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My Garden Diary

November and December 2021

Copyright © 2021 by David E. Ross

Many years ago, when I first started my Web site, I created an online diary of my gardening activities and observations. However, with work and the commute from Hell, I was often so tired I had to choose between maintaining my garden and maintaining my diary. Sometimes, I did neither. In 1998, I stopped my diary and removed the pages from my Web site.

Now I am retired. I am well-rested and have plenty of time to both garden and maintain a diary. This diary is primarily for my own benefit, so that I can look back upon what I did and when. But I thought others might also be interested, so here it is.

Also see What's Blooming in My Garden Now?

Diary entries for 2004 through 2014

Entries below are in reverse order (latest at the top). Daily, I might stoop to pull a weed or use a hose to water some potted plants; however, I don't consider those significant gardening activities. Thus, you will not see daily entries. Also, I might accumulate a few entries before updating this page on the Web.

When plants have well-known common names, their scientific names are given only the first time they appear on this page (entry closest to the bottom). There, the common name is in bold or appears as a link to another Web page.

Unless a different year is given, dates refer to other entries in the same year as the entry in which they appear, including entries on prior pages for the same year.

Date and Weather	Observations and Activities
26 Dec Clear, sunny, and cold Temp: 41-56 Winter chill: 64.1 Humidity: 49% Wind: 1-20 (gusts to 33) Rain — This rain-year: 6.24 The past week: 3.12	Today, I really wanted to work in my garden. Leaves need to be raked off the back lawn and in front. Rose bushes and the peach tree (Prunus persica 'Santa Barbara') need to be pruned. The grape vines on My Hill also need pruning, but it is too wet from recent rain — 0.36 inch just last night — that I cannot climb My Hill. After donning my old, stained gardening clothes, I took the pothos (Epipremnum pinnatum 'Aureum') and nephthytis (Syngonium podophyllum) cuttings (31 Oct) outside to check their roots. While the pothos cuttings have some roots, there are not enough yet to pot them. One nephthytis is in the same situation, but the other one failed and was discarded. I returned these cuttings to the breakfast room greenhouse window. While outside, checked the dwarf English ivy (Hedera helix 'Hahn's') cuttings (also 31 Oct). They are in the same state as the pothos and nephthytis cuttings. By then, I was so chilled that I decided today was not a good day to work in my garden.
7 Dec Slightly hazy, mostly sunny, and mild Temp: 61-75 Winter chill: 5.3 Humidity: 22% Wind: 1-11 Rain — This rain-year: 0.88 The past week: 0.02	NOTE: The 0.02 inches of rain this past week might actually have been merely condensation of fog dripping into the rain guage at the Cheeseboro (CHE) weather station. I received an E-mail last week from our water utility, claiming that my house had a water leak. Our community has "smart" water meters that register continuously via radio signals to a central monitoring station. After checking inside and finding no leak, I turned off the master valve for my garden irrigation systems. I was then told the leak stopped. When I turned the valve back on, I noticed moisture around the four valves that control the spinklers on My Hill. With the master valve shut off again, I replaced the packing washers in all four valves over this past weekend. Today — with the master valve on again — I was informed that the leak no longer existed. Removed some extra-tall branches from the potted dwarf lemon tree (Citrus limon 'Eureka'). Normally, I would avoid pruning citrus at this time of year. Every cut can result in new growth, which even light frost will severely damage. However, these branches all had new growth. I was concerned that the tree was beginning to outgrow the ability of its confined roots to supply moisture. Also removed more shoots from the star jasmine in the west bed (28 Nov).
28 Nov Clear, sunny, and warm Temp: 62-84 Winter chill: 0.0 Humidity: 6% Wind: 0-5 Rain — This rain-year: 0.86 Days since last: 35	It appears that this will be a warm winter. By this date a year ago, we already had 22.5 hours of winter chill. Since the beginning of this month -- the start of measuring winter chill -- we have had none. Right now, we are experiencing a slow Santa Ana condition, warm with very little wind and relative humidity in single digits. Trimmed the Podocarpus tree at the south-west corner of the garage. It was interfering with opening and closing the garage's overhead door. Removed a very long cane from the climbing 'Peace' rose in back, which was growing in the wrong direction for training. Normally, I would wait until the end of December and cut it while pruning that rose; but it was blocking the path between the rose and circular beds. Checked the rooted dwarf Burford holly (Ilex cornuta 'Burfordii Nana') cutting (8 Oct), which is now outside. I saw a root or two when I tapped the potting mix out of the pot. It will need more roots before I can plant it in the ground. I also checked the dwarf English ivy (Hedera helix 'Hahn's') cuttings (31 Oct) the same way but saw no roots yet. Lightly trimmed the star jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides) in back. It was almost ready to climb the adjacent 'Mineola' tangelo (Citrus reticulata × paradisi 'Mineola'). Ate a navel orange from my tree (Citrus sinensis 'Robertson') with lunch. I picked it up a few days ago after it had fallen from the tree. Although the skin still showed some green, it was sweet and tasty.

Date and Weather

Observations and Activities

26 Dec

Clear, sunny, and cold

Temp: 41-56
Winter chill: 64.1
Humidity: 49%
Wind: 1-20 (gusts to 33)

Rain —
This rain-year: 6.24
The past week: 3.12

Today, I really wanted to work in my garden. Leaves need to be raked off the back lawn and in front. Rose bushes and the peach tree (Prunus persica 'Santa Barbara') need to be pruned. The grape vines on My Hill also need pruning, but it is too wet from recent rain — 0.36 inch just last night — that I cannot climb My Hill.

After donning my old, stained gardening clothes, I took the pothos (Epipremnum pinnatum 'Aureum') and nephthytis (Syngonium podophyllum) cuttings (31 Oct) outside to check their roots. While the pothos cuttings have some roots, there are not enough yet to pot them. One nephthytis is in the same situation, but the other one failed and was discarded. I returned these cuttings to the breakfast room greenhouse window.

While outside, checked the dwarf English ivy (Hedera helix 'Hahn's') cuttings (also 31 Oct). They are in the same state as the pothos and nephthytis cuttings.

By then, I was so chilled that I decided today was not a good day to work in my garden.

7 Dec

Slightly hazy, mostly sunny, and mild

Temp: 61-75
Winter chill: 5.3
Humidity: 22%
Wind: 1-11

Rain —
This rain-year: 0.88
The past week: 0.02

NOTE: The 0.02 inches of rain this past week might actually have been merely condensation of fog dripping into the rain guage at the Cheeseboro (CHE) weather station.

I received an E-mail last week from our water utility, claiming that my house had a water leak. Our community has "smart" water meters that register continuously via radio signals to a central monitoring station. After checking inside and finding no leak, I turned off the master valve for my garden irrigation systems. I was then told the leak stopped. When I turned the valve back on, I noticed moisture around the four valves that control the spinklers on My Hill. With the master valve shut off again, I replaced the packing washers in all four valves over this past weekend. Today — with the master valve on again — I was informed that the leak no longer existed.

Removed some extra-tall branches from the potted dwarf lemon tree (Citrus limon 'Eureka'). Normally, I would avoid pruning citrus at this time of year. Every cut can result in new growth, which even light frost will severely damage. However, these branches all had new growth. I was concerned that the tree was beginning to outgrow the ability of its confined roots to supply moisture.

Also removed more shoots from the star jasmine in the west bed (28 Nov).

28 Nov

Clear, sunny, and warm

Temp: 62-84
Winter chill: 0.0
Humidity: 6%
Wind: 0-5

Rain —
This rain-year: 0.86
Days since last: 35

It appears that this will be a warm winter. By this date a year ago, we already had 22.5 hours of winter chill. Since the beginning of this month -- the start of measuring winter chill -- we have had none. Right now, we are experiencing a slow Santa Ana condition, warm with very little wind and relative humidity in single digits.

Trimmed the Podocarpus tree at the south-west corner of the garage. It was interfering with opening and closing the garage's overhead door.

Removed a very long cane from the climbing 'Peace' rose in back, which was growing in the wrong direction for training. Normally, I would wait until the end of December and cut it while pruning that rose; but it was blocking the path between the rose and circular beds.

Checked the rooted dwarf Burford holly (Ilex cornuta 'Burfordii Nana') cutting (8 Oct), which is now outside. I saw a root or two when I tapped the potting mix out of the pot. It will need more roots before I can plant it in the ground. I also checked the dwarf English ivy (Hedera helix 'Hahn's') cuttings (31 Oct) the same way but saw no roots yet.

Lightly trimmed the star jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides) in back. It was almost ready to climb the adjacent 'Mineola' tangelo (Citrus reticulata × paradisi 'Mineola').

Ate a navel orange from my tree (Citrus sinensis 'Robertson') with lunch. I picked it up a few days ago after it had fallen from the tree. Although the skin still showed some green, it was sweet and tasty.

Weather data are from the Cheeseboro (CHE) weather station, about 2 miles ENE of my house.

The high temperature (°F) is daytime for the indicated date; the low temperature (°F) is for the previous night.

Winter chill is the cumulative hours of temperatures at or below 45°F from 1 November through 31 March. It is reported during that period and through April.

The relative humidity is at noon. (In my garden, it is likely higher than reported, a result of regular irrigation.)

Wind speeds (mph) are average (not peak) low and high, midnight to midnight (subject to later correction for diary entries posted before the end of the day). I also indicate peak wind gusts parenthetically when they are significantly high.

Rain is in inches. Rain-year is the cumulative amount of rainfall from 1 October until 30 September of the following year (our "rain-year"). Week is the cumulative amount of measurable rainfall from noon seven days ago until noon of the indicated date. If no measurable rain fell in that period, Days since last is reported.

Characterization of the weather (e.g., Clear, sunny, and warm) is purely subjective; for example, "warm" might occur with higher temperatures than "hot" if the former occurs with lower humidity and more breezes than the latter. Also, a day that would normally be characterized as "mild" might instead be "warm" if the immediately previous days were quite cold. Finally, such characterization reflects when I was actually outside and gardening and ignores changes that occur while I am inside.

The signature line I use when writing messages about my garden includes the following:

Climate:  California Mediterranean

Sunset Zone: 21 -- interior Santa Monica Mountains with some ocean influence (USDA 10a, very close to Sunset Zone 19)