the lawn.

Pruned four roses in back. Then I surrendered to the cold and went inside.

Rain —
This rain-year: 10.56
Days since last: 11

1 Jan

Clear, sunny, and cold

Temp: 42-55
Winter chill: 130.3
Humidity: 26%
Wind: 6-19

Rain —
This rain-year: 10.56
The past week: 4.68

Despite significant rain in December, we are being warned that the drought is not yet over. The ground is so dry, that much of the runoff — both from the recent rain and later from snow-melt — will soak into the soil and not reach the reservoirs.

Also, significant winter chill accumulated in December after a warm November. Perhaps, my peach tree (Prunus persica 'Santa Barbara') will have a good crop this year (if the squirrels permit).

Happy New Year! Following my tradition, I braved the cold and pruned three rose bushes in front. I also wanted to rake leaves, but there was too much wind.

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. Rain-year 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)