Winter weather in San Diego varies depending on your location: mild temperatures on the coast, chances for frost inland and in the desert areas, and in the mountains there may be snow. Here are some garden tasks you can do during winter no matter where you live in the county.
Test your soil to know your soil type by digging a shovel-sized hole and filling it with a gallon of water. The length of time it takes to drain the water reveals your soil type: hardpan, days or weeks; clay, 3 to 12 hours; clay loam, half-an-hour to 2 hours; loam, 20 minutes to an hour; sandy loam 10 to 30 minutes.
Order seeds to start indoors. Purchase camellias and aloes now so you can enjoy the bloom and know what you are getting. Plan ahead for an arbor. Plant drought-tolerant ground cover now.
Keep holiday plants in a bright but cool spot to prolong bloom.
Organize, sharpen and inventory garden tools.
Set sprinklers to manual for use as needed. Water early in the morning rather than during the night.
Keep feeders full now through spring to encourage birds to spend winter in your garden.
Pull spent annuals and add them to the compost pile. Allow roses to form hips for dormancy or prune and fertilize them for another bloom.
