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Is it too hot for February favorites?

Sacramento Digs Gardening
BY Debbie Arrington PUBLISHED FEB 24, 2020

Jonquils in a container are particularly susceptible to drying heat. Make sure to water bulbs in pots. (Photo: Debbie Arrington)

Heat wave toasts daffodils, speeds blooming

This dry, warm February feels good to people, but not so comfortable for winter-blooming plants.

Daffodils open one day, wilt and brown the next. Tulips topple over in the afternoon. Flowering pears shower white petals.

Camellias appear two weeks ahead of schedule. Saucer magnolias are almost over the top.

These unusual conditions are expected to continue several more days with record or near-record highs in the upper 70s. Starting Tuesday, Sacramento is expected to hit at least 75 degrees on three consecutive days.

February’s rain meter remains stuck on zero. According to the National Weather Service, Sacramento has never had a rainless February. The driest on record -- 1899 -- had 0.04 inches. (That was followed by a very wet March.)

While it may feel like we’ve jumped weeks ahead on the calendar, cooler conditions are expected to return next week. Forecasters predict some much-needed precipitation in early March.

During this warm weather, concentrate on making your plants comfortable:

* Check soil moisture and deep irrigate where needed.

* Turn on the sprinklers and evaluate coverage. Make adjustments as needed.

* Apply insulating mulch around shrubs and trees.

* Pick up fallen camellia blooms to cut down on spread of fungal disease.

* Hold off on planting summer favorites such as tomatoes and squash. Nights are still too cold for their root development.

* Watch out for aphids; knock them off plants with a strong blast of water or insecticidal soap.

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Keywords:

unusual weather Sacramento February dry conditions camellias irrigation weather gardening mulch blooms rainfall bulbs flowers winter

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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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