Companion herbs for tomatoes

While you are getting your seeds spouted and considering where to put your tomatoes once they are ready to be transplanted, here is some interesting information:

According to the Houston Garden Book, tomatoes like to be planted with onions, parsley, carrots, chives, asparagus, marigolds, and nasturtiums. avoid planting them next to cabbage, cauliflower, kohlrabi, potatoes, fennel, and corn.

January is for tomato seeds!

This is the month to start your tomato seeds indoors or in a greenhouse to get the earliest possible jump on the tomato season!

Poinsettias (Euphorbia pulcherrima)

Image Source: Wikipedia

Now that Christmas is over, I have two or more of these pretty plants hanging around my home.

Here are some links for those who would like to keep their plants alive for next year:

The Poinsettia Pages at University of Illinois Extension
Beginner-Gardening.com
Poinsettia Care in the Home
The Helpful Gardener

Search: How to prepare for a freeze warning

Someone in Florida wanted to know. We deliver.

According to the National Weather Service (apologies for the caps--its the NWS, not me!),

A FREEZE WARNING MEANS SUB-FREEZING TEMPERATURES ARE IMMINENT OR
HIGHLY LIKELY. THESE CONDITIONS WILL KILL CROPS AND OTHER
SENSITIVE VEGETATION. MEASURES SHOULD BE TAKEN TO PROTECT TENDER
VEGETATION...PARTICULARLY THOSE THAT HAVE BLOOMED OUT OF SEASON.
BRING POTTED PLANTS INDOORS OR COVER WITH A BLANKET OR PROTECTIVE
COVERING.

It is good to know the cold hardiness of your various plants, so you know what to bring in, what to cover, and what to leave alone. If you can, find out roughly how cold it will get and for how long. Some plants can tolerate light, short freezes without a lot of help, while others are more fastidious.

I have been keeping some of my tender sub-tropicals in a temporary greenhouse, which I heat on chilly nights with a couple of strands of Christmas lights. While this looks pretty, and so far has been sufficient for keeping the greenhouse 5-10 degrees warmer than the surrounding air, I will need to have some more effective heating methods on hand when the lows begin to drop into the 20's here. So far, all of the plants I have been sheltering managed to survive our first frost quite admirably (click here for online news coverage of that). In fact, my Lipstick hibiscus continues to bloom happily as if nothing was happening.

I have done nothing to my Double Knockout Roses, and they continue to appear quite happy, even producing the occasional blossom here and there. I expect they'll last the winter here, as they're very cold hardy. But if you want some links to information on protecting your roses this winter, click here.

By the way, tonight is supposed to get close to freezing, so you may want to bring in your most sensitive plants.


For the shorter freezes that we get here in the greater Houston area and other mild gulf-coast regions, the brief guidelines provided at this website or at this one should be sufficient for most occasions.  If you want to be extra prepared, or live someplace where snowshovels might be needed, you'll probably want to take your advice from someone who hasn't spent her whole life living in coastal California and southeast Texas!

The bottom line with a freeze warning is this: keep your pets, sensitive plants, and family from freezing!

If you are a dill lover...

...and you aren't planning to do so already, you might want to think about planting some dill seeds next fall.

A friend was recently telling me how she'd love to grow dill in her little containerized herb garden. Naturally, this made me curious, so I had to look it up.

According to the books I have looked in, the best time to plant dill seeds in the Houston area is from late August through the end of October. If I were to guess, that probably means that you might still be able to find dill plants at a local nursery or feed store (some feed stores sell plants--who knew?) in November and maybe December , if seeds aren't your thing.

I wouldn't try any national chains if you are trying to find something out of the "typical" season. (Just try to find strawberries at Home Depot in November. Ha!).


Oh yes, and Dill can get up to 4 feet tall if placed in good soil and full sun. :)

Blackspot resistant roses.

Here is a list from a Purdue University website. It includes hybrid tea, florubunda, grandiflora, climbing, Rugosa hybrid, shrub, and miniature rose cultivars (including Knock-out). Some of the shrub roses listed I recognize from Antique rose lists I have seen.

Surinam Cherry (Eugenia uniflora) Profile and links

Photo Source: Australian-Insects.com

Common Names: Brazil/Brazilian cherry, Cayenne cherry, pitanga, Florida cherry
Nativity: Introduced to US from Brazil
Category: Subtropical/Tropical/Tender perennial
Landscape uses: bush, hedge
Height: to 25 feet
Spacing: 10-12 feet
Habit: Tree/Shrub
Growth Rate: Slow
Duration: Perennial
Flowers: White, spring to early summer, depending on climate
Fruit: Red, sweet, edible, approx 3 weeks after flowers
Soil: acidic-neutral. Tolerates most soils and textures. Does not tolerate salt.
Light: Full sun to part shade
Water Needs: Average. Do not over or under water.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 10-11 (to 30 °F) (established plants known to survive temps to 22°F with minor damage)
Propagation: From seed in spring. Collect from overripe fruit.
Toxicity: Seeds should not be eaten. Odor of pruned plants may irritate lungs of sensitive individuals.

This plant is listed as invasive in the state of Florida, and is known to set seed in areas where the climate is friendly to young plants.

These can be grown in 5 gal or larger containers in areas where it will be necessary to move them to shelter during a freeze.

A close relative of Eugenia Aggregata.

Links:
From Purdue University
Dave's Garden
USDA Plants Database
Plants of Hawaii

First freeze of the year?

According to AccuWeather.com, the National weather service has issued a freeze warning for the inland areas of Southeast Texas.

Click here for more info.

Protect your tender plants tonight!

My bougainvilleas and my Hass avocado seedling are all tucked in for the night. I threw in my lipstick hibiscus and a containerized plumbago for good measure. Texas A&M says my satsuma orange tree should be okay, down to around 26 degrees or so, so it stays out tonight, as does the Meyer Lemon. My spineless prickly pear cactus is on our covered back porch near the house, which I hope will be enough. They're supposed to be tough.

So much for Albizia Julibrissin

I have been wondering why I only see these trees in older neighborhoods. It turns out they are categorized as invasive plants here in Texas. I'm glad I found this out before I did anything stupid...like planting one.

Just one more reason to check your state's list of invasive plants. Some specimens are hard to come by for a reason.

For a profile of A. julibrissin and alternatives, click the link above, which gives a list as follows:

Resembles/Alternatives:

* Chilopsis linearis (desert willow)
* Prosopis glandulosa (honey mesquite)

Many other small to medium-sized trees make excellent alternatives including:

* Calliandra eriophylla (fairyduster)
* Calliandra conferta (Rio Grande stickpea)
* Amelanchier arborea (common serviceberry)
* Cercis canadensis (eastern redbud)
* Cornus florida (flowering dogwood)
* Betula nigra (river birch)
* Chionanthus virginicus (white fringetree)

Other alternatives include serviceberry (Amelanchier arborea), river birch (Betula nigra), redbud (Cercis canadensis), fringetree (Chionanthus virginicus), flowering dogwood (Cornus florida), sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua).

Source: TexasInvasives.org

Search: "Planting trees in Black Gumbo"

Someone was looking for information on planting trees in our "Black Gumbo" soil. I have been wondering about this as well, as many of the native trees listed in the books I read are marked as requiring "good drainage". Good drainage just doesn't happen in heavy clay soils, and in an area as moist as this one, I was concerned that I would be limited in my tree options, so I started asking questions too.

My nurseryman says that trees grow ok in black gumbo if you plant them with the top of the root ball 2-4 inches above the surrounding ground level. He advises digging a hole, putting the tree in it, and filling it back in with the original soil, using what is left to create a mound shaped area around the sides of the root ball. He also says to avoid adding soil amendments below the surrounding ground level. Rather, add any compost and mulch by layering them over the top of the mound, and letting them work their way into the soil gradually. This keeps water from collecting around the roots, and encouraging root rot.

As is plain to anyone who views the natural landscape in this region, and even most of the more established residential subdivisions, it is possible for trees to grow quite happily around here in our local soil---even trees that are supposed to need "good drainage" can grow well if planted on a slope or in a mound, as outlined above.

In any region with unique climate or soil issues, native plants are often the easiest to maintain. Here is a list of native trees that do well in our soil.

Temporary shelter for Tender plants

A week or two ago, when our evening lows dipped briefly into the 30's, I sheltered my more tender plants in one corner of my back porch under a makeshift lean-to, involving a frost cloth and plenty of duct tape. Though it had the advantage of keeping my plants about 10 degrees warmer than the outside world, this proved to be a very impractical solution for any long term sheltering needs, especially since there is too much shade on the porch for most of these plants. Add to that the aesthetic issues and the fact that duct taping one side of a frost cloth to the house and lugging plants around to put underneath it is a rather time-consuming process, and the makeshift lean-to becomes quite unappealing, despite its effectiveness.

Because my garage hasn't got any extra space for dormant container plants, and because I'd like a sunny place to keep my tender plants during the winter, I splurged on a pop-out greenhouse , which I ordered online from Home Depot. It arrived yesterday. From the looks of things, it pops out about as easily as certain kinds of car shades, children's play products, and laundry hampers, and is supported by poles and stakes, much the way a camping tent would be. It even has a shade cover for its little roof, to keep things from getting too hot in the greenhouse, and it came with a zip-up bag to put it into, when it is not in use. It appears the manufacturers built it so that it could be used year round, if the customer desires. I think I'll probably use it just during the winter, though. While flimsier than the real thing, this little temporary greenhouse should serve my purposes during our brief spells of cold. The Texas gulf coast is essentially one great big greenhouse about 8 months out of the year, so I am reluctant to put up anything permanent.

Photo Source: FlowerHouse Greenhouses

So, now the 'Blue Northers' can blow when they will, and my containerized hibiscus, bougainvillea, plumbago, and avocado plants will have a warm, cozy place to ride out the winter. Call it an early Christmas present for my plants. :)

Native Shrubs for Black Gumbo Soil

I recently posted a list of Native Trees that do well in the "Black Gumbo" soil we have here.

Here is the companion list of native shrubs that thrive in the same poorly drained conditions.

As was the case with the tree list, I have a list of shrubs that I printed out from the Native Plant Society of Houston website back in July, which has now disappeared from the web.

Fortunately, someone else has posted the same lists on Livejournal--with pictures.

But, just in case that vanishes too, I include the names of the shrubs here. I have no idea who the original author is, or I would be sure to list his or her name.

Strawberry Bush (Euonymus americana) is named after its fruit which resemble strawberries (not edible). the 1" scarlet fruits remain through fall, splitting open to show orange-red seeds. this upright shrub has green stems and deciduous leaves that turn bright red in the fall.


Wax Myrtle (Myrica cerifera) is an evergreen shrub or small tree to 18'. it is extremely tolerant after getting established. the leaves have a pleasant scent when brushed against. the tiney 1/8" gray berries are eaten by 40 different species of birds. there is a dwarf wax myrtle (myrica pusilla) which gets six feet tall or less and only tolerates dry soil.


Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) is a deciduous shrub that lives in in shallow water (up to 6") or plant in the ground. if you want butterflies get buttonbush. the late may to fall repeat blooms are perfectly round white balls with a heavy perfume. the bark has a speckled appearance and the fall nutlets are a favorite of waterfowl.


Virginia Sweetspire (Itlea virginica) has fragrant drooping white spires in spring. this 5' shrub has fall color ranging from yellow, orange, red and purple; in mild winters you get to enjoy these changing colors until spring.


Yaupon Holly (Ilex vomitoria) is an area-native evergreen shrub or small tree to 25' with stiff branches that make a dense cover that birds like to nest in. the birds like to eat the translucent red berries which are hard so they leave them on the tree all winter. yaupon is so adaptable it tolerates sun or shade and wet or dry soil.


Possumhaw Holly (Ilex decidua) loses its leavfes and is bare all winter. however, the female shurb or small tree is loaded with red berries all winter and is a standout.


Ti-ti ("tye-tye") or Leatherwood (Cyrilla racemiflora) is an outstanding semi-evergreen shrub that will grow in standing water (up to 6") or planted in the ground. in late may the fragrant white flower spikes look like petticoats. in summer the fruits turn rust color or ivory. in fall some of the leaves turn bright red and stay on the bush making a colorful picture.


Dwarf Palmetto (sabal minor) is a hardy, evergreen, fan-shaped palm. the stems are underground and the large leaves can reach 5'. it sends up a long bloom stalk to 6', with a spray of fragrant whitish blooms then it has fruit like black grapes which birds devour.


Possumhaw Viburnum (Viburnum nudum) has white flower clusters in march which turn into clusters of tiny pink, then blue-black fruit which taste like raisins. birds love the fruits too. possumhaw has outstanding wine-red fall color.


Salt Marsh Mallow (Kosteletzkya virginica) upright, branching shrub to 6 feet; grows in wet, often saline soils. the mallow forms dense showy clumps and the gray-green pointed leaves are fuzzy. 2 to 3" pink hibiscus-like flowers bloom from june - november and attract hummingbirds and swallowtail butterflies.

Bougainvillea

Bougainvilleas are wonderful because they look their best when they are abused.. These South American natives bloom the most when they are hot, underwatered, and their roots are constricted--which is why around here it is best to keep them in containers. They can be trained as just about anything from groundcover, to shrub, to tree (If they are properly supported), to climbing vine. Woohoo! My kind of plant.

They are pretty thorny, though, so make sure your hands and arms are properly protected when you handle them.

Bougainvillea "La Jolla". Photo Source: Desert-Tropicals.com

I recently got a "Sundown" and a "San Diego Red" (a.k.a. "La Jolla"). Both are pretty, but with the weather cooling down, it's time to think about protecting them.

For the time being, during the last two cold nights we have had, I have put them under a kind of temporary lean-to shelter against the house on my back porch, involving a frost cloth purchased at my local nursery and plenty of duct tape. While this kept my more tender plants about 10 degrees warmer than the open air, it will become impractical in the middle of winter, and as there is no room in my garage, I have had to look for other options. This means, of course that I have been spending a lot of time with Google.

From what I have seen, the universal bottom line is don't let them freeze. They sometimes die back or go dormant during colder months, but usually bounce back later if their roots are properly protected.

Phil and Jean Hovey recommend sheltering them fron any temperatures below 40 degrees, hence the little makeshift lean-to mentioned above. This Southeast Texas gardening website recommends protecting them from temps 50 degrees or below. Some people suggest leaving them in the garage or in the house one freezing temperatures begin, and only watering them once per month, before returning them to the outdoors after all danger of frost is past. Greenhouses can be handy too. I plan to keep mine in a temporary pop-out greenhouse, once I get my hands on one.

As they are only hardy to zones 9-11, plants in colder regions need to be especially well protected.


I couldn't possibly cover everything in a single blog post, so here, then, are some bougainvillea links for your perusal.

Plant Profiles:
Floridata
Wikipedia


General Care Tips:
Southeast Texas Gardening: Growing Bougainvillea
PlantAnswers.com
Texas A&M Plant Answers
Plant-Care.com

Brugmansia (a.k.a. Angel's Trumpet, Tree Datura)

I saw one of these blooming in a garden the other day. They look pretty cool. The one I saw was not quite as leafy as this one, but its branches still added interest to the garden it was in.

Photo Source: Iowa State University Extension

I may try to get my hands on some cuttings next spring.


Some of them are fairly cold hardy. For instance, 'Frosty Pink' is hardy to zone 7b (5 °F). However, others are not. 'Charles Grimaldi' is only hardy to zone 10b (35 °F). The less hardy ones die back to the ground each year in areas that freeze, and are not as long-lived, according to Floridata. But, since they look cool, they can be worthwhile plants.


Just don't eat or smoke them. They are known to be highly toxic.



Interestingly, hyoscyamine, one of the compounds found in this plant, is used in a prescription drug for certain gastrointestinal problems. There must be some processing involved there. :)



Brugmansia Links:
American Brugmansia and Datura Society, Inc.
Brugmansia Growers International
Brugmansia Cultivar Finder (Dave's Garden)
Dave's Garden Profile (B. candida)
Wikipedia Profile
USDA Plants Profile (B. Candida)
Floridata Profile (B. suaveolens)



Books:
Brugmansia and Datura: Angel's Trumpets and Thorn Apples (I haven't read it, but it looks interesting!)

Speaking of Catnip...

To see how far some cats will go to get their catnip "fix", have a look at this.

Is Catnip Cold Hardy?

Someone was searching for "catnip is hardy down to degrees"

According to Dave's Garden, Catnip is hardy to USDA Zone 3, which gets as cold as -40 °F!

Yikes.

Now, the website does not specify whether it will die back a little in those extreme temperatures.

I think it is safe to say, however, that if catnip can handle Zone 3, the kind of cold we get in Zones 8 and 9 should be no problem.

Around here, I would worry more about heat and drainage, when considering where to put my catnip.



See my other catnip posts.

Search: Pruning Jasmine

Someone was looking for info on pruning jasmine, so I'll offer my two cents, for what they're worth.

The star jasmine I have growing in my garden has a tendency to twine itself around my trees, if left alone long enough (about 2-3 weeks) during its summer and fall growing season. The pruning process usually involves 3 basic steps:

1. Get hedge clippers
2. Chop off what I don't want.
3. Dispose of clippings.

Given our generally warm climate, whatever I cut off grows back fairly quickly. This vine is evergreen thorughout the winter, so in my region it requires no winter pruning. In fact, the above process I have described and an occasional treatment for powdery mildew is pretty much the only work I put into this plant at all. I mostly ignore it the rest of the time, except in spring when I admire the beauty of its flowers.

Update: Keeping Plumbagos Pretty

Hooray! They're reviving!
(See my previous plumbago post)

Stinging Caterpillars

I've been getting more hits from people looking for "poisonous caterpillars". Hopefully, they're looking for information before they encounter them.

If you think you have had contact with a venomous insect or animal, it is best to do first aid and seek prompt advice from a competent medical professional.

If you want to know what these things look like before you have a close encounter, the web is probably the place for you.

Here are some useful links with information on caterpillar hazards:

Stinging Caterpillars--Bexar County Extension (TX)
Stinging Caterpillars found on Alabama Trees
Texas Entomology--Stinging Caterpillars of Texas (Useful link list)
Stinging and Venomous Caterpillars (University of Florida Extension)
Take care around stinging caterpillars (Houston Chronicle)

Google search for "stinging caterpillars"

For first aid after a sting, this University of Oklahoma site and this University of Kentucky site have brief recommendations. When in doubt, seek qualified medical advice.

Native trees for Black Gumbo Soil

I have a list that I printed out from the Native Plant Society of Houston website back in July, which has now disappeared from the web.

Fortunately, someone else has posted the same list on Livejournal--with pictures.

But, just in case that vanishes too, I'll list the names of the trees here. I have no idea who the original author is, or I would be sure to list his or her name here.

Trees:

Bald Cypress (taxodium distichum) is a long lived shade tree (to 100") with feathery leaves. it has yellow-to-rust fall color then the leaves fall and its bald for the winter. the fruit is a 1" round cone.


Swamp Chestnut Oak (quercus michauxii) leaves turn bright red in the fall. this long lived shade tree can grow to 80 feet. it can take standing water for up to a week.


Water Oak (quercus nigra) is semi-evergreen which means that the leaves stay on in warm winters and fall of in cold. this shade tree grows rapidly to 30' (and usually gets taller) with three different leaf shapes.


Willow Oak (quercus phellos) has long, narrow willow-like leaves so theres not much to rake in fall.


River Birch (betula nigra) is a lovely shade tree which grows to a height of 90 ft. and has triangular leaves rounded on the bottom which turn yellow in the fall. the flaking bark is outstanding. saplings have red cherry-like bark and later peachy-white flaking to reveal darker peach-colored bark.


Black Gum (nyssa sylvatica) is a large shade tree to 100 feet with short crooked branches which come off the trunk at right angles. it turns bright red in early fall (sometimes even in august). the females have 1/2 inch black berries which birds relish.


Drummond Red Maple (acer rubrum variety drummondii) is a large shade tree to 90 feet tall. it grows fast but can live 50 years and features red flowers in january on males, and red winged fruits on females in spring called samuras. if the winter weather is cold enough, drummond red maple turns yellow then red before losing leaves.


Green Ash (fraxinus pennsylvanica) is a fast growing shade tree to 50' with yellow fall color. female green ashes have bunches of green matchstick-sized fruit which birds love.


Fringe Tree (chiocanthus virginicus) is an understory tree that blooms in spring with fragrant long-petaled white flowers that look like fringe all over the tree. the leaves are 4 to 8 inches long.


Parsley Hawthorn (crataegus marshallii) is an understory tree to 20 feet whose leaves look like parsley. this thorny tree has sparkling white flowers in spring with pink stamens, followed by red 1/3 inch fruit in the fall which birds and small mammals love, and yellow fall color. the gray bark flakes to reveal the orange inner bark. butterfly larva eat the foliage and birds like to nest in the tree.


Rough-Leaf Dogwood (cornus drummondii) is very different from its "cousin" the showy flowring dogwood (conus florida). the rough-leaf dogwood has clusters of small white blooms in spring rather than the showy white bracts of its cousin. it has white berries in the fall.


Snowbell (styrax americana) is a small ornamental tree with oval leaves that only gets 10 feet high. it has white blooms all over the tree in spring that hang downward showing the yellow stamens.


Indigo-Bush Amorpha or False Indigo (amorpha fruticosa) is an understory tree with small compound leaves and 4-8 inch spikes of purple flowers with electric orange anthers in spring. it gets 5 to 10 feet high and is good for erosion control.


Sweetbay Magnolia (magnolia virginiana) is much smaller than the southern magnolia and likes swampy places. it has the same fragrant flowers in spring but smaller (1"-3"). this understory tree is semi-evergreen, the leaves have white undersides. it has 2" brown cones with many compartments which split open and the 1/2 inch red seeds dangle by a thread-like structure.

For more listings of native plants for this region, I recommend Habitat Gardening for Houston and Southeast Texas by Mark and Mary Bowen. I purchased my copy at Urban Harvest. There are other good books out there too, which I have not yet had the opportunity to look at.

Keeping Plumbagos Pretty

I have a little Plumbago auriculata (a.k.a Cape Leadwort) in a pot that I bought earlier in the fall, but it became a little neglected last month while I was ill, and went on a kind of blooming strike due to lack of water. I have been watering it faithfully for weeks, but it is only now showing signs of revival, despite the relatively warm weather.


So I did a little looking for things to do for a plumbago that is not blooming. One suggestion was to

Fertilize with milk--1 Tablespoon per gallon every two weeks. (Tried this today; we'll see if it helps.). The other idea I saw was avoiding over fertilizing by using half of the fertilizer recommended by package instructions. One also needs to avoid overwatering as well as underwatering.

Beyond that, I have no further ideas at this time. I miss those little blue flowers. :(

Photo Source: Texas Cooperative Extension: Perennials for Texas Landscapes

More Plumbago Links:

Texas A&M University: Blue-Blooming Vitex and Plumbago: Butterflies Love 'Em, Deer Don't
Dave's Garden plant profile
USDA Plant profile
Floridata Profile

Garlic Chives

I never heard of these until I started looking for ideas for my herb garden. Being a lover of garlicky foods, how could I resist these?

I planted some seeds earlier this month, and they finally sprouted a few days ago. I also got a plant from the nursery, just in case the seeds didn't work. Oh boy, this stuff smells good.

I did the same with onion chives. So far, no luck with the seeds.

Search: Drying rose seeds

I've never done this myself, but an inquiring mind wanted to know.

Here was the most succinct information I saw.

Fire ants and Containerized plants.

It seems like every time place another potted plant outdoors, it gets invaded by fire ants, despite the fact that we broadcast fire-ant granules around our entire property--which hasn't been as effective this year, as it was last year. We still get the occasional mound here and there, and even my indoor potted plants have been invaded on occasion.

The trouble with fire ants in plant containers is that they aren't always visible until I repot the plant. Talk about a good reason to wear gloves!

For my outdoor, non-edible container plants, I have tried using the same granules we use for spot-treating mounds. So far, this seems to work.

The question is, what to do about indoor containers, and containers with edible plants--especially those herbs and veggies? I have used fire ant granules in small amounts in my indoor containers, but I dont' know if that's really even a good idea, and I'd certainly prefer to try something less toxic.

A friend of mine says that she has had good success using cornmeal in her vegetable garden. She gets it in bulk at her local feed store. The advantage here is that it is cheap and non-toxic. The disadvantage is that it does not always work instantly. I have yet to try this method for myself.

On this gardenweb.com discussion forum, other suggestions include molasses, instant grits, orange oil, diatomaceous earth, and even coffee grounds. One person suggests a Green Light product that contains spinosad. I have no idea if that is safe for use in indoor pots.

Here is another forum, with a discussion of containerized fire ant situations.


More on this issue as it develops...


--------------------------------------

A note for those Central and South Coast Californians who drop by this blog occasionally:

Imported fire ants appear to be gaining a foothold in parts of your region as well, according to the California Department of Food and Agriculture. Quarantine areas include parts of Orange, Los Angeles, and Riverside Counties. A friend of mine says that she has seen them active in San Luis Obispo County as well. For more information on fire ant quarantine areas in Calfornia, go to the CDFA website.

Search: Pruning roses

With cold weather approaching, several people have dropped by searching for information on pruning knockout and double knockout roses. Many of them end up at my post "Double Knockout Roses Kick Lantanas' Butt", which does not have specific information on when and how to prune knockout and other roses.


The good people at the nursery where I purchased my plants indicated that they handle pruning (and just about everything else) very well.

With any rose, it is a good idea to cut off any diseased or dead canes. It is also a good idea to make sure no canes are rubbing against one another. This light cutting can be done any time of year.

If you feel like dead heading (not required for knockout roses to perform), they way my mother taught me was to cut the stem above the first set of five leaves, at a 45 degree angle, with the lower edge of the cut on the same side as the leaves. When I lived in coastal California, this was most of what I did with my roses. Heavy pruning never really entered into the picture because of the mildness of the climate.

Around here, the traditional time for yearly rose pruning is around mid-February, usually on or near Valentine's Day. This way, any new growth isn't as likely to be zapped by excessive cold. For colder regions, this might vary. In general, it is my understanding that roses do not need to be pruned in preparation for winter, unless this will help you shelter them more effectively.

I have heard that heavy pruning of knockouts or any other shrub rose for the first two years after they have been planted is generally not recommended. This gives your shrub rose time to mature. Mine are still new and very short, so I don't think I'll be doing much in the pruning department this year.

As far as how to go about it, that's up to you. Some people just take an electric hedge trimmer and prune their roses into shapes. I have seen some used as box hedges around town. Since I personally prefer my roses to be in a more natural shape, I will not be doing that.

This page suggests pruning knockouts in the same way as other shrub roses. For spring pruning of most roses, the Houston Garden Book also recommends thinning the small branches out until there are three to five hardy main stems left. It also suggests using directional pruning techniques to encourage a vase-like growth habit. This means cutting canes down just above a bud that is pointing in the direction in which you want the stem of the plant to grow. For more on what that is, and for step-by-step spring pruning directions click here.

For those interested in pruning your knockouts back for the winter, here is a short article on winterizing roses in Southern climates.

I like to use shears like this when I cut my roses:

Photo Source

Shears such as those shown above are easy to get at most hardware stores.

I also recommend wearing some good sturdy gardening gloves to protect your hands and arms from thorns. I have a long pair, specifically made for handling roses and other thorny plants. They have thick leather palms, and they go up to my elbows. I have even used these while handling bougainvilleas, which have thorns up to an inch long, and also while playing with a visiting cat who dropped by while I was planting my roses, and they have protected me well against thorns, claws and teeth. :) I could not find any at the larger home and garden centers where I live (Lowe's, Home Depot). I ended up going to a local nursery.


Here is a post with links to more information on winterizing your roses.

Read my other posts on Double Knockout roses.