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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Food in My Back Yard Series

April 22: Should you stock up on fertilizer? (Yes!)

April 15: Grow culinary herbs in containers

April 8: When to plant summer vegetables

April 1: Don't be fooled by these garden myths

March 25: Fertilizer tips: How to 'feed' your vegetables for healthy growth

March 18: Time to give vegetable seedlings some more space

March 11: Ways to win the fight against weeds

March 4: Potatoes from the garden

Feb. 25: Plant a fruit tree now -- for later

Feb. 18: How to squeeze more food into less space

Feb. 11: When to plant? Consider staggering your transplants

Feb. 4: Starting in seed starting

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Garden Checklist for week of April 27

Once the clouds clear, get to work. Spring growth is in high gear.

* Set 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 and dahlia tubers for summer bloom. Late April is about the last chance to plant summer bulbs, such as gladiolus and tuberous begonias.

* Transplant lettuce and cabbage seedlings.

* Weed, weed, weed! Don’t let unwanted plants go to seed.

* April is the last chance to plant citrus trees such as dwarf orange, lemon and kumquat. These trees also look good in landscaping and provide fresh fruit in winter.

* Feed citrus trees with a low dose of balanced fertilizer (such as 10-10-10) during bloom to help set fruit. Keep an eye out for ants.

* Apply slow-release fertilizer to the lawn.

* Thoroughly clean debris from the bottom of outdoor ponds or fountains.

* Start thinning fruit that's formed on apple and stone fruit trees -- you'll get larger fruit at harvest (and avoid limb breakage) if some is thinned now. The UC recommendation is to thin fruit when it is about 3/4 of an inch in diameter. Peaches and nectarines should be thinned to about 6 inches apart; smaller fruit such as plums and pluots can be about 4 inches apart. Apricots can be left at 3 inches apart. Apples and pears should be thinned to one fruit per cluster of flowers, 6 to 8 inches apart.

* 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. Those leaves gather energy to create next year's flowers. Also, give the bulbs a fertilizer boost after bloom.

* Pinch chrysanthemums back to 12 inches for fall flowers. Cut old stems to the ground.

* Mulch around plants to conserve moisture and control weeds.

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