“Every gardener knows that under the cloak of winter lies a miracle.”

~ Barbara Winkler

Wintering as a Perennial

Fall and winter bring stress for some perennial plants. Due to less sunlight and lower temperatures, much less energy is available to support leaf growth and maintenance. In response, plants enter into dormancy. Driven by chemical signals, plants recycle nutrients from their leaves and move them to their roots and stems for storage. Deciduous trees stop making chlorophyll in their leaves, which lets the hidden yellow and orange colors become visible. As spring approaches, hormones that maintain dormancy break down. This allows the plant to resume its growth as sunlight becomes more plentiful.

Photo: Fall leaves, by Beth Basham

Using Mycorrhizae

You may have seen bags of mycorrhizal inoculants at garden stores. What are they? Are they helpful? Mycorrhizae are symbiotic relationships between a fungus and a plant, in which fungal hyphae and plant roots interconnect and share resources. The plant provides the fungus with sugars and carbon, while receiving water and nutrients through fungal roots that extend far beyond the plant’s root zone. Inoculants have shown some benefit in sterile or fumigated soil but are generally unnecessary for gardens, where well-adapted fungal spores are already present in the soil.

Photo: A mycorrhizal partnership between a fungus and a plant root, Washington State University

Where Does Fruit Form?

Some fruit trees produce fruit on new shoots, some on 1-year-old wood, and others have fruiting spurs. It’s important to know where a tree will flower and fruit before you prune, to help you decide where to make cuts and to encourage the growth of new fruiting wood. Click the button for information about the location of fruiting buds, the longevity of spurs, and the desired severity of pruning of selected species—and be sure to observe your trees when they bloom. January is the perfect time to check our events calendar for pruning classes. 

Photo credit: Canva

Winter Gems at the

UCSC Arboretum

Are you craving winter color? Consider visiting the UC Santa Cruz Arboretum this month. Along with California native plants, they have collections of flora from Australia and South Africa. These places share our Mediterranean climate, characterized by mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers. For color and winter interest, look to plants in the Proteaceae family. For example, Banksia, native to Australia, has stunning inflorescences that contain hundreds of tiny flowers packed on dramatic spiked structures. The arboretum also has a succulent garden where you can see fascinating varieties from coastal California and Mexico.

Fertilizing Ornamental Plants

Photo: Uniformly yellow leaves on an iron-deficient rose bush, University of Florida

University of California Master Gardener volunteers promote sustainable gardening practices and provide research-based horticultural information to home gardeners. Visit our website for more information including:

• More Monthly Tips
• A complete list of Upcoming Events and Classes
• Extensive Garden Help
• Videos of garden tips and past online presentations

Have a gardening question? Ask us. We’re here to help!