February Tips & Events for Santa Clara County
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“Leap year folklore contends that beans and peas planted during a leap year ‘grow the wrong way’.”
~Rob Leigh
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Pruning Roses
As with many deciduous plants, it is best to prune roses in the dormant season when they are not actively growing. This minimizes stress to the plant and allows you to better see its structure. Make sure you wear gloves to protect your hands from thorns, and use clean, sharp tools. First, remove dead and diseased parts. Then remove anything that is growing where it doesn’t belong. This includes suckers below the graft union and branches that are crossing or growing towards the middle of the plant. Finally, prune for shape and health. Cut back to about four or five evenly-spaced strong canes, leaving a few buds on each cane. Make pruning cuts ¼ inch above outward-facing buds in order to create a vase shape which allows for good air circulation.
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Purple Carrots
If you only buy carrots at the supermarket, you may think that they are all orange. It is believed that carrots were originally purple, with orange becoming popular through Dutch breeding. Several colors are now available at Farmers’ Markets and by growing your own. Now and throughout the spring are good times to start carrots from seed. Transplanting is not advised because you can easily damage the roots which are the relevant plant part. Loose soil is important so that the carrots will grow straight. Scatter the seeds over the soil with as thin a covering as possible, keep moist until germination, and harvest when the tops expand to a good size. The Master Gardeners have done germination and growing experiments with different varieties and soil blends. Covering seeds with a thin layer of vermiculite yielded the fastest and highest rate of germination. For growing, a soil blend of 1/3 compost and 2/3 soil produced higher-weight carrots than blends with half of the soil replaced with either sand or perlite.
Photo: Carrots come in many colors, by Laura Monczynski
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Aloes
Aloe vera
is just one of 500 species in the
Aloe
genus. Most are native to Africa and parts of the Middle East. They generally grow in a rosette pattern and store water in thick fleshy leaves and stems. Some are dangerously spiky at the tips. Flowers are usually brightly colored and grow on spikes. Aloes are easy to grow in our climate and also make good indoor plants. They are most often propagated from cuttings or by dividing the “pups” from the parent plants. Be careful not to overwater these succulents, especially if they are outdoors during frost season.
Photo: Flowering Aloe succulent, by Allen Buchinski
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Dormant Oil Spray
Fruit trees and other deciduous woody plants can be treated with a
dormant oil spray
in the winter. This oil coats insects that “breathe” through their skin and suffocates them.
Horticultural oil
is generally accepted for use in organic gardening and considered safe for humans and wildlife. It should still be used only if pest problems have been observed. Aphids, mites, and scale can be controlled with this treatment. Spray liberally on branches where problems are evident. Make sure to complete the spraying before the trees start to bud and blossom so as not to damage developing flowers and fruit.
Photo: San Jose Scale, by Jack Kelly Clark
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Tomatoes and Peppers
This month and next are when Master Gardeners start seedlings for our annual
Spring Garden Market
. Tomatoes and peppers need a long, hot growing season, so starting seeds indoors or in a greenhouse in February or March will give them a head start. Put the seeds into small pots with loose potting soil and cover with a thin layer of soil or vermiculite. Keep them moist until they germinate. Keeping them in a warm place, such as by a sunny window or on a seedling heating pad, will help in germination. Provide plenty of light, preferably with fluorescent lighting close to the plants. As they grow and while waiting for the ground to warm up, they can be up-potted to larger pots and gradually introduced to the outdoors. Or, you can just wait until the Spring Garden Market on April 18 at Martial Cottle Park in San Jose and buy the seedlings we already started for you.
Photo: Tomato and pepper seedlings under adjustable-height fluorescent lights, by Laura Monczynski
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Visit or subscribe to
our blog
for longer articles on seasonal topics
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Upcoming Events
We offer free or low-cost gardening talks, workshops, and courses all over the county, as well as hosting information tables at many community events. Please join us and bring your questions!
Sat, Feb 01, 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.,
Winter Fruit Tree Care
, Everett N. “Eddie” Souza Park, 2380 Monroe St.,
Santa Clara
Sat, Feb 01, 10:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m.,
Weeds, Weeds, Weeds
, Palo Alto Demonstration Garden, 851 Center Dr,
Palo Alto
Sat, Feb 15, 11:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m.,
Gardening in Containers
, Mountain View Public Library, 1st floor, 585 Franklin Street,
Mountain View
Sat, Feb 15, 1:00 p.m.–2:30 p.m.,
Growing Microgreens
, Central Park Public Library, 2635 Homestead Rd,
Santa Clara
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Have a gardening question? Contact our Help Desk (for Santa Clara County residents). Start by reviewing our plant
problem diagnosis tips
.
The University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) Santa Clara County Master Gardener Program volunteers are trained under the auspices of the UCCE. Our mission is to promote sustainable gardening practices by providing up-to-date, research-based horticultural information to home gardeners.
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