Warm days and early blooms belie true weather conditions
These narcissus seem to be ready for spring, but we still have several weeks of winter ahead of us. Kathy Morrison
This weekend will feel almost balmy in Sacramento. According to the National Weather Service, we could hit 70 degrees on Sunday and Monday – 16 degrees above average for the last week in January.
While other parts of the country are still digging out from snow, are we headed for an early spring?
Anecdotally, several signs of impending change (and warmth) fill my garden. Japonica camellias and daffodils are starting to open – weeks ahead of their usual appearance. Rose bushes are pushing out new growth. Those bushes still waiting to be pruned are already blooming again.
But all this spring-like growth and weather could be just an illusion. We’re still in winter – and will be for several more weeks.
Although we can enjoy these few warm winter days, our highs will be back in the low 50s by next weekend. That return to “normal” temperatures will be accompanied by another storm system that’s currently charging across the Pacific Ocean. When, where and how much rain it will deliver are still to be determined.
“A wet system will likely bring widespread precipitation around the end of the month,” noted the weather service on Friday. This system has “potential for gusty winds, heavy rain and heavy high elevation snow.”
We’ve already had a wet January. According to the weather service, downtown Sacramento has recorded 3.11 inches so far this month (through Thursday); that tracks .15 inches above average through that date.
Daytime temperatures also have been on the warm side, with highs averaging 56.4 degrees – almost a full degree above normal.
Saturday represents another kind of weather benchmark. After decades of recommending a “last frost” date of mid March, most experts now cut off our frost period at the end of January. According to the Sacramento County master gardeners, our average last frost date is Jan. 27.
But still keep those frost cloths handy, just in case. In 2022, Sacramento hit 32 degrees on Feb. 24 and dipped down to 35 degrees on March 6. Our latest-ever freeze on record (30 degrees) hit March 27, 1898.
And wait to set out those spring seedlings until temperatures stabilize in late March – when it really is spring.
For weather updates: https://www.weather.gov/sto/.
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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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