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This garden advice is 'More Important than Ever'

Master gardeners offer free garden makeover workshop

flowering shrubs of yellow, green, red
Here's a great example of a garden that uses less water -- it's the Water Efficient Landscape (WEL) at the Fair Oaks Horticulture Center in Fair Oaks. A workshop Saturday by the Nevada County master gardeners will offer tips on a no-lawn landscape makeover. (Photo: Kathy Morrison)

As California suffers through another drought and temperatures soar, more residents are asking themselves:

Is it maybe time to get rid of the lawn?

Get the answers you need before you launch your landscape project with a free virtual workshop, presented by the UC Master Gardeners of Nevada County

Set for 9 a.m. Saturday, July 24, “Garden Makeover: More Important than Ever” will show how Northern California residents can adapt their landscapes and gardening habits to help their gardens thrive with less water.

“As many parts of our county begin mandatory water cuts because of the continuing drought, and as our summer temperatures hit record highs, it's more important than ever to be water-wise in our gardens,” say the master gardeners.

Whether contemplating a full landscape makeover or just tweaking irrigation, this one-hour Zoom presentation will be packed with useful information. Among the topics to be discussed: plant selection; irrigation; water-saving techniques such as mulching; and converting lawn to landscape.

The master gardeners also will answer questions from participants.

No advance registration is required. To Zoom into the workshop, get the links and more details here:
http://ncmg.ucanr.org/ .

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Dig In: Garden Checklist

For week of March 24:

In between cloud bursts, try to catch up with early spring chores. 

* Attack weeds now! Get them before they flower and go to seed. Take a hoe and whack them as soon as they sprout. Aim for 1 inch below the soil line.

* Start preparing vegetable beds. Spade in compost and other amendments.

* Prune and fertilize spring-flowering shrubs after bloom.

* Feed camellias at the end of their bloom cycle. Pick up browned and fallen flowers to help corral blossom blight.

* Feed citrus trees, which are now in bloom and setting fruit. To prevent sunburn and borer problems on young trees, paint the exposed portion of the trunk with diluted white latex (water-based) interior paint. Dilute the paint with an equal amount of cold water before application.

* Feed roses with a balanced fertilizer (such as 10-10-10, the ratio of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium available in that product).

* Prune and fertilize spring-flowering shrubs and trees after they bloom. Try using well-composted manure, spread 1-inch thick under the tree. This serves as both fertilizer and mulch, retaining moisture while cutting down on weeds.

* Cut back and fertilize perennial herbs to encourage new growth.

* Seed and renovate the lawn (if you still have one). Feed cool-season grasses such as bent, blue, rye and fescue with a slow-release fertilizer. Check the irrigation system and perform maintenance. Make sure sprinkler heads are turned toward the lawn, not the sidewalk.

* In the vegetable garden, transplant lettuce and cole family plants, such as cabbage, broccoli, collards and kale.

* Seed chard and beets directly into the ground.

* Plant summer bulbs, including gladiolus, tuberous begonias and callas. Also plant dahlia tubers.

* Shop for perennials. Many varieties are available in local nurseries and at plant events. They can be transplanted now while the weather remains relatively cool.

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