Azaleas & Camellias. Plant azaleas and camellias this month. Camellias and azaleas are best planted while in bloom not only because you can see what colors you are adding to your garden but also because you can take advantage of the post-bloom growth spurt. Whether or not they're flowering, plant them in a location that provides good soil drainage and afternoon shade.

Bare-Root Berries. Plant bare-root cane berries this month. Choose varieties suitable for our climate. Suitable blackberry varieties include youngberries and boysenberries. Other suitable varieties include bababery (a raspberry variety developed in Southern California) and rabbiteye (a blueberry developed in Florida). Note: Rabbiteye blueberries require cross-pollination so two different cultivars should be planted. (Coming Soon! -- The Berry Patch: Berry cultivation, pruning, and variety information)

Bare-Root Fruit Trees. Bare-root fruit trees should be planted this month. Choose varieties suitable for your climate. The most important considerations are the variety's chill hour and pollination requirements. Check out The Fruit Orchard for more information.

Bare-Root Grapes. Bare-root grape vines should be planted this month. To get quality fruit, you must choose a variety that fits your climate, train it carefully, and prune it regularly. Check out The Vineyard for cultivation, pruning, and variety information.

Bare-Root Ornamental Trees. Bare-root ornamental trees should be planted this month. Trees that can be purchased bare-root include birch, Chinese pistache, liquidambar, purple-leaf plum, Chinese flame, Tashkent chitalpa and desert willow (Chilopsis).

Bare-Root Roses. Bare-root roses should be planted this month. Choose not only for color and fragrance but for growth habit (hybrid teas, florabunda, climbing, or shrub), disease resistance, and climate. You can save money by purchasing "old" varieties that are no longer patented but always buy "No.1 Grade" plants.

Bare-Root Vegetables. Many perennial vegetables are available now as bare-root. This includes artichokes, asparagus, horseradish, and rhubarb. Note: Rhubarb is difficult to grow in our area - along the coast, rhubarb usually doesn't get the frost it needs and, in inland areas, they often have problems with root rot.

Cool-Season Vegetables. Between harvests you can still plant most cool-season vegetables such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, kale, kohlrabi, mustard, lettuce and other greens, and root crops like beets, carrots, radishes, and turnips.

Summer-Blooming Bulbs. Since it's a good time to plant summer-blooming bulbs this month, nurseries usually have good supplies in stock. Summer-blooming bulbs include baboon flower (Babiana), canna, crocosmia, dahlia, gladiolus, hippeastrum, homeria, laitris, lilies, nerine, tigridia, tuberose, and tuberous begonias.

Citrus Trees. If you live near the coast (or any frost-free area), start fertilizing your citrus this month. If you live inland, wait until March (to avoid frost damage). Mature citrus trees need about one pound of "actual" nitrogen per year. Split the fertilizer into equal portions and apply once a month (or every other month) until June.

Deciduous Trees (fruit and ornamental). Dormant-spray deciduous trees. Dormant sprays such as horticultural oils or lime-sulfur are applied after a deciduous plant has gone dormant and dropped its leaves. Dormant sprays are used to control overwintering mites and insects such as scale. Lime-sulfur spray is used to control certain fungal diseases such as peach leaf curl (see below). Note: Do not use lime-sulfur on apricot trees.

If the tree requires pruning (whether for fruit production or growth control) and you haven't done it yet, it must be done now while it is still dormant. Near the coast, if plants (notably 'Anna' apple) aren't leafless, withhold water to force dormancy before spraying.

Grapes. Grape vines need pruning about this time in order to get good fruit. Grapes are either "cane" or "spur" pruned. For more information about grape pruning requirements, check out the Sunset Pruning Handbook and The Vineyard.

Peach Trees. Peaches infected with leaf-curl (a fungus that causes puckered, yellow and red leaves) need two applications of lime-sulfur. The first should be applied in November or December and the second in January before the buds swell. If you didn't spray in November or December, apply lime-sulfur twice this month (once early in the month and again late in the month). Don't use this on apricot trees, and don't spray when leaf or flower buds are opening.

Roses. Prune roses this month before new growth starts. Irrigate the day before you prune. For information about how to prune different types of roses, check out the Sunset Pruning Handbook or your local rose society (many rose societies have pruning demonstrations in January - In San Diego check out the San Diego Gardening Clubs & Societies).
After pruning, dormant-spray roses with lime-sulfur to control overwintering insects and disease (Note: If there are any leaves left clinging on the plant, pull them off before spraying).