Citrus
October is the time of year to give your citrus trees one last shot of fertilizer before the winter months begin. Citrus love nitrogen. Sulfate of Ammonia (Photo), 21-0-0, is the best fertilizer and the most economical to use on citrus. Also, a good dose of this on your lawn will produce that deep green color that looks so great.
Here are some recommendations for usage. For citrus with a trunk size of 1” diameter or less (a young tree) use 1 cup of Sulfate of Ammonia. For trunk diameters of one and a half inches use 1.5 cups. For trees 2” or greater in diameter use 2 cups. Sprinkle evenly around the tree, work into the soil with a small hand rake, then water liberally.
Sulfate of Ammonia can be purchase at most gardening shops. A 40 lb. bag costs about $7.
Roses
Fall is the time of year to order bareroot roses. Delivery from most nurseries will be in January or February.
Some advantages of bareroot roses include:
- Cost. Bareroot roses cost about 50% less than comparable container grown roses.
- Performance. These dormant roses will perform better than container plants because they will already be acclimated to the soil.
- Weight. The dormant roses will weigh about 10% of a container plant. This makes it easy to put a bunch of them in the back of your car.
One new rose for this year that you should consider for your garden is Julia Child. Named for you know who. This is a butter-gold color floribunda with a licorice fragrance. Laguna Hills Nursery has one of the largest selections of bareroot roses in our area.
Julia Child Rose
