Bird walk, farm tour and seed saving workshop offered at American River Ranch
Soil Born Farms' American River Ranch -- Sacramento's oldest working farm -- grows a wide range of crops using regenerative methods. Photo courtesy of Soil Born Farms Soil Born Farms
Celebrate the change of season while learning about local wildlife and gardening know-how.
Soil Born Farms’ American River Ranch – the Sacramento area’s oldest working farm – will host a variety of workshops and tours Saturday, Sept. 24. Register in advance.
At 8 a.m., enjoy a “Bird Walk” with naturalist Cliff Hawley and get to know the feathered friends that flock to the American River Parkway. It’s ideal for beginning and intermediate birdwatchers. Fee is $15 with proceeds supporting the American River Ranch Restoration and Development Fund.
At 9 a.m., learn about “Seed Saving” with Soil Borns’ Kellan MacKay. Class fee is $30.
“We will discuss the importance of seed saving, how to care for the plants to assure a good seed supply and how to create the right environment to save seeds,” say the organizers. “Learn the difference between open pollinated plants and hybrid seeds and get hands-on experience cleaning and storing seeds.”
Also at 9 a.m., take a “Regenerative Agriculture Farm Tour” with Tyler Stowers. “See how our farmers implement regenerative practices that revitalize the land and restore the historic American River Ranch,” say the organizers.
Sign up in advance at www.soilborn.org. Soil Borns’ American River Ranch is located at 2140 Chase Drive, Rancho Cordova.
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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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