Three local events invite gardeners to swap seeds; one includes plants
Got seeds to share? Bring them to one of three area events this Saturday, which is National Seed Swap Day. Kathy Morrison
Wanna swap? When it comes to seeds (and plants), swapping events kick off the gardening calendar as we plan for the seasons ahead – and discover something new.
Saturday (Jan. 25) is National Seed Swap Day, a celebration of that January gardening tradition.
Gardeners from coast to coast will be exchanging seeds from their favorite plants. (Or from their stash of purchased seeds.) There are some rules for saved seeds (such as nothing that’s a patented hybrid plant or illegal). And there are some ways to make it easier to share. Find out more from Seed Savers Exchange, https://seedsavers.org/
From 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, the Placer County master gardeners will host their own National Seed Swap Day party at Loomis Veterans Hall. Admission is free.
Bring some seeds, labeled, in envelopes or zippered plastic bags. Then, take some home.
“The seed swap is a fundamental part of human history,” say the master gardeners. “Modern gardeners collect and exchange seeds for many reasons ranging from cultivating rare, heirloom varieties to basic thrift. The exchange of seeds perpetuates biodiversity, too. It is an act of giving and the ultimate form of recycling. Bring labeled seeds to share and take seeds others have brought to share.”
Loomis Veterans Hall is located at 5945 Horseshoe Bar Road, Loomis.
Registration is not required but requested. Sign up in advance here: https://pcmg.ucanr.edu/
The Rancho Cordova Library will be the site of the Sacramento Seed Swap from 1:30 to 4 p.m. Saturday. This is a free event, open to the public.
"Swap and share heirloom and open-pollinated garden seeds, build community, and make our world a little greener," organizers say.
The library is at 9845 Folsom Blvd. in Rancho Cordova. The event's Facebook page is here: https://www.facebook.com/events/1040049391492736
Also on Saturday, swap plants as well as seeds at the Green Leaf Swap Meet and Plant Celebration at Rainbow Park, 6121 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Sacramento. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., swap plants and tips while learning more about gardening. Participation is free.
“Join fellow plant lovers for a free day of plant swapping, gardening tips, and community fun,” say the organizers. “Bring your extra plants to trade with fellow green thumbs or simply come to enjoy the festivities. This event is perfect for all levels of gardening experience. Connect with other plant enthusiasts and expand your collection.”
Hosted by Color the Block, free tickets are available via Eventbrite: https://rb.gy/w2wswo
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Food in My Back Yard Series
May 6: Maintain soil moisture with mulch for garden success
April 29: What's (already) wrong with my tomato plants?
April 22: Should you stock up on fertilizer? (Yes!)
April 15: Grow culinary herbs in containers
April 8: When to plant summer vegetables
April 1: Don't be fooled by these garden myths
March 25: Fertilizer tips: How to 'feed' your vegetables for healthy growth
March 18: Time to give vegetable seedlings some more space
March 11: Ways to win the fight against weeds
March 4: Potatoes from the garden
Feb. 25: Plant a fruit tree now -- for later
Feb. 18: How to squeeze more food into less space
Feb. 11: When to plant? Consider staggering your transplants
Feb. 4: Starting in seed starting
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Garden Checklist for week of May 11
Make the most of the lower temperatures early in the week. We’ll be back in the 80s by Thursday.
* Plant, plant, plant! It’s prime planting season in the Sacramento area. 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. (You also can transplant seedlings for many of the same flowers.)
* Plant dahlia tubers.
* 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.
* Add mulch to the garden to maintain moisture. 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.
* Remember to weed! Pull those nasties before they set seed.
* Water early in the day and keep seedlings evenly moist.
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