On 1/7/2014 8:21 PM, Higgs Boson wrote:
On Monday, January 6, 2014 3:55:25 PM UTC-8, David E. Ross wrote:
On 1/5/2014 8:19 PM, Higgs Boson wrote:



Climate here in So.Calif coastal has been anomalous (sp?) last few

years. Hot, cold, hot, no respecter of seasons.



Right now, it's not even our version of "winter"; more like 70-80

daytime temp. (Not that I'm complaining about the sunshine, but we

are in deep trouble for rain locally as well as in the mountains.

Little or no snowpack, big trouble for domestic water use and for

agriculture.)



My roses did not do their usual holiday season flush; just a few

blooms.



I neglected to feed several months ago. So now I don't know what the

hell to do! Normally I wouldn't feed until some time after I prune

(usually around 3rd week in January.



Is it safest to just proceed normally, rather than screw them up by

feeding now and pruning later?

Help!



HB





Prune right now. I've pruned 8 of my 14 roses. One (a miniature) will

not be pruned.



As soon as leaf buds start to open, feed.



--

David E. Ross

Climate: California Mediterranean, see

http://www.rossde.com/garden/climate.html

Gardening diary at http://www.rossde.com/garden/diary

David Ross -- Are you noticing anything different last few years?
IOW, have you always pruned on that schedule?

TIA

HB


Yes. I generally start by Christmas, prune at least on rose on New
Year, and try to finish by 15 January. My peach tree is done. Four
roses are still in bloom, but they will be cut this coming weekend.
Then I must do my three grape vines.

What is different is when the first bloom occurs after pruning.
Generally, roses had their first blooms in the second half of April. In
in 2013, they were well into bloom a month before that.

Besides an extreme drought, this is a relatively warm winter here in
southern California. So far, there have been only 100 hours of below
45F temperatures since the beginning of November and none since 21
December. By this date last year, we had slightly more than 181 hours.
Two years ago on this date, we had less than 86 hours. I am quite
concerned about my peach tree, which requires abouit 300 hours of winter
chill.
--
David E. Ross
Climate: California Mediterranean, see
http://www.rossde.com/garden/climate.html
Gardening diary at http://www.rossde.com/garden/diary