Sacramento Digs Gardening: Dig In: Garden checklist for week of April 7

After rain on warm April days, check rose foliage for fungal disease.
(Photos: Debbie Arrington)

Weird, wet weather pattern continues; make most of dry days

So far, April has just felt cold and damp. But warmer temperatures are on the way.

Although rain still hopscotches through the forecast, Sacramento is slowly creeping into the low 70s. Nights are warmer, too, hovering around 50. That’s a sweet spot for spring planting. As the weather warms, plant growth will speed up dramatically.

Be ready for it. Start transplanting summer vegetables into raised beds or large pots; the soil warms up faster above ground level. Several vegetables and flowers can be direct seeded into the garden.

Azaleas are at their peak in April.

This cool weather will lengthen the season for early spring favorites such as peas, lettuce and broccoli. Usually gone in March, camellias and daffodils seem to be sticking around, too. Especially enjoying this weather are azaleas, now at their peak of bloom.

Be on the lookout for fungal disease. With days above 65 degrees, these wet conditions will bring out rust, powdery mildew and black spot. Check rose foliage daily and remove leaves that show signs of fungal problems. Clean up fallen leaves around bushes.

Meanwhile, enjoy sunny days when we get them – and get outside.

* Azaleas and camellias looking a little yellow? If leaves are turning yellow between the veins, give them a boost with chelated iron.

* Trim dead flowers but not leaves from spring-flowering bulbs such as daffodils and tulips. Give the bulbs a fertilizer boost after bloom.

* Start setting out tomato, pepper and eggplant transplants.

* From seed, plant beans, beets, cantaloupes, carrots, corn, cucumbers, melons, pumpkins, 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 and other summer bloomers.

* Plant perennials, summer bulbs and dahlia tubers.

* Transplant one last round of lettuce and cabbage seedlings; choose quick-maturing varieties.

CHECKLIST FOR THE WEEK

Your weekly checklist of activities in the garden.

Keywords:

spring vegetables tomatoes azaleas cool-weather vegetables summer vegetables garden checklist rose care when to plant

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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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