Bring seeds, cuttings to share with others while learning about California native plants
California poppies are easy sources of seeds. When mature and dry, those long pods visible around the blossoms yield many tiny seeds. Kathy Morrison
Got seeds? It’s time to swap!
Fall is a high time for gathering seed from annuals and perennials – particularly California natives – that are now wrapping up their bloom cycle. Gather that seed and share it with others in an old-fashioned Seed Swap, hosted by the Sacramento Valley chapter of the California Native Plant Society.
Set for Sunday, Nov. 3, this community Seed Swap will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Shepard Garden and Arts Center in East Sacramento's McKinley Park. Admission, parking and seeds are free.
“Save the seed!” say the hosts. “The California native plant community seed swap is coming this November 3rd. Save your seeds now and swap them with our community. … Come one. Come all. If you don’t have seeds to swap, that’s OK. Cuttings will also be welcome. @hedgerow_farms and @findoutfarms will also be bringing their expertise to the tables. Should be a fun event.”
Bag your seed in clear, zippered bags and label the bags with the name of the plant variety (if possible). Other welcome information: Scientific name, date collected, source (location), propagation info and images.
CNPS notes that these seeds are intended for home gardening. "Please leave wild places wild by not messing with their genetics," the group says.
Besides being a great source of native plant seeds, this event also will be packed with information about how to get those plants to grow and thrive.
For more information: https://www.sacvalleycnps.org/
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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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