December gets off to a soggy start – just what we need
Raindrops give a whole different look to this heavenly bamboo shrub (aka nandina). Kathy Morrison
Keep your umbrella handy this week; we’re in for a lot of wet weather. Considering how dry this year has been, that’s welcome news.
According to the National Weather Service, possible rain is in the forecast for all this weekend plus more showers on Monday, Tuesday morning and all day Friday. These off-and-on storms should total more than 1.2 inches of rain.
On top of the 0.58 inches that Sacramento received Thursday, that’s a solid start to December’s rain totals. Historically, December averages 3.25 inches.
All this cloud cover is keeping temperatures right around average for early December. Forecast highs are in the low to mid 50s all week; December highs in Sacramento average 54. Lows should stay above freezing, too, which is normal; our average low for December is 38.
What to do between raindrops? Here are some suggestions:
* Prune non-flowering deciduous trees and shrubs after they’ve lost their leaves.
* Clean and sharpen garden tools before storing for the winter.
* Brighten the holidays with winter bloomers such as calendulas, Iceland poppies, pansies, snapdragons and primroses.
* Keep poinsettias in a sunny, warm location – out of the chilly rain. Water thoroughly.
* Rake and remove dead leaves and stems from dormant perennials.
* Just because it rained doesn't mean every plant got watered. Give a drink to plants that the rain didn't reach, such as under eaves or under evergreen trees.
* Bare-root season has begun. Plant bare-root berries, kiwifruit, grapes, artichokes, horseradish and rhubarb. But beware of soggy soil. It can rot bare-root plants.
* It’s your last chance to plant spring bulbs such as daffodils, crocuses, anemones and scillas. Don’t forget the tulips and hyacinths chilling in the refrigerator.
* This is also a good time to seed wildflowers and spring flowers such as sweet pea, sweet alyssum and bachelor buttons.
* Plant lettuce, cabbage, broccoli, chard and other leafy greens.
* Plant garlic and onions.
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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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