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Reset clocks this weekend -- and sprinklers, too

Daylight time starts Sunday; expanded watering schedule already here

Sidewalk with water from sprinkler
Sprinklers should be adjusted so they're not watering the sidewalk or the
gutter. Sacramento also does not permit irrigation during midday, only between 7 p.m. and 10 a.m. (Photo: Kathy Morrison)




Time to spring forward! Daylight-saving time starts Sunday, March 14.

Remember to reset your clocks before you go to bed Saturday night.

Also, reset clocks and timers on your irrigation system. With lengthening days, you’ll likely want to water earlier and later than your winter schedule.

In Sacramento, March also brings a return of the warm-season watering schedule. Residents may use sprinklers twice a week, depending on address. Even-numbered homes may water Wednesday and Sunday; odd-numbered homes water on Tuesday and Saturday.

Regardless of your watering days, hours are restricted to the period 7 p.m. to 10 a.m. So, either water in the evening, overnight or early morning.

The exception: Drip irrigation may be used at any time. Also, plants in containers may be watered as needed.

Installing new sod or other landscaping? You may water 30 consecutive days to help get it established. Same goes for a reseeded lawn.

City of Sacramento reminds residents that runoff from irrigation is not permitted at any time. So use this weekend to check for leaks and malfunctioning sprinkler heads, too. Water the landscaping, not the sidewalk.

And if it rains (as we saw this week), remember to turn off irrigation – at least for a little while. The city recommends keeping sprinklers off for 48 hours after .125 inch of rain or more.

For more tips:
https://bit.ly/3ezajsY

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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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