Not sure, Jenn, but thinking that maybe he's grouping them with grasses. I'm going to talk with him next week about NOT doing this this year, and letting them grow. I can trim out the spent flower stalks to encourage more bloom. I was somewhat horrified myself when he did it the first time. Didn't check with anyone, and he did it a second time last fall. That's when I figured this was absolutely not the right thing to do for this species. Confirmed in the MG class. Patty S.

Hoping there are some of you still following this thread since it's a few years old. I bought some kangaroo paws a few months ago from a nursery. Planted them into pretty dry/sandy soil. (note: I have no idea what I'm doing when it comes to gardening) They were doing pretty well when I first planted them. Growing new shoots, flowers, etc. Then they appeared to be dying after I planted them. Leaves were browning, flowers were drying out. So without doing any research whatsoever I assumed it was because they weren't being watered enough. So I watered them everyday for about 10 minutes. Now I realize that I was probably killing them. I've since then allowed the dirt dry up and only water 3 times a week for 3 minutes. I have a corrugated metal fence that they are planted against. The metal amplifies the sun's heat and sunlight. So I'm wondering if they are being "burned"? Anyways, the plants do not look healthy and I think they are dying. Anything I can do to save or salvage them? Soil, adjust pH?

First of all, you might want to start posting on the CA gardening forum. There are quite a few SoCal gardeners on it. Second, soil and prep are ALWAYS more important than plants. If you have clay soil it won't drain well and watering so often will create root rot. Yes, new plants need to be watered to establish themselves - so it's a fine line between "watering enough" and "drowning", in this case. Your calla lilies will yellow and go away very soon. They HATE hot soil. They are partial shade plants at best, especially in your area. In coastal CA they bloom around Nov/Dec thru mid-May. "Hercules" gets not only very tall but will grow outwards at a steady rate. I wasn't successful with my own Anigozanthosos (kangaroo paw), but when advice says to prune back after flower, they mean the flower STEM, not the whole plant including leaves. Sage can be pruned almost any time, as far as I can tell. But like rosemary, you want to avoid cutting into the woody stems. Cut it back to a pair of leaves - any pair, just so you don't leave it leafless on that stem. Bougainvillea can be touchy about getting established. They hate being transplanted and it's very easy to harm the rootball because it falls apart easily. Once it's adjusted, you can cut back the watering gradually. "Sulking" won't harm it as long as you water as soon as you see the symptoms of leaf curling, etc. Dahlias are prone to root rot, especially when dormant in winter. With your clay soil you might be better off growing them in pots if you refuse to amend your soil. Watering too often and shallowly is a common error for beginners. Most plants prefer watering less often and deeply, and from underneath rather than above. Good luck!

The seeds of Kangaroo Paws are located at the base of the flower, where there is what looks like a swelling. Finger pressure will tell you that it is firm and when shattered between the fingers you can see the segments which contain the seed and some chaff. Place the drying old flowers in a paper bag to finish drying off and squeeze the base of each flower to break it apart to obtain the seed. According to Murray Ralph's book on propagating from seed, the seed of Macropidia is viable for 8 years. However seed is difficult to germinate. Soaking seed in hot water for 15 minutes may improve results. Natural weathering of seed sown in a pot has been successful with seed germinating in the second autumn following soaking. Smoke treatment has not been successful.