Welcome to our brand new electronic newsletter! It has been our goal to create a better way to let you know what's going on in the nursery, what new products we have and to share some gardening hints and tips.

We hope you will enjoy our weekly newsletter, and invite you to share your comments and suggestions with us, so we can make it the best it can be.

Saturday, January 28th
10:00 am to Noon
H & H Nursery
6220 Lakewood Blvd.
Lakewood, CA 90712

Fruit tree expert Tom Spellman, from Dave Wilson Nursery, will give a seminar on "Backyard Orchard Culture.

For those who have pruning questions, he will be covering, in depth, how to prune fruit trees and keep them maintained to a manageable height. He encourages keeping them small enough that you will not need to get up on a ladder to spray or pick your fruit.

H&H Nursery has a fantastic selection of fruit trees, so come to the seminar and look for a tree or two to get your own backyard orchard started - or add to the one you have!

Seating is limited, so please sign up early! To sign up, or for more information, call us at (562) 804-2513.

All deciduous fruit trees need to be pruned for good shape and to bear fruit. They should be pruned at least once a year. The best time to do major pruning is during the winter. The rule of thumb with pruning deciduous fruit trees is to prune while the trees are dormant, after the leaves have fallen to the ground but before new buds have swelled.

Each type of fruit tree needs to be pruned differently, so it's important to know which kind of tree you're pruning and how to prune it properly. For example, apples bear their fruit on spurs that bear again and again, sometimes for as long as twenty years. If you whack off all the spurs you'll have no fruit. However, peaches and nectarines bear their fruit on one-year-old wood. By pruning them hard, you encourage new growth to replenish fruiting wood.

The best shape also differs among types. Apple and pear trees, for instance, do best with a central trunk, with shorter branches at the top, longer ones on the bottom. Peaches and plums do best with an open-center shape (kind of like a bowl).

No two trees, even of the same type, can be pruned exactly alike; basic guidelines will apply differently according to the placement of their branches, their age, and their overall vigor. If you're not an expert, follow a pruning manual (one that contains charts) that applies to your climate and type of tree.

When you buy a fruit tree, ask us for the best pruning method to use for that tree. Pruning a young tree properly to start with will save you a lot of time and effort later.

If you are dealing with a large old tree that has been neglected for some time, keep in mind that it may require several years of pruning to bring it back to where it should be. Your primary goal is to open the tree so that sunlight can penetrate inside of the foliage during the fruiting season and to shorten the taller limbs to bring the fruit production down to a more manageable height. It is safest to call a professional to do the high work and any large branch removal for you. They have the experience and equipment needed.

Remember after pruning deciduous fruit trees to clean up the ground under the tree and follow up immmediately with dormant spray.

1. Purchase and plant bare-root roses, trees, vines, berries and vegetables
2. Choose and plant camellias and azaleas
3. Purchase cymbidiums
4. Purchase and plant cool-season flowers to fill in bare spots
5. Plant seeds of warm-season flowers for transplants to put out in spring
6. Continue to plant winter vegetables from transplants and seeds
7. Many succulents, including cacti, bloom in winter and spring; purchase new types now
8. Prune deciduous fruit trees
9. Prune roses
10. Deadhead azaleas
11. Mow cool-season lawns. Most warm-season lawns are dormant now and don't need mowing
12. Begin to feed citrus trees in coastal zones
13. Treat citrus trees for chlorosis
14. Start feeding epiphyllums for bloom with Master Nursery Master Bloom (0-10-10)
15. Continue to fertilize cymbidiums that have not yet bloomed with a high-bloom formula
16. Feed cool-season flowers
17. Feed cineraria
18. Fertilize cool-season lawns
19. Water plants according to need (when the rains are not adequate)
20. Irrigate citrus trees
21. Remember to water plants under eaves where the rains cannot reach
22. Dormant spray roses and deciduous fruit trees
23. Check citrus trees for pests
24. Pick up dead camellia blossoms to prevent petal blight
25. Protect cymbidiums from slugs and snails
26. Control rust on cool-season lawns
27. Check trees, shrubs, and ice plant in coastal zones for overwintering whiteflies. Control by spraying
28. Pull weeds
29. Spray peach and apricot for peach leaf curl
30. Protect tender plants from frost
31. Stake cymbidium bloom spikes

by Tamara Galbraith

During the winter months, when there isn't much to do except stare out the window or peruse seed catalogs, gardeners need to be on the lookout for a couple of tough pests that, once settled in, can be hard to control.

Fungus gnats, the near-microscopic flying insects that feed and breed within damp organic matter in potting soil, can actually be a problem any time of year. These tiny flying pests can spread pathogens, chew on roots and be a general nuisance. Fungus gnats' favorite hangout is the fungus existing in moist, organic soil, so the best way to battle these bugs is by letting your houseplants dry in between waterings. However, some overwintering houseplants — like those lovely amaryllis bulbs many of us are forcing during the holidays — like to remain somewhat moist. So...what to do?

A good drench of Neem oil through the soil is a good start, and a layer of sand on top of the potting soil works even better. This prevents the fungus gnats from reaching and subsequently laying eggs in the potting soil, but still allows moisture to reach the roots.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, spider mites can become a terrible problem for indoor plants when conditions are too dry, which is often the case during cold winter days when most of us are keeping toasty. If you notice a plant's leaves shriveling and dropping, or webbing in between stems and leaves, you've probably got a spider mite problem. Again, Neem oil is an extremely effective solution, and its low toxicity makes it safe to use around the house. The mites can be killed with several sprays of Neem. However, the humidity around the affected plant will need to be addressed to keep mites from returning:

• Keep plants away from the hot blast of furnace output vents.
• Spray sensitive indoor plants with water daily if possible.
• Move all sensitive plants together and run a humidifier near them to keep air moisture levels high.