Sunny, cool days make for good fall gardening weather
|
| A persimmon tree shows off its fall colors. (Photos: Debbie Arrington) |
Sunny days and clear nights; that’s the Thanksgiving week forecast for Sacramento. After so many foggy days, expect several bright, crisp mornings and near-perfect fall afternoons – all great for gardening or other outdoor activities.
According to the National Weather Service, afternoon highs will be right about normal – in the low 60s. Without cloud cover, overnight lows will feel downright chilly, dipping down to 40 degrees on several nights.
This change in temperature will have an effect on our landscapes. Any deciduous trees that were holding onto their foliage will start dropping leaves in droves. Cold-sensitive plants such as begonias or tomatoes will shut down and die back.
Get ready for the holidays ahead with some seasonal TLC:
* Rake and compost leaves, but dispose of any diseased plant material.
* 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, but to work, they need several days of clear, dry weather – like this week.
* Give your azaleas, gardenias and camellias a boost with chelated iron.
|
| Trim chrysanthemums back after they're finished blooming. |
* Prune non-flowering trees and shrubs while dormant.
* Plant spring bulbs including daffodils, crocuses, hyacinths, tulips, anemones and scillas.
* Seed California wildflowers such as poppies, penstemon and lupine.
* Plant sweet pea, sweet alyssum and bachelor buttons.
* Trees and shrubs still can be planted now. 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.
* Harvest persimmons and pomegranates.
Comments
0 comments have been posted.Sacramento Digs Gardening to your inbox.
Thanks to Our Sponsor!
Local News
Sites We Like
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.
Powered by California Local
