October blows out with windy weekend and high fire danger before pleasant planting weather to start November.
Oriental fruit fly affects local gardeners, Soil Born Farms
Conversation with blog's Kathy Morrison delves into persimmons, baked goods and season-bridging salads
Build a bioactive terrarium at Friday Happy Hour workshop
Yolo County master gardeners share advice on how to create a 'Wildlife Friendly Garden'
Huge event features handmade pottery, ceramics, glass and metalwork
Recipe: Maple glaze is subtly spiced; lime juice adds balance
Pleasant planting weather returns after Sunday's expected (light) rain
Saturday workshops offered at five Green Acres locations
Free classes cover key areas of fall gardening
Saturday events also include a native plant sale in Roseville
Sierra Foothills Rose Show will feature hundreds of blooms on Saturday, Oct. 21
Two per person -- one to keep, one to give -- as part of Petal It Forward
Recipe: Cincinnati chili is served over spaghetti; beans optional
Warm days return; make the most of planting weather
Unique event at Shepard Center features hand-painted items, tea service
Placer master gardeners present free in-person session
Tuesday's rain gets new water year off to good start
Make the most of bountiful harvests with these favorite recipes – all in one place
Final event of the year focuses on fall planting, composting and more
Sacramento Digs Gardening to your inbox.
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Garden Checklist for week of Nov. 24
In between rainy episodes this week:
* Keep your gutters and storm drains cleared. Watch out for leaning trees or weakened branches; if you spot trouble, call an arborist.
* Remember to turn off the sprinklers or other irrigation. Be careful walking on or working with wet soil; it can compact easily.
* On rainy days, do some indoor gardening. Tend to houseplants. Sort seed packets. Start seed indoors for cool-season veggies and flowers.
* 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.
* Rake and compost leaves, but leave at least some healthy leaves in planting beds for nesting insects and foraging birds. But dispose of any diseased plant material. For eample, if peach and nectarine trees showed signs of leaf curl this year, clean up under trees and dispose of those leaves instead of composting.
* If you decide to use a living Christmas tree this year, keep it outside in a sunny location until Christmas week. This reduces stress on the young tree.
* Give your azaleas, gardenias and camellias a boost with chelated iron.
* After they bloom, chrysanthemums should be trimmed to 6 to 8 inches above the ground. If in pots, keep the mums in their containers until next spring. Then they can be planted in the ground, if desired, or repotted.
* Prune non-flowering trees and shrubs while dormant.
* 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 such as California poppies and plant spring bloomers such as as sweet peas, sweet alyssum and bachelor buttons.
* 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.