Plant Care

Prune hydrangeas after blooms fade. Annie Spratt, Unsplash Maintenance and prevention Monitor soil moisture. Established perennials, shrubs and trees need infrequent but deep watering. Container plants may need daily watering.

Sharpen your pruners with a file regularly. Photo: L Stiles Good tools need regular care to keep them working properly and safely. Cleaning your tools is also important to prevent the spread of disease-causing pathogens.

As temperatures cool and daylight hours decline, plant growth tends to slow. In addition to being an excellent planting season in our Mediterranean climate, fall is also a good time to clean up our gardens so that theyre healthy and fire-smart.

Fall Garden Fair garlic and shallots descriptions. Garlic and shallots grow beautifully over the winter in Santa Clara County. Plant garlic and long-season shallots in the fall for harvesting in June through July.

When to plant: Citrus can be planted almost any time of year. The best time is after the last frost in spring (mid-March) Harvest window: Year-round, depending on variety Fertilization: Nitrogen in January, again in May/June timeframe. Monitor for zinc, iron, and other micronutrient deficiencies and…

> 10 Earth-friendly moves > Care for specialized plants > Fall is a good time for garden clean-up Whether your garden is postage stamp or baseball field size, whether filled with succulents, roses, lawn or vegetables, routine maintenance is key to keeping plants healthy and productive.

It's easy to invite bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and other welcomed winged visitors into the garden. Just provide the food, water, and shelter they need to feel at home. This is called habitat gardening, and it's a satisfying way to choose plants.

The most effective irrigation systems are designed, installed, and maintained to distribute water as uniformly as possible and only when and where water is needed. That means applying water where roots can use it.

Reduce irrigation times as day length shortens and plant growth slows. Photo: Courtesy UC Regents Maintenance and prevention Reduce irrigation times as day length shortens and plant growth slows.

Here are recommended tools and basic pruning techniques for maintaining the health of a plant and for accentuating key attributes, such as leaves, bark, branch structure, flowers, fruit, or other desirable characteristics. Bypass pruners or shears BYPASS SHEARS Bypass shears are like scissors.