'Mulch Mayhem' open to Sacramento County residents
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Mulch prevents evaporation of soil moisture and helps keep weeds under control.
(Photo: Kathy Morrison)
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Grab a shovel and a container or tarp, and prepare to haul away free mulch Saturday morning during "Mulch Mayhem," hosted by water providers in Sacramento County.
Starting at 8 a.m. Saturday, and until noon or until the mulch is gone, customers of three area water providers can collect up to 1 yard of mulch, about equivalent to the amount that would fit in the back of a pickup truck. (Trailers, back of your SUV, buckets in the truck -- whatever you have, be ready to haul it away.)
The providers and locations for mulch pickup are:
-- Carmichael: Carmichael Water District, 7837 Fair Oaks Blvd., Carmichael. Info: (916) 483-2452 or carmichaelwd.org
-- Sacramento: Sacramento Suburban Water District Facility, 917 Enterprise Drive, Sacramento. Info: (916) 972-7171 or sswd.org
-- Sacramento: City of Sacramento, South Area Corporation Yard Parking Lot, 5730 24th St., Sacramento
Info: (916) 808-5605 or SacWaterWise.com
The mulch is for personal use only and cannot be sold or used for commercial sites.
Why are water districts giving away mulch? Easy answer: Mulching the garden prevents moisture loss, allowing the gardener to use less water to keep everything alive.
For more water-saving tips, visit BeWaterSmart.info
-- Kathy Morrison
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Bonus post: What did you see in your garden today that you've never seen before?
Example: The insect at left was my morning garden surprise, a cicada that had recently emerged from its old exoskeleton (which is underneath it, attached to a grow bag in my backyard). The cicada seemed to be adjusting to its new form, holding still while I snapped photos. It was gone a few hours later.
Got a garden surprise to share? It can be a plant, leaf, flower, insect or something else that made you say, "Wow, look at that!" Send your name, city, a brief (2 or 3 sentences) description and a clear digital photograph to sacdigsgardening@gmail.com with Garden Surprise in the subject line. We'll publish them as time allows; anonymous submissions will not be published.
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Garden Checklist for week of July 21
Your garden needs you!
* Keep your vegetable garden watered, mulched and weeded. Water before 8 a.m. to reduce the chance of fungal infection and to conserve moisture.
* Feed vegetable plants bone meal, rock phosphate or other fertilizers high in phosphate to stimulate more blooms and fruiting. (But wait until daily high temperatures drop out of the 100s.)
* Don’t let tomatoes wilt or dry out completely. Give tomatoes a deep watering two to three times a week.
* Harvest vegetables promptly to encourage plants to produce more. Squash especially tends to grow rapidly in hot weather. Keep an eye on zucchini.
* Pinch back chrysanthemums for bushy plants and more flowers in September.
* Remove spent flowers from roses, daylilies and other bloomers as they finish flowering.
* Pinch off blooms from basil so the plant will grow more leaves.
* Cut back lavender after flowering to promote a second bloom.
* It's not too late to add a splash of color. Plant petunias, snapdragons, zinnias and marigolds.
* From seed, plant corn, pumpkins, radishes, winter squash and sunflowers.
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