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Spring Gardening Tips for a Flourishing Garden
As the vibrant colors of spring burst forth and the air fills with the sweet scent of blossoms, it's the perfect time to roll up your sleeves and tend to your garden. Whether you're a seasoned gar...
Boys and Girls Clubs of Manteca/Lathrop
Listed under: Education Families & Children Parks & Recreation
Placer County master gardeners offer expertise at several locations during the month
This image of showy milkweed and a bee is the cover photo for the Placer County master gardeners' 2024 Gardening Guide and Calendar, now on sale. Screenshot from video by UCCE master gardeners of Placer County
This time of year, gardeners have plenty of questions: What happened to my tomatoes? How can I keep my peppers producing? Is this bug a good guy or a bad guy?
The best people to field those questions? Master gardeners. They’re prepared with the latest university research as well as countless hours of experience. When it comes to local backyard mysteries, they (usually) have the answers.
This late summer and fall, Placer County master gardeners are bringing their services to the public via local farmers markets. They’ll staff information tables at 10 farmers markets in September plus one more in August: Tuesday, Aug. 29, at The Fountains of Roseville, from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Best of all, the service is free. Bring examples (in a sealed plastic bag or container) or photos to help with plant diagnosis or insect identification.
You also can catch the master gardeners at these locations:
-- Auburn Farmers Market, 150 Auburn Folsom Road, Auburn; 8 a.m. to noon Sept. 2 and 16.
-- Fowler Ranch Farmers Market, Fowler Nursery, 3111 Lincoln Newcastle Highway, Lincoln; 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sept. 3 and 17.
-- The Fountains Farmers Market, 1198 Roseville Parkway, Roseville; 8:30 to 1 p.m. Sept. 5, 12, 19 and 26.
-- Sun City Lincoln Farmers Market, 965 Orchard Creek Lane, Lincoln; 8 a.m. to noon Sept. 13 and 27.
In addition, they will have a booth at the Auburn Fall Home Show, Sept. 22-24, at the Gold Country Fairgrounds in Auburn.
More dates are scheduled for October. Check the master gardeners’ website for details: https://pcmg.ucanr.edu/.
Besides getting expert advice, these outreach events are a wonderful opportunity to pick up a copy of the master gardeners’ award-winning 2024 Gardening Guide and Calendar. The theme: “Try Something New … Ever-Changing Gardens.” The master gardeners will sell this invaluable guide at many of their upcoming appearances. Watch the short video they filmed about the Gardening Guide and Calendar here.
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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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