My plan is to run out when it looks like it really is going to rain and throw osmacote all over the areas of the garden where I have not put fertilizer yet, so the rain can water it in for me. I am so ready for rain - I have had to water all of our pots by hand lately (some of them are on our irrigation system, but I really don't want to turn that on yet).

Jackie

I am going to try to mulch the last areas before the rain comes and then hurry up and cover my camellias so the buds don't get ruined.

Too late. It's already raining here this morning! Actually, it's still a bit too early to fertilize here in my area. I may throw down some 16-16-16 fertilizer the first week of March. Should do the epsom salts then too. Heck, I still haven't finished deadheading yet! So much to do.... so little time...

About 50 of the roses have been dug up, replanted in gopher baskets and pruned. On those I put down about 50# of alfalfa pellets and covered them with 3-4" of Tango Mulch.

The rest of them are still waiting for the next break in the weather.

Susan

The weather forecast predicts rain for San Diego for Wednesday and the following days, so I intend to go out tomorrow and fertilize with organic rose fertilizer and alfalfa meal as many roses as I can. It would be great if I could put mulch on top of the fertilizer, but because I only can work at the lunch break that is not going to happen. You can just do as much as you can :-)!

For principle reasons I only believe that it will rain in San Diego when I see it with my own eyes, anyway ;-)!

Wishing everyone that you come as far with the fertilizing and other tasks as you desire before the rain (hopefully) sets in.

Christina

Here is a link that might be useful: Organic Garden Dreams

Ha! It has been raining here now for 24 hours without stopping - Yay! I was not quick enough to go out and throw the osmocote around before it started - it is supposed to stop by tomorrow, and then another storm is supposed to come in tomorrow night, so maybe I will be able to do that between the storms sometime tomorrow. Meanwhile, all of the garden plants are sighing with delight.

Jackie

Jackie: Where are you located? I am in San Jose area and we did get barely any rain. I managed to put down the alfalfa pellets today. I even convinced myself to buy compost to put down as mulch tomorrow. Good luck with fertilizing.

Kittymoonbeam: I have never heard of covering camellias from rain. I have one that balls badly when it gets wet. The plant that I wish I could be able to protect from rain is daffodils. I had to cut all the blooms and brought them in this morning. That is a shame they only bloom once right during rain storm.

Beth and Susan: Good luck with pruning and planting. At least you can rest for few days while it is rainy.

Christina: I know what you mean by I believe its raining when I see it. I guess rain just missed us by 2-30 miles. I hope we get with next one.

FJ

When it arrives, I will celebrate. I was running around like crazy planting things today in preparation. Crossing fingers we get some. All those gorgeous 80F January and February days were wonderful, but we need raaaaaaaaaaaaaiiiiinnnnnn!!

wanttogarden - I am in Marin county. Yesterday we got an inch of rain! It is not raining this morning, but the sky is full of storm clouds - we are supposed to get a stronger storm this afternoon, with more rain and high winds. I did just run out at 7AM and throw the 9 month version of osmocote all around the roses I had not yet fed - I figure they are well watered now, and the new storm will water it in - saves me the bother! Hope you get lots of rain too -

Jackie

This year we did not have any significant rain fall at all. It was supposed to rain last week but it did not.

It started to rain since last night and we still have off and on showers.

Last year rain was late (look at the date), but after its late arrival, we had tones of it. I hope this year it is like last year too. The only down fall to last year was abundance of rust. I take rust over drought any day.

Enjoy the rain,
FJ

Most of my camellias are open this year already so not as many to cover. Actually a good camellia year this mostly dry winter. I was moving some big roses and planting some out of 15 gallon pots. Trying to get the pot village roses into permanent spots now that they are big enough. This cool moist weather is perfect. Also I planted 3 flats of ranunculus out front and hopefully our neighborhood raccoons will leave them alone. It should look nice with the row of pink rosette behind it. I have a few Madame Issac P. and Baronne Prevost open now and more to come so hopefully the little bit of rain won't spoil them. Everything else is just now forming little tiny buds or will soon. I hope it stays cool so the first roses have time to get good size and color.

Right now I have daffodils, violets and violas going strong and strawberries in bloom.

I bought a sweet little quartered magenta/pink mini today from a Valentines display and probably it is not suitable for the garden but I thought I would give it a chance just in case. Looks just like an english rose if the color was rouge royale + angel face only in miniature.

being alert about thw whether conditions and thereby planning woulb be the best option....

Lucky you, Jackie. I am near San Jose and we got a quarter inch. I was actually pretty excited about it, since it is the most we have had at once in a couple of months.

We are now up to about 2 3/4" for the rain-year, which started July 1.

Rosefolly