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Turn autumn leaves into garden gold

Sacramento Digs Gardening
BY Debbie Arrington PUBLISHED NOV 6, 2018

Gorgeous gold leaves can have a second life as garden gold, also known as compost. (Photo: Kathy Morrison)

Master gardeners offer free composting classes

Got leaves? Make garden gold.

Think of all that fallen foliage as an autumn harvest of compost ingredients.

Brown leaves alone aren't enough to cook up nutrient-rich compost, but part of the overall mix. When started in November, compost will be ready for spring planting.

Want to learn how to turn your yard and kitchen waste into natural fertilizer? Take a composting class from local master gardeners.

* On Saturday, Nov. 10, the UC Cooperative Extension master gardeners of Sacramento County will present composting basics including how to set up various bins and tips for success. This free one-hour course starts at 10 a.m. at Sierra2 Center, 2791 24th St., Sacramento. Pre-registration is required via email to katie@sierra2.org . Details: sacmg.ucanr.edu

* For gardeners in Yolo County, the UCCE Yolo County master gardeners will present a free composting workshop at 10:15 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 10, at the Esparto Regional Library, 17065 Yolo Ave., Esparto. Details: http: yolomg.ucanr.edu

* Interested in worm composting? At 10 a.m. Saturdyam Nov. 17, the UCCE Yolo County master gardeners and EnviroWoodland present a free two-hour composting workshop that tackles both backyard and worm composting. It will be at the Woodland Community College garden, Building 400, 2300 E. Gibson Road, Woodland. Free worms will be available. Woodland residents who sign up in advance can take home a free worm bin, too. Details: yolomg.ucanr.edu

For more garden events and workshops checkout Sac Digs Gardening's expanded Garden Calendar . Got an event? Send it to us at sacdigsgardening@gmail.com .

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UCCE master gardeners composting Sacramento workshops Yolo County events fall gardening compost fertilizer

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Garden Checklist for week of May 19

Temperatures will be a bit higher than normal in the afternoons this week. Take care of chores early in the day – then enjoy the afternoon. It’s time to smell the roses.

* Plant, plant, plant! It’s prime planting season in the Sacramento area. If you haven’t already, it’s time to set out those tomato transplants along with peppers and eggplants. Pinch off any flowers on new transplants to make them concentrate on establishing roots instead of setting premature fruit.

* Direct-seed melons, cucumbers, summer squash, corn, radishes, pumpkins and annual herbs such as basil.

* Harvest cabbage, lettuce, peas and green onions.

* In the flower garden, direct-seed sunflowers, cosmos, salvia, zinnias, marigolds, celosia and asters.

* Plant dahlia tubers. Other perennials to set out include verbena, coreopsis, coneflower and astilbe.

* Transplant petunias, marigolds and perennial flowers such as astilbe, columbine, coneflowers, coreopsis, dahlias, rudbeckia and verbena.

* Keep an eye out for slugs, snails, earwigs and aphids that want to dine on tender new growth.

* Feed summer bloomers with a balanced fertilizer.

* For continued bloom, cut off spent flowers on roses as well as other flowering plants.

* Don’t forget to water. Seedlings need moisture. Deep watering will help build strong roots and healthy plants.

* Add mulch to the garden to help keep that precious water from evaporating. Mulch also cuts down on weeds. But don’t let it mound around the stems or trunks of trees or shrubs. Leave about a 6-inch to 1-foot circle to avoid crown rot or other problems.

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