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You're invited to Sacramento's biggest garden party

Sacramento Digs Gardening
BY Debbie Arrington PUBLISHED JUL 29, 2019

Just like last year, above, shade will be plentiful throughout the Fair Oaks Horticulture Center during Harvest Day. (Photos: Kathy Morrison)

Harvest Day returns Aug. 3 at Fair Oaks Horticulture Center

Harvest Day, that education-packed celebration of local gardening, returns Saturday, Aug. 3, at Fair Oaks Horticulture Center in Fair Oaks Park. It’s annually Sacramento’s largest gardening event of its kind with hundreds of master gardeners and vendors involved.

Although the weather appears to be cooling back into the mere 90s, organizers are prepared for the heat.

“We have plenty of shady areas,” said Judy McClure, Sacramento County’s master gardener coordinator. “Water will be available (from food vendors). The weather forecast right now says 93 degrees, not 103. We’re keeping our fingers crossed.”

And a cool addition to the event’s food truck line-up: Gelato!

“We’re looking forward to it,” McClure said. “Even if you’ve been to Harvest Day before, we have a lot of new, fun things this year.”

Under the shade of a giant tent with plentiful seating, three popular speakers will address topics often requested by the public.

At 8:30 a.m., American River College’s Debbie Flower will share tips on water-wise container gardening.

At 9:45 a.m., compost expert Kevin Marini will tell how to know when your soil and plants need fertilizing.

At 11 a.m., landscape horticulturist Pam Bone will get to the root of many tree and shrub issues: root problems.

Two morning mini-seminars are devoted to home vineyard care.

“We have early-, mid- and late-ripening varieties; you can have grapes from May to September,” said McClure, noting plants will be available for sale. “We can help you do that.”

Gardeners will see how experts keep birds and critters away without poison or traps.

Grapes are protected in bags at the Hort Center vineyard.

“We did a lot of bagging and netting,” McClure said. “It’s quite a sight to see all these little organza bags hanging on the vines.”

In addition, pop-up demonstrations will be held throughout the Hort Center. A full schedule is available online at http://sacmg.ucanr.edu/Harvest_Day/

Harvest Day is open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday with free admission and parking. Fair Oaks Horticulture Center is located in Fair Oaks Park, 11549 Fair Oaks Blvd., Fair Oaks.

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Keywords:

UCCE master gardeners Sacramento roots events container gardening Harvest Day vineyards gardening family events Fair Oaks Horticulture Center water-wise gardening compost

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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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