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

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

I have no experience of roses having a flush of blooms in late autumn or
winter, I live in a warm temperate area but even so they are leafless and
dormant at that time. Do yours lose their leaves? When? When do they bud
with the new season's growth?

In general there is no point in feeding unless the season is such that they
will grow strongly. Here I prune when the new buds are first starting to
form so you can see where the leaders will go for new growth. I hardly
water during winter as they are dormant. Once the buds burst and the new
leaves are going strongly (about 4-6 weeks after pruning) I feed and pay
more attention to watering as required.

D

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

On Sunday, January 5, 2014 10:19:59 PM UTC-8, David Hare-Scott wrote:
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



I have no experience of roses having a flush of blooms in late autumn or

winter, I live in a warm temperate area but even so they are leafless and

dormant at that time. Do yours lose their leaves? When? When do they bud

with the new season's growth?



In general there is no point in feeding unless the season is such that they

will grow strongly. Here I prune when the new buds are first starting to

form so you can see where the leaders will go for new growth. I hardly

water during winter as they are dormant. Once the buds burst and the new

leaves are going strongly (about 4-6 weeks after pruning) I feed and pay

more attention to watering as required.



D

I posted a reply but it bounced as an email? Working on different computer -- transition from XP to 7 is fraught.

Will wait to see if this goes through.

HB

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

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

On Tuesday, January 7, 2014 10:20:36 PM UTC-8, David E. Ross wrote:
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.

Seriously, David, would it be worth your while to bank the surrounding area out to the drip line with ice cubes? It would be expensive, yes, but might help get you a crop this year.

I had a peach tree for 15 - more like 20 - years that bore up a storm; couldn't keep up with the picking. And my area is much milder than yours. Can't remember my variety; it was a golden oldie standard cling. What variety is yours?

HB

Higgs Boson wrote:

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.

Seriously, David, would it be worth your while to bank the
surrounding area out to the drip line with ice cubes? It would be
expensive, yes, but might help get you a crop this year.

I had a peach tree for 15 - more like 20 - years that bore up a
storm; couldn't keep up with the picking. And my area is much milder
than yours. Can't remember my variety; it was a golden oldie
standard cling. What variety is yours?

HB

I think a portable cooler would be the thing, the kind they hire for parties
etc. All you need to do is turn on its side and poke the tree in through
the door. Connect up with a long extension lead or better still a
generator. The kind you pedal would be best for the environment. As a side
benefit you keep warm yourself and get fit. I am starting to think this
would have wide application. Perhaps special coolers that come with an
insulated tent would sell well. Seriously, David.

Serious David

On 1/10/2014 7:29 PM, Higgs Boson wrote:
On Tuesday, January 7, 2014 10:20:36 PM UTC-8, David E. Ross wrote:
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.

Seriously, David, would it be worth your while to bank the
surrounding area out to the drip line with ice cubes? It would be expensive, yes,
but might help get you a crop this year.

I had a peach tree for 15 - more like 20 - years that bore up a
storm; couldn't keep up with the picking. And my area is much milder than
yours. Can't remember my variety; it was a golden oldie standard cling.
What variety is yours?

HB


The roots don't need chill as much as the flower and leaf buds. I would
need a cage about 8 ft tall and 10 ft in diameter, filled to the top
with ice -- from November until mid-March.

The variety is 'Santa Barbara', which is a low-chill variety. However,
"low-chill" does not mean "no chill". This one produces much nicer
fruit (when the squirrels let me have some) than its predecessor
'Ventura'. The fruit is about as good as 'Golden Blush' -- my first
peach in that location -- which I could no longer find. All three were
free-stone. 'Santa Barbara' and 'Golden Blush' are sweet, juicy, and
quite flavorful. 'Ventura' is less juicy.

Peach trees reach their peak of production in about 12 years and then
decline. Many commercial peach orchards start over after 15 years. I
keep mine a bit longer.

--
David E. Ross
Climate: California Mediterranean, see
http://www.rossde.com/garden/climate.html
Gardening diary at http://www.rossde.com/garden/diary

On Friday, January 10, 2014 10:35:17 PM UTC-8, David Hare-Scott wrote:
Higgs Boson wrote:



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.



Seriously, David, would it be worth your while to bank the

surrounding area out to the drip line with ice cubes? It would be

expensive, yes, but might help get you a crop this year.



I had a peach tree for 15 - more like 20 - years that bore up a

storm; couldn't keep up with the picking. And my area is much milder

than yours. Can't remember my variety; it was a golden oldie

standard cling. What variety is yours?



HB



I think a portable cooler would be the thing, the kind they hire for parties

etc. All you need to do is turn on its side and poke the tree in through

the door. Connect up with a long extension lead or better still a

generator. The kind you pedal would be best for the environment. As a side

benefit you keep warm yourself and get fit. I am starting to think this

would have wide application. Perhaps special coolers that come with an

insulated tent would sell well. Seriously, David.



Serious David

Let's hear it for typical Aussie ingenuity!


HB