1. If you have not yet cut back ornamental grasses in order to rejuvenate them, do so now. Technically speaking, there is no reason to prune ornamental grasses since new growth will eventually come and dead grass blades will eventually wither away. However, to keep them aesthetically pleasing, you can cut them back to 4-6 inches above the ground. Pruning  lower than that can kill them. If blue is your color, you can choose from the following evergreen, or everblue, species: blue oat grass (Helictotrichon sempervirens), which is symmetrically pyrotechnic, reaches a height of two feet, and self-sows in well-drained soil; blue fescue (Fetuca glauca var. Elijah Blue), a decorous, petite, clumping species; California native blue rye grass (Leymus condensatus var. Canyon Prince), which rises up to three feet tall. Ornamental grasses grow in response to the amount of water/and or mulch they receive; where water is regularly applied or the mulch around them is three inches thick, they look vibrant, even lush, while they will tend to look tired, if not washed out, where water and/or mulch are in short supply. Visit smgrowers.com/info/grass.asp to peruse images of around a hundred ornamental grasses suitable for our area. You will also learn about their qualities on this site and find retail nurseries where, through special order, they may be acquired.

2. If you allowed fall and winter go by without planting wildflower seeds, there is still a short window of time to do so. Just make sure you keep the soil or compost — with which you have barely covered the seeds — moist until germination occurs and beyond, until the plants have come into their own. To visit California wildflowers and see them blooming in their various habitats, call the Theodore Payne Foundation wildflower hotline at 818-768-1802, ext. 7. The annual Theodore Payne tour of native plant gardens throughout Los Angeles, which has been put on hold the last two springs, will take place on April 23rd and 24th. Register for the tour at theodorepayne.org. At the Theodore Payne nursery in Sun Valley, you can choose from a wide selection of wildflower seeds.

3. Consider planting vegetables in straw bales. Plant on the cut end of the bale with the ties holding the bale together on the sides. Condition the bale for planting by poking holes in the straw and filling them with blood meal. This will stimulate decomposing aerobic bacteria. As they decompose the straw, minerals will be released that benefit your crop. Water every day for two weeks prior to planting. The moisture aids in proliferation of the bacteria. You only need to apply 3-5 gallons daily. You will learn to water just enough so that water does not drain through the bale. Water that drains through carries minerals that would otherwise be taken up by your crop. Larger seeds such as those of squash, beans, and peas can be planted directly in the straw, around two inches deep, while a thin layer of compost should be layered on top of the bale when planting the smaller seeds of carrots, lettuce, and radishes. Of course, you can always plant crops already growing in four- or six-inch containers and even put up trellises next to the bales for support of vertical growers such as tomatoes and beans. Not having to bend too much to attend to plants growing in bales is a boon to your back.

4. Change the soil of your indoor plants. Spring is the best time to do this, just before your houseplants begin a new flush of growth. With small containers, replace all the soil except what surrounds the roots. With larger containers, you may only need to replace a third to two-thirds of the existing soil. While most leafy indoor plants should have their soil changed annually, slow growers like cactus and other succulents may not need to have their soil changed more than once every two years. If your plant exhibits explosive growth, you may have to change the soil more often than once a year. When moving to a larger pot, do so gradually. For instance, a plant growing in a six-inch diameter container should be potted up to an eight-inch size. If the roots on your plant are growing in a circle, do some straightening and pruning of them, as needed, before repotting.

5. When considering planting holes for shrubs and trees, use the image of a satellite dish to guide you. Dig a hole whose center is the same depth as the root ball of your plant so that, when placed there, the top of the root ball is on the same level, or slightly above the level, of the surrounding terrain. Make sure the diameter of the dug up area is at least three times the diameter of the root ball. You can dig a hole in a box shape so that it is the same depth as the root ball throughout, but you don’t have to work that hard. Only the center needs to match the depth of the root ball. The most important roots of any plant are in the top two or three inches of soil, and that’s why you can make the top of the hole wide and the bottom narrow. It’s also the reason to layer mulch over the roots as the final step in the planting process since shallow, unmulched roots are easily stressed by the heat.

Please send questions, comments, and photos to [email protected].