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PHOTO OF THE MONTH: lots of flowers on a member's holiday cactus (Schlumbergera truncata). Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Easter cacti love life in Chico outside in partial shade, just don't let them get a frost.

Happy January! 🌞

Now is a great time to do the following:

• purchase and plant bare-root deciduous (leaf-losing) fruit trees (apples, pears, nectarines, peaches, plums, persimmons, cherries, etc)--you can find larger trees and more choices than potted trees. Be sure to ask/determine if your tree needs a pollinator, or buy multi-grafted trees with several varieties on the same trunk

• plant bare-root asparagus and root divisions of rhubarb

• prune deciduous (leaf-losing) trees

• clean up any faded camellia blooms to tidy up and prevent disease

• prune leafy shrubs and summer-flowering shrubs (butterfly bush etc), but do NOT prune spring bloomers like forsythia and lilacs--you'll be cutting off their flower buds (prune them immediately after they flower)

• plant bare-root roses

• plant calla lilies, anemones, ranunculus and gladiolus bulbs for spring/summer flowers

• sprinkle seeds around the garden that need chilling before growing and blooming next year: Shirley poppies, breadseed poppies, California poppies, Nigella ("love in a mist"), California bluebells, and several others

• the cut back chyrsanthemums if desired (through February)

• cut back sedums if desired (through February)

• prune dormant trees and shrubs (through late January)

• divide dormant or mostly dormant perennial plants (hostas, daylilies, asters, peonies, etc.)

• spray peaches, nectarines, and apricots with a dormant fungicide (usually containing copper) to avoid leaf curl disease

• prune grapevines when dormant; pruning in spring or summer causes them to bleed sap

• start reading the latest seed catalogs (you can request catalogs from their websites or just order directly from their websites too). Some favorites are Burpee Seeds, Park Seeds, Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, Select Seeds and Plants, Johnny's Selected Seeds, Pinetree Seeds, Floret Farms and many more.

• plant perennials, trees, and shrubs

• plant cool weather veggies like kale, Swiss chard, spinach, peas, cilantro and lettuce

• prune roses if desired (through early February)--strip off any old foliage to prevent diseases from overwintering

• plant seeds of sweet peas outside

• remember to reduce watering most houseplants when days are short and cool--they use less water during winter

• Purchase and pot up amaryllis bulbs (Hippeastrum) which will flower 6-8 weeks later. After flowering, they can be planted outside in Chico (or grown in pots as patio plants) for future blooms.

Updated January 2026! 🌟

Many thanks to our January Speaker, rosarian Gwen Quail, who gave an excellent presentation on "Roses throughout the Year".

Photo courtesy of member Sue D.