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Learn Baldo's rose secrets at workshop



Master rosarian Baldo Villegas shows off one of his winning roses,
Candy Land. He'll offer his tips on quick pruning and rose care during
the Sierra Foothills Rose Society winter workshop.
(Photo courtesy Baldo Villegas)

See how to prune a big bush in three minutes or less

Want to learn how to prune a rose in three minutes or less? Here’s your chance – while staying warm and dry.

On Saturday, Jan. 11, the Sierra Foothills Rose Society hosts its annual winter rose care workshop. Unlike most January pruning workshops, this free event will be held indoors at Maidu Community Center, 1550 Maidu Drive, Roseville.

Come for as much or as little of this half-day seminar as you like. It’s a great refresher for experienced gardeners as well as a valuable introduction to new rose growers. Registration and refreshments start the morning at 8:30 a.m. with the program under way at 9 a.m.

Renowned master rosarian Baldo Villegas, who grows roses by the thousands, will demonstrate his time-saving techniques including his three-minute method. From 9 to 10:45 a.m., he’ll be assisted by other club members as they show how to prune all kinds of roses and answer questions.

At 10:45 a.m., the workshop will cover how to use roses in the landscape, including bushes for small spaces and companion planting. At 11:45 a.m., Villegas – a retired state entomologist – will lead a Q&A on controlling pests and disease.

The club wraps up its rose workshop with a chili cook-off at 12:30 p.m. Participants are welcome to stay for lunch.

“When you leave, you will confidently prune your roses,” promise the organizers. Free pruner sharpening will be offered, too.

Details:
www.sactorose.org or email Charlotte Owendyk at owendyk@gmail.com .

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Garden Checklist for week of April 27

Once the clouds clear, get to work. Spring growth is in high gear.

* Set out tomato, pepper and eggplant transplants.

* From seed, plant beans, beets, cantaloupes, carrots, corn, cucumbers, melons, pumpkins, radishes and squash. Plant onion sets.

* In the flower garden, plant seeds for asters, cosmos, celosia, marigolds, salvia, sunflowers and zinnias. Transplant petunias, zinnias, geraniums and other summer bloomers.

* Plant perennials and dahlia tubers for summer bloom. Late April is about the last chance to plant summer bulbs, such as gladiolus and tuberous begonias.

* Transplant lettuce and cabbage seedlings.

* Weed, weed, weed! Don’t let unwanted plants go to seed.

* April is the last chance to plant citrus trees such as dwarf orange, lemon and kumquat. These trees also look good in landscaping and provide fresh fruit in winter.

* Feed citrus trees with a low dose of balanced fertilizer (such as 10-10-10) during bloom to help set fruit. Keep an eye out for ants.

* Apply slow-release fertilizer to the lawn.

* Thoroughly clean debris from the bottom of outdoor ponds or fountains.

* Start thinning fruit that's formed on apple and stone fruit trees -- you'll get larger fruit at harvest (and avoid limb breakage) if some is thinned now. The UC recommendation is to thin fruit when it is about 3/4 of an inch in diameter. Peaches and nectarines should be thinned to about 6 inches apart; smaller fruit such as plums and pluots can be about 4 inches apart. Apricots can be left at 3 inches apart. Apples and pears should be thinned to one fruit per cluster of flowers, 6 to 8 inches apart.

* Azaleas and camellias looking a little yellow? If leaves are turning yellow between the veins, give them a boost with chelated iron.

* Trim dead flowers but not leaves from spring-flowering bulbs such as daffodils and tulips. Those leaves gather energy to create next year's flowers. Also, give the bulbs a fertilizer boost after bloom.

* Pinch chrysanthemums back to 12 inches for fall flowers. Cut old stems to the ground.

* Mulch around plants to conserve moisture and control weeds.

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