Overnight lows near freezing put poinsettias at risk
This display by the Sacramento County master gardeners shows how to protect a young citrus tree with frost cloth and/or old-fashioned Christmas lights. In practice, the cloth would be pulled completely over the tree on all sides. Kathy Morrison
According to the National Weather Service, Sacramento and its surrounding areas can expect areas of frost in the early hours of the morning Saturday through Tuesday. We’re officially under a frost warning from 11 p.m. Friday through Saturday morning.
Overnight lows are expected to dip into the low 30s every night from Friday through Tuesday.
“Near to below freezing overnight/morning temperatures will return to the Valley tonight and continue through the middle of next week,” tweeted the NWS Sacramento office on Friday morning. “Be sure to take the necessary precautions to protect pets, plants and people, especially for the vulnerable populations!”
In Sacramento, the lowest temperature currently predicted is 33 degrees in the wee hours of Tuesday morning. That’s not quite freezing, but cold enough to burn the leaves and bracts of tender poinsettias. It also can speed the decay of decorative pumpkins. To avoid damage to either, bring them indoors.
Also provide frost protection for tender new seedlings such as newly transplanted cabbage or lettuce. Slip a plastic milk jug over the whole plant; it becomes an instant mini greenhouse.
Provide protection for succulents or any remaining pepper or tomato plants. They’ll definitely feel the chill.
Bring container plants indoors or put under cover. Use cloth sheets (not plastic) for temporary protection. Make sure to remove these sheets during the day so plants don’t overheat and smother.
Except for succulents, water frost-tender plants in the late afternoon before a chilly night is predicted. That extra moisture raises the soil temperature just enough to avoid frost burn.
For more tips on freezing and frost: https://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/GARDEN/ENVIRON/frostdamage.html.
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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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