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Spring Gardening Tips for a Flourishing Garden
As the vibrant colors of spring burst forth and the air fills with the sweet scent of blossoms, it's the perfect time to roll up your sleeves and tend to your garden. Whether you're a seasoned gar...
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More dry weather creates winter planting window
How dry we are! Our rainless weather pattern continues.
According to the National Weather Service, Sacramento has a 0% chance of rain between now and next weekend. January, usually one of our wettest months, will end with only 0.05 inches of precipitation – 3.6 inches below normal.
February also is tracking on the dry side. A “normal” February in Sacramento averages nearly 3.6 inches, too.
Right now, the only moisture in the forecast is patchy morning ground fog. That fog will keep temperatures cool, with afternoon highs around 60 degrees and overnight lows in the high 30s.
While we sure could use the rain, make good use of this pleasant winter weather:
* Finish winter pruning. That includes roses and most dormant trees or shrubs.
* This is the last chance to spray fruit trees before they bloom. Treat peach and nectarine trees with copper-based fungicide. Spray apricot trees at bud swell to prevent brown rot. Apply horticultural oil to control scale, mites and aphids on fruit trees soon after a rain. But remember: Oils need at least 24 hours to dry to be effective. Don’t spray during foggy weather.
* Feed spring-blooming shrubs and fall-planted perennials with slow-release fertilizer.
* Fertilize strawberries and asparagus.
* Indoors, start peppers, tomatoes and eggplant from seed.
* Plant bare-root roses, berries and fruit trees.
* Transplant or direct-seed several flowers, including snapdragon, candytuft, lilies, astilbe, larkspur, Shasta and painted daisies, stocks, bleeding heart and coral bells.
* In the vegetable garden, plant Jerusalem artichoke tubers plus artichoke, horseradish, strawberry and rhubarb roots.
* Transplant cabbage, broccoli, kale and Brussels sprouts as well as lettuce (both loose leaf and head).
* Plant seed potatoes and onion sets (small bulbs).
* From seed, plant beets, chard, lettuce, mustard, peas, radishes and turnips.
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Garden Checklist for week of May 19
Temperatures will be a bit higher than normal in the afternoons this week. Take care of chores early in the day – then enjoy the afternoon. It’s time to smell the roses.
* Plant, plant, plant! It’s prime planting season in the Sacramento area. If you haven’t already, it’s time to set out those tomato transplants along with peppers and eggplants. Pinch off any flowers on new transplants to make them concentrate on establishing roots instead of setting premature fruit.
* Direct-seed melons, cucumbers, summer squash, corn, radishes, pumpkins and annual herbs such as basil.
* Harvest cabbage, lettuce, peas and green onions.
* In the flower garden, direct-seed sunflowers, cosmos, salvia, zinnias, marigolds, celosia and asters.
* Plant dahlia tubers. Other perennials to set out include verbena, coreopsis, coneflower and astilbe.
* Transplant petunias, marigolds and perennial flowers such as astilbe, columbine, coneflowers, coreopsis, dahlias, rudbeckia and verbena.
* Keep an eye out for slugs, snails, earwigs and aphids that want to dine on tender new growth.
* Feed summer bloomers with a balanced fertilizer.
* For continued bloom, cut off spent flowers on roses as well as other flowering plants.
* Don’t forget to water. Seedlings need moisture. Deep watering will help build strong roots and healthy plants.
* Add mulch to the garden to help keep that precious water from evaporating. Mulch also cuts down on weeds. But don’t let it mound around the stems or trunks of trees or shrubs. Leave about a 6-inch to 1-foot circle to avoid crown rot or other problems.
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