Statewide
Counties El Dorado County Monterey County Nevada County Placer County Sacramento County San Benito County San Joaquin County Santa Clara County Santa Cruz County Yolo County Regions Tahoe-Truckee Region
Join Us Sign In
Sacramento Digs Gardening logo
Sacramento Digs Gardening Article
Your resource for Sacramento-area gardening news, tips and events
Articles Recipe Index Keyword Index Calendar Twitter Facebook Instagram About Us Contact Us

Dry, warm February includes unwanted buzz


Sacramento Digs Gardening logo
Sacramento Digs Gardening
BY Debbie Arrington PUBLISHED FEB 11, 2020
With so many bulbs and other plants blooming, it might as well be spring. (Photo: Kathy Morrison)

Mosquitoes out early; is drought on horizon?



Unusually warm and dry temperatures may make it feel like spring, but they also bring notes of caution from Sacramento weather watchers.

Monday’s high of 73 degrees tied a Sacramento record, with 72 degrees forecast for Tuesday. By contrast, our “normal” for early February daytime highs is 60 degrees.

What’s more alarming is the lack of moisture. So far, February – usually among the rainiest months – has been bone dry. Historically in Sacramento, this month averages more than 3.5 inches of precipitation.

With such dry weather, forecasters have been mentioning the dreaded “D” word – drought. After tracking almost normally, our rain year has fallen far off pace. According to the National Weather Service, Sacramento Executive Airport reports 6.14 inches total rain since Oct. 1, the start of our rain year. Last year, it measured 10.48 inches through Feb. 10. “Normal” to date is 11.19 inches.

What’s worse is that 6 inches is only a third of the 18-inch “normal” rain year total. That means new rounds of conservation measures may be coming soon.

According to the NWS, the driest Sacramento February on record was way back in 1899 – only .04 inches. In more recent decades, February 1995 saw only .19 inches, but that followed widespread flooding in January of that year.

A consequence of all this warmth: Mosquitoes. They’re out early – and hungry. According to the Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito and Vector Control District, these early biters are a species that overwintered in rice fields that surround Sacramento. This warmth woke up the bugs, and they’re now aggressively seeking first blood. They’ll follow people and pets indoors in search of a meal.

Don’t let these pests make themselves at home. Empty any standing water outdoors. Wear long sleeves and long pants when working in the garden.

For more mosquito-busting tips: Fightthebite.net .

Comments

0 comments have been posted.
GENERAL GARDENING

An article about gardening.

Keywords:
vector control Sacramento winter weather drought February record highsm weather mosquitoes gardening National Weather Service early spring rainfall

Newsletter Subscription

Sacramento Digs Gardening to your inbox.

Taste Fall! E-cookbook

Muffins and pumpkin

Find our fall recipes here!

Thanks to Our Sponsor!

Cleveland sage ad for Be Water Smart

Local News

Ad for California Local

Sites We Like

  1.  UCCE Master Gardeners of Sacramento County
  2. Farmer Fred's GardenBasics.net
  3. UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden
  4. Shepard Garden and Arts Center
  5. Placer County Master Gardeners
  6. El Dorado County Master Gardeners
  7. Yolo County Master Gardeners

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.

Taste Spring! E-cookbook

Strawberries

Find our spring recipes here!

Taste Summer! E-cookbook

square-tomatoes-plate.jpg

Find our summer recipes here!

Taste Winter! E-cookbook

Lemon coconut pancakes

Find our winter recipes here!

Join Us Today!