Sacramento Valley can expect gusts up to 50 mph, says weather service
The leaves that look so beautiful on the trees may soon be all over the ground, thanks to expected winds tonight and Wednesday. Kathy Morrison
Hang onto your hat – and avoid standing under big trees. A whole lot of leaves – and maybe some limbs – are about to come down.
We’re in for some very gusty weather, which could have direct impact on our gardens and wildlands. During these windy and dry conditions, fire danger escalates, too.
According to the National Weather Service, a high wind advisory for the Sacramento Valley will be in effect from 10 p.m. Tuesday through Wednesday evening, Nov. 5 and 6. In Sacramento, we can expect a chilling north wind, blowing through the night at 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 50 mph. The wind will continue through the day Wednesday and well after sunset.
Be prepared for these gusty winds, says the weather service. “Impacts: Loose objects may blow around, difficult driving conditions, downed branches and weakened trees, power outages.”
Take down umbrellas. Row covers or hot caps on new transplants may need to be anchored or removed.
With the cold wind, most of those pretty autumn leaves likely will start falling in bushels. Be prepared for a foliage avalanche.
With the wind comes very low humidity. The weather service predicts daytime humidity in the Sacramento area will drop to 10 to 20%. That can suck the moisture right out of seedlings or new transplants (as well as the summer remainders). Keep irrigation on and transplants hydrated.
The lack of humidity coupled with high winds prompted a Red Flag Warning through Wednesday evening for most of Northern California. Beware of sparks; they could start a fast-moving blaze. That goes for suburban homes as well as places surrounded by wildland. Dried plants burn quickly.
Once the wind dies down, we’re in for very pleasant fall weather the remainder of the week and next weekend with afternoons in the high 60s and sunny skies. Weekend events won’t be blown away.
For more weather updates: https://www.weather.gov/sto/
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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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