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Mailbag: What size rose to plant? Is my garlic OK?

Potted roses can be transplanted now, but it's better to wait for bare-root season

Sacramento Digs Gardening
BY Debbie Arrington PUBLISHED NOV 10, 2021

Secret, a hybrid tea, is one of the most popular roses in

Sacramento. It's no secret that roses can be planted any

time in the Sacramento region. (Photo courtesy Sacramento

Rose Society)

and Kathy Morrison

Q: What size rose bush should I purchase to plant in November?

-- Debra Gordon

A: If you’re planting in November, you most likely will be purchasing a bush from a nursery that’s already potted and has been growing throughout 2021. So, purchase a 5-gallon plant (preferably) or larger, at least if it’s a hybrid tea, floribunda, shrub or other full-size variety. (Miniature roses come in 1-gallon pots.)

If you can wait until December, you’ll find a much larger selection of bare-root plants. Those are 3-year-old bushes, ready to go in the ground (or pot), and an excellent value (compared to already potted roses).

When buying bare-root, make sure to rehydrate the roots in a bucket of water overnight before planting. Bare-root roses are field grown and dug up in late September or October. Their roots are wrapped in straw or other material, and the bushes kept in cold storage until (often wrapped and) shipped. They need a drink.

November is prime time for planting shrubs – especially with soft soil after recent rains. It’s easier to dig the hole, yet the soil is still warm enough to prompt root growth.

If transplanting a rose now, it likely will still have its foliage. Do some early pruning; reduce the plant’s canes by one-third in size. Cut out any damaged or dead growth. Loosen the rootball and add a little compost to the planting hole. Otherwise, skip fertilizing until February or March after the rose puts out its first new growth. With winter coming, the bush soon will drop its leaves and enter dormancy.

Even though we had rain, remember to water your new transplant. A full-size rose needs about 5 gallons a week until it goes into dormancy. Then, roses usually get enough water from winter rain.

Give garlic a layer of light mulch for the colder months.
(Photo: Kathy Morrison)

Q: This winter is my first fall/winter garden. I planted garlic 2 weeks ago thinking it would not sprout till spring but it has sprouted. Is that common and will it survive the winter? If not, should I pull it? Thank you. Your posts are very helpful.

-- David Weisbach

A: That sounds normal to me! If you planted the cloves 1 to 2 inches deep they should be fine.

Do you have any mulch on the area where it’s planted? Garlic appreciates a layer of light mulch such as straw or leaves. And keep weeds pulled, since garlic doesn’t like “competition.” Finally, don’t overwater — the rain we’re getting right now should be sufficient for a bit, but if we have a dry December, water only when the soil dries out.

Garlic’s a great crop for our area and you’ll be glad you’ve grown some.

-- Kathy Morrison

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GENERAL GARDENING

An article about gardening.

Keywords:

fall planting gardening Sacramento garlic vegetables roses cool-weather vegetables bare-root plants dormancy flowers

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Garden Checklist for week of Nov. 3

November still offers good weather for fall planting:

* If you haven't already, it's time to clean up the remains of summer. Pull faded annuals and vegetables. Prune dead or broken branches from trees.

* Now is the best time to plant most trees and shrubs. This gives them plenty of time for root development before spring growth. They also benefit from fall and winter rains.

* Set out cool-weather annuals such as pansies and snapdragons.

* Lettuce, cabbage and broccoli also can be planted now.

* Plant garlic and onions.

* Keep planting bulbs to spread out your spring bloom. Some possible suggestions: daffodils, crocuses, hyacinths, tulips, anemones and scillas.

* This is also a good time to seed wildflowers and plant such spring bloomers as sweet pea, sweet alyssum and bachelor buttons.

* Rake and compost leaves, but dispose of any diseased plant material. For example, if peach and nectarine trees showed signs of leaf curl this year, clean up under trees and dispose of those leaves instead of composting.

* Save dry stalks and seedpods from poppies and coneflowers for fall bouquets and holiday decorating.

* For holiday blooms indoors, plant paperwhite narcissus bulbs now. Fill a shallow bowl or dish with 2 inches of rocks or pebbles. Place bulbs in the dish with the root end nestled in the rocks. Add water until it just touches the bottom of the bulbs. Place the dish in a sunny window. Add water as needed.

* Give your azaleas, gardenias and camellias a boost with chelated iron.

* For larger blooms, pinch off some camellia buds.

* Prune non-flowering trees and shrubs while dormant.

* To help prevent leaf curl, apply a copper fungicide spray to peach and nectarine trees after they lose their leaves this month. Leaf curl, which shows up in the spring, is caused by a fungus that winters as spores on the limbs and around the tree in fallen leaves. Sprays are most effective now.

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