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Where to find blooms in Yolo County
Summer is right around the corner, and many of us are looking for ways to immerse ourselves in all its glory. For some, summer means sipping wine at a local [...]
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Chilly forecast a reminder: It’s still winter
Blooming daffodils, narcissus and other bulbs may fool us into thinking spring is close. However, there's another round of cold weather ahead this week. Kathy Morrison
Sunny afternoons make it tempting to jump the calendar and start planting warm-season vegetables. But we’re about to get another chilly reminder that it’s still winter.
Monday’s forecast calls for 67 degrees and spring-like conditions, then our forecast changes dramatically. According to the National Weather Service, expect lower than normal temperatures later this week as well as some possible rain and even foothills snow.
“An unsettled weather pattern will bring cold temps, rain and snow to interior NorCal next week,” the NWS Sacramento office tweeted Friday.
A storm originating in Alaska looks like it’s drifting south and bringing some very cold temperatures. The weather service doubts it will be a big rainmaker in the Valley, but it could dust the Sierra with more snow including much lower elevations.
As of Saturday, the forecast calls for a “chance of rain showers and snow showers” on Thursday and Friday for the greater Sacramento area. The expected high in downtown Sacramento for Thursday is only 49 degrees followed by an overnight low of 30 in the wee hours of Friday morning. Normal for this week: Highs of 65 and lows of 44.
Keep a sweater and umbrella handy. Keep an eye on seedlings, new transplants and sensitive plants, too; they may need frost covering or other ways to warm up.
* Feed spring-blooming shrubs and fall-planted perennials with slow-release fertilizer. Feed mature trees and shrubs after spring growth starts. The exception: Japonica camellias. Feed camellias after they finish blooming in March.
* Remove aphids from blooming bulbs with a strong spray of water or insecticidal soap.
* Fertilize strawberries and asparagus.
* Indoors, start peppers, tomatoes and eggplant from seed.
* In the vegetable garden, plant Jerusalem artichoke tubers, and strawberry and rhubarb roots.
* Transplant lettuce, both loose leaf and head.
* Plant artichokes, asparagus and horseradish from root divisions.
* Plant potatoes from tubers and onions from sets (small bulbs). The onions will sprout quickly and can be used as green onions in March.
* Plant summer-flowering bulbs including cannas, calla lilies and gladiolus.
* Wait until soil warms a few degrees before direct planting seeds outdoors. This week, soil will be just too cold for most seeds to sprout.
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Garden Checklist for week of May 19
Temperatures will be a bit higher than normal in the afternoons this week. Take care of chores early in the day – then enjoy the afternoon. It’s time to smell the roses.
* Plant, plant, plant! It’s prime planting season in the Sacramento area. If you haven’t already, it’s time to set out those tomato transplants along with peppers and eggplants. Pinch off any flowers on new transplants to make them concentrate on establishing roots instead of setting premature fruit.
* Direct-seed melons, cucumbers, summer squash, corn, radishes, pumpkins and annual herbs such as basil.
* Harvest cabbage, lettuce, peas and green onions.
* In the flower garden, direct-seed sunflowers, cosmos, salvia, zinnias, marigolds, celosia and asters.
* Plant dahlia tubers. Other perennials to set out include verbena, coreopsis, coneflower and astilbe.
* Transplant petunias, marigolds and perennial flowers such as astilbe, columbine, coneflowers, coreopsis, dahlias, rudbeckia and verbena.
* Keep an eye out for slugs, snails, earwigs and aphids that want to dine on tender new growth.
* Feed summer bloomers with a balanced fertilizer.
* For continued bloom, cut off spent flowers on roses as well as other flowering plants.
* Don’t forget to water. Seedlings need moisture. Deep watering will help build strong roots and healthy plants.
* Add mulch to the garden to help keep that precious water from evaporating. Mulch also cuts down on weeds. But don’t let it mound around the stems or trunks of trees or shrubs. Leave about a 6-inch to 1-foot circle to avoid crown rot or other problems.
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