Dig In: Garden checklist for week of April 7

After shivering through some record cold temperatures, we’re ready to warm up – in a hurry.

According to the National Weather Service, Sacramento will see highs in the mid 80s by Thursday. That’s more than 30 degrees warmer than last Thursday, April 4, when Sacramento’s high was only 51 (and felt colder).

Chilly nights have kept temperatures on the frosty side; overnight lows on Saturday and Sunday are expected to dip down to 40 or even the high 30s. As days get warmer, nights will slowly warm, too – but not enough yet to set out tomatoes. The ground is still way too cold!

Normal for early April in Sacramento: Highs around 71 degrees and lows about 46.

This warm wave ahead will shift weeds into overdrive. Get to work!

* Weed, weed, weed! Whack them before they flower.

* Mulch around plants to conserve moisture and control weeds.

* Smell orange blossoms? 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.

* Spring brings a flush of rapid growth, and that means your garden is really hungry. Feed shrubs and trees with a slow-release fertilizer. Or mulch with a 1-inch layer of compost.

* 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.

* 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. April is about the last chance to plant summer bulbs, such as gladiolus and tuberous begonias.

* Transplant lettuce and cabbage seedlings.