Thanks, Nik. Of course you are correct - we must have the "cleanest" soil around, as it has been washed continuously. What I have been doing is running out between the storms and throwing osmacote (you can get it cheaper in 50 lb bags from Amazon) on the rose & other beds. It is supposed to dissolve slowly over time. It is supposed to be "watered in", but I just wait (usually max one day) for the next rainstorm to do that.

When it stops raining, however (sometime between April and June), I will definitely put on more traditional food on the beds. Thanks for the reminder.

Jackie

I've noticed that at certain times some of my roses seemed to be suffering from a nutrient deficiency (very possibly nitrogen) because the leaves had turned a very light green. I did nothing about it except to have leaf mulch around the roses and, to my surprise, the problem corrected itself. I'll add some more mulch around the roses and see what happens. After reading vmr's article about fertilizer runoff, and my living on a steep hillside, I'd rather err on the side of caution and not apply fertilizer, but thank you, nik, for thinking of us.

Thanks for the reminder, Nik. I tend to fertilize only once a year, right around now. I use an organic fertilizer mix, no particular brand. Then I cover with a wood chip mulch which feeds the soil as it breaks down. Nitrogen tends to get low this time of year for us every year, rain or drought.

One of the several good things this rain is doing for us is washing accumulated salts from irrigation water out of the soil.

Rosefolly

I know it isn't for everyone's yard, but I'm actually really happy about how the rain helped my "green manure" alfalfa cover crop take off! No need to add nitrogen to my soil now. In a couple of weeks I can just chop it down and turn it back into the soil. The roots broke up the soil for me, fixed the nitrogen ... and once I chop it and turn it back into the soil it will be a great slow release nitrogen fertilizer! I wish I would have done it in more areas. Didn't have to water it at all!

If it isn't too much work to turn it back into the soil I think I might make this a yearly occurrence over the winter.

Not sure I would turn the upper parts of the alfalfa back into the soil. You may be disturbing roots of the roses. Also decaying plant material buried within the soil can tie up nitrogen until it finished decomposing. Decaying plant material on the surface only does this to the actual surface itself, and the rest of the soil is fine. I would not worry about the alfalfa roots, considering that they come with their own nitrogen source; should not be a problem.

This is an intriguing idea, though. If it were me, I think I would cut it off at soil level and leave the upper part of the plant to rot on the surface, then cover it with mulch. The roots are where the nitrogen nodules are, and they are already in the soil where you want them. BTW, did you know to cut it off as soon as it starts to bloom? If not, the alfalfa can use up the nitrogen for itself.

Good points Rosefolly. The areas where I planted the alfalfa are actually getting ready to have roses planted in a season or two, but don't yet.

Not sure I would plant a perennial like alfalfa near roses (for all the reasons you mention).... what I did was plant annual sweet peas and lupines near the roses instead. ;)

I saw this article in the NY Times today. Maybe you Californians, if you live in any of these areas, can share some photos of the display!

California Today: Awaiting a Wildflower Explosion