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Become a brighter bulb with this class


Grape hyacinths are layered under tulips in
Debbie Arrington's garden. (Photo: Debbie Arrington)
Master gardeners' seminar will help you 'Fall into Spring'

What's your bulb IQ? Do you know your daffodils from hyacinths? Dutch iris from Siberian squill?

More important, do you know how to make the most of bulbs in your spring garden? Or how to force them indoors?

Learn all that and more at "Fall into Spring: Fall Planting for Spring Color," a special seminar hosted by the UC Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners of Sacramento County.

Sign up early for this bulb class; pre-registration is required and space is limited.

Bulbs are enjoying a new wave of popularity in California gardens. Most spring-blooming bulbs are drought tolerant and easy care. They're also deer- and rodent-resistant. A small investment can pay off with colorful dividends for years to come.

Guest speaker for this information-packed session will be Bill the Bulb Baron, aka Northern California bulb grower and hybridizer William Welch. He'll share his tips for success in Sacramento's climate and soils.

Other presentations include how to layer bulbs for dramatic impact (and more weeks of flowers) as well as how to force bulbs in containers for winter blooms.

In addition, bulbs and forcing kits will be offered for sale at the seminar.

Questions? For more information: UC Cooperative Extension, (916) 875-6913 or sacmg.ucanr.edu .

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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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