Q: It's almost time for me to prune our roses, and I never know if I'm doing it correctly, even though I've read descriptions of what to do. I really stress over this. Where can I get help?

A: Years ago when I attended Cal Poly, their motto was "learn by doing" and I'm sure it probably still is. Of course, the faculty provided expert direction while we students were "doing." Happily, each winter, local rose societies provide similar hands-on training to home gardeners at no charge. Next month, the Mountain View Rose Society will be providing three opportunities in Riverside to get expert instruction in rose pruning and some practice too.

The first date is Jan. 9 at the Fairmount Park Rose Garden from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. A free pancake breakfast for those participating will also be served at this event. In case of rain, the event will be postponed to Jan. 16, also from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

The second date is Jan. 16 at Parkview Nursery, 4377 Chicago, from noon to 3 p.m. The third date is Jan. 23 at Parkview Nursery, 3841 Jackson, from noon to 3 p.m. Remember, there is no charge and the events are open to the public. All you need to bring with you is a pair of gloves to protect you from rose thorns and your favorite rose pruners. With expert instruction and a little practice under the watchful eyes of a rose society member, you'll be pruning your own roses like an expert when you return home and are rewarded with strong growth and gorgeous blooms starting in spring.

Q: We planted a Valencia orange tree two years ago and it has about a dozen oranges on it. The fruits have turned a nice orange color but we picked an orange today and it was really sour. Did we get a bad tree?

A: Rind color is no indication of whether or not a citrus fruit is mature. The peel of your Valencia oranges turned orange in response to winter weather, not because the fruit was ready for harvest. When the weather turns cool, photosynthesis slows down and the production of green chlorophyll decreases. The fruits lose their green color, revealing the orange (or yellow for grapefruit) hue that had been masked by the green.

Normally, Valencia oranges are not mature and sweet in our inland valleys until about April. These comments also apply to other citrus fruits such as Gold Nugget and Encore mandarins as well as conventional grapefruit, which are also considered late season fruits. They will not be ready to eat until at least March or even April, regardless of peel color.

Ottillia "Toots" Bier has been a master gardener since 1980.