California seasons... or lack of.

14 years ago

I don't know how it happened, but my bonsai collection went from a five-year-old elm to a dozen nursery stock plants in training. Most all the information on these various plants talk about "before the first frost" and beginning trimming/pinching/cutting in spring, but I have a problem: I live in southern California 10 miles from the coast and there are no seasons. The coldest it gets is about 40 at night and 60 during the day in the mid winter. Some of the deciduous plants don't even loose their leaves! Many of my plants put out buds in February and again in late summer. This year we had a week of rain in August, unseasonally cold northern winds for a week, followed by a week of Santa Anas that brought temps up to upper 90's. Even my wisteria put out a new crop of leaves, and all the plants in my yard seemed to think it was a second spring!!!

Getting to the point: Is timing for pruning/repotting based solely on the growth of the plant? I have read that they respond as much to the length of days as to the temperature. If, in future, we have "two" growing seasons in one year, should I take advantage of the opportunity for additional pruning? How should I plan when there really no seasons to speak of in my area? A few days of hot weather in December can set my roses blooming all winter, and I worry that my pines and junipers won't get the dormant time they need, even in the shade. Any suggestions?

Comments (4)

greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
14 years ago
Can you put your cold weather plants in a cool garage or basement?
At the least, I would suggest putting them on the north side of the building.
After my deciduous plants have lost their leaves, I stow them on the north side
of my house. Then, just prior to Spring, I bring them around to a south-eastern wall.

Josh
cymorill8
Original Author
14 years ago
Would the lack of light in a garage effect them adversely? The garage is very dark. It is impossible to store them on the northern side of the house, unfortunately, and we're in earthquake country so no one has basements.
Related Professionals
Saint Matthews Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Anderson Landscape Contractors · Americus Landscape Contractors · Desert Hot Springs Landscape Contractors · El Sobrante Landscape Contractors · Longview Landscape Contractors · Munster Landscape Contractors · Nanuet Landscape Contractors · Rockville Landscape Contractors · South Hackensack Landscape Contractors · West Orange Landscape Contractors · Irvington Landscape Contractors · Hayward Decks, Patios & Outdoor Enclosures · Roanoke Decks, Patios & Outdoor Enclosures · Roseville Decks, Patios & Outdoor Enclosures
Jack Reynolds
14 years ago
Quit complaining, Southern CA is the bonsai nervana of the US. There are probably twenty bonsai clubs between Santa Barbara and the Mexican border and all of them have real bonsai masters in the membership. Get on the internet and find a club near you. The two season pattern in So.CA works for a great many trees. If your elms don't go completely dormant defoliate them in Dec. and set them in a shady location. The two growth spurts you have noticed makes it possible to get more developement faster in your junipers. Take advantage of it by pinching at the beginning of each spurt. Junipers and pines grow all year round in SoCA, they just slow down in the heat of summer and the coldest part of winter. The main downside is that some flowering trees like apples and cherry will fail to bloom due to not enough cold nights. It is not easy to keep five needle or mugo pines either because of the heat and smog. Maples don't color up well either and often get brown tips on their leaves.
garyfla_gw
14 years ago
Hi
I have a similar problem except more so . Can go years with no frost at all or two or three in one winter.
I just skip temperate plants and grow tropicals. Thousands to choose from. The year around growth is a definite bonus in all kinds of specialized growing.
Would think those from lower humidity areas of the tropics would be excellent choices for you gary