Winds bring high fire danger, low humidity
Golden pineapple sage makes a spectacular addition to the fall garden. October is the perfect time to be planting shrubs and perennials. Kathy Morrison
It’s not the heat, it’s the humidity. Besides summer temperatures, that old saying applies to fire weather, too.
Right now, that dry wind has sucked the last moisture out of remaining summer foliage; that makes grasses extra crispy and very susceptible to wildfire. Don’t mow dry grasses in this weather; hitting a rock can spark a blaze.
According to the National Weather Service, the Sacramento Valley and Sierra foothills will remain under a red-flag warning into Saturday evening, though the strongest winds had eased by noon. Winds of 10 to 15 mph with gusts of 20 to 30 mph were predicted in the Sacramento area. The Delta had a forecast for winds of 20 to 30 and gusts up to 45 mph. Watch out for falling branches as well as fire danger.
Meanwhile, daytime humidity is down to 10 to 20%, says the weather service. Expect trees to start rapidly shedding their fall foliage.
That low humidity can take a toll on new transplants and seedlings, too. Keep those plants irrigated and evenly moist as they get established.
With the winds dying down, temperatures should be pleasant with afternoon highs hovering around 80 degrees. That’s average for late October in Sacramento – and perfect for gardening.
* October is the best month to plant trees, shrubs and perennials. Add a little well-aged compost and bone meal to the planting hole, but hold off on other fertilizers until spring. Keep the transplants well-watered (but not wet) for the first month as they become settled.
* Dig up corms and tubers of gladioli, dahlias and tuberous begonias after the foliage dies. Clean and store in a cool, dry place.
* Treat azaleas, gardenias and camellias with chelated iron if leaves are yellowing between the veins.
* Clean up the summer vegetable garden and compost disease-free foliage.
* Harvest apples and pears. Pick up fallen fruit.
* Harvest pumpkins and winter squash.
* Now is the time to plant seeds for many flowers directly into the garden, including cornflower, nasturtium, nigella, poppy, portulaca, sweet pea and stock.
* Plant seeds for radishes, bok choy, mustard, spinach and peas.
* Plant garlic and onions.
* Set out cool-weather bedding plants, including calendula, pansy, snapdragon, primrose and viola.
* Reseed and feed the lawn. Work on bare spots.
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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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