Sacramento Digs Gardening: Dig In: Garden checklist for week of April 11

Marigolds can be planted from seed or as transplants to brighten the summer

garden. (Photo: Kathy Morrison)

Ready, set, plant! Several days in the low 80s and high 70s make this week almost ideal for seeding a summer vegetable garden. The only drawback? Breezy conditions can dry out soil quickly – and there’s still no rain in our forecast.

According to the National Weather Service, our week will start out with above-average temperatures and afternoon highs topping out around 82 degrees. Clear conditions will allow overnight temperatures to dip back down into the 40s. But instead of chilly low 40s, those nighttime lows will hover just below 50 degrees.

Soil is warming along with the air, so start transplanting heat-loving summer veggies, too. Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and squash can be set out now, but don’t expect them to really take off until Sacramento nights stay above 50 to 55 degrees. Remember to keep those new transplants and seedbeds irrigated.

There are plenty of other tasks that need attention now, too:

* Weed, weed, weed! Unwanted plants are growing fast. Tackle them before they go to seed.

* Mulch around plants to conserve moisture and control weeds.

* April is the last chance to plant citrus trees such as dwarf orange, lemon and kumquat. These trees also look good in landscaping and provide fresh fruit in winter.

* Apply slow-release fertilizer to the lawn.

* Thoroughly clean debris from the bottom of outdoor ponds or fountains.

* From seed, plant beans, beets, carrots, corn, cucumbers, all melons, okra, radishes and squash. Plant onion sets.

* In the flower garden, plant seeds for asters, cosmos, celosia, marigolds, salvia, sunflowers and zinnias.

* Transplant petunias, zinnias, geraniums, marigolds and other summer bloomers.

* Plant perennials and dahlia tubers.

* Plant summer bulbs, such as gladiolus and tuberous begonias.

CHECKLIST FOR THE WEEK

Your weekly checklist of activities in the garden.

Keywords:

fertilizing seeds tomatoes Sacramento garden checklist spring planting weather citrus gardening lawns summer vegetables mulch spring rainfall

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Garden Checklist for week of Nov. 3

November still offers good weather for fall planting:

* If you haven't already, it's time to clean up the remains of summer. Pull faded annuals and vegetables. Prune dead or broken branches from trees.

* Now is the best time to plant most trees and shrubs. This gives them plenty of time for root development before spring growth. They also benefit from fall and winter rains.

* Set out cool-weather annuals such as pansies and snapdragons.

* Lettuce, cabbage and broccoli also can be planted now.

* Plant garlic and onions.

* Keep planting bulbs to spread out your spring bloom. Some possible suggestions: daffodils, crocuses, hyacinths, tulips, anemones and scillas.

* This is also a good time to seed wildflowers and plant such spring bloomers as sweet pea, sweet alyssum and bachelor buttons.

* Rake and compost leaves, but dispose of any diseased plant material. For example, if peach and nectarine trees showed signs of leaf curl this year, clean up under trees and dispose of those leaves instead of composting.

* Save dry stalks and seedpods from poppies and coneflowers for fall bouquets and holiday decorating.

* For holiday blooms indoors, plant paperwhite narcissus bulbs now. Fill a shallow bowl or dish with 2 inches of rocks or pebbles. Place bulbs in the dish with the root end nestled in the rocks. Add water until it just touches the bottom of the bulbs. Place the dish in a sunny window. Add water as needed.

* Give your azaleas, gardenias and camellias a boost with chelated iron.

* For larger blooms, pinch off some camellia buds.

* Prune non-flowering trees and shrubs while dormant.

* To help prevent leaf curl, apply a copper fungicide spray to peach and nectarine trees after they lose their leaves this month. Leaf curl, which shows up in the spring, is caused by a fungus that winters as spores on the limbs and around the tree in fallen leaves. Sprays are most effective now.

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