Expect a soggy end to winter and start of spring
This happy little rose bush is putting out a lot of new growth. Be sure to feed roses now and watch out for aphids. Kathy Morrison
Appropriately, winter will end on a wet note – and spring will start a little soggy, too.
According to the National Weather Service, Sacramento can expect rain on Sunday, the last day of winter. Those showers will linger into Monday, the first day of spring.
“Definite rain showers” are in Sunday’s forecast, starting at 7 a.m., says the weather service.
Most of this storm’s moisture is likely headed for the Sierra, with heavy snow expected in the passes. Meanwhile in Sacramento, we’ll get between one-fourth and one-half inch of rain, the forecast says.
Keep those umbrellas handy. According to the weather service, more rain is expected Tuesday through Friday with off and on showers.
These storm clouds will really cool down our temperatures. After enjoying warm springlike temperatures on Saturday, we’ll be back in the low 50s by Tuesday with a high of 52 predicted. Overnight lows will be chilly, too, plunging to 41 degrees (or colder) on Thursday and Friday.
Normal for this week of March: Highs of 68 degrees and lows of 46.
All this cold and wet will keep our soil cooler longer – not good for tomatoes. According to UC Davis, local soil temperatures are still in the 51 to 53 degree range, more than 10 degrees colder than what tomatoes need to start growing.
Hold off on putting any summer veggies in the ground at least two more weeks. If you can’t sit comfortably on bare ground in your underwear, it’s too cold to transplant tomatoes.
There’s still plenty to do between showers:
* Fertilize roses, annual flowers and berries as spring growth begins to appear.
* Watch out for aphids. Wash off plants with strong blast from the hose.
* Pull weeds now! Don’t let them get started. Take a hoe and whack them as soon as they sprout.
* Prepare summer vegetable beds. Spade in compost and other amendments.
* Prune and fertilize spring-flowering shrubs after bloom.
* Feed camellias at the end of their bloom cycle. Pick up browned and fallen flowers to fight blossom blight.
* Feed citrus trees as they start to blossom.
* Cut back and fertilize perennial herbs to encourage new growth.
* Seed and renovate the lawn (if you still have one). Feed cool-season grasses such as bent, blue, rye and fescue with a slow-release fertilizer. Check the irrigation system and perform maintenance. Make sure sprinkler heads are turned toward the lawn, not the sidewalk.
* In the vegetable garden, transplant lettuce and kale.
* Seed chard and beets directly into the ground.
* Plant summer bulbs, including gladiolus, tuberous begonias and callas. Also plant dahlia tubers.
* Shop for perennials. Many varieties are available in local nurseries and at plant events. They can be transplanted now while the weather remains relatively cool.
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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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