Sacramento Digs Gardening: Dig In: Garden checklist for week of Jan. 31

Moisture meter and temperature probe in soil

Yes, that soil is wet -- and cold! We can expect

more rain Monday night. (Photo: Kathy Morrison)

Keep your rain gear handy. After 2 inches of rain this week, another storm is on its way.

According to the National Weather Service, Sacramento will see up to an inch of rain from this next weather system, expected to hit Monday night and extend through Tuesday.

The rest of the week may be partly cloudy, but mostly dry with high temperatures in the 50s and lows in the 40s – just about normal for the first week of January. Expect to see sunny skies and warmer weather Thursday.

In the meantime, don’t walk on soggy soil; it may compact. Wait until the soil dries out a little before digging.

But once excess moisture drains, the ground should be soft and easy to work. Expect good gardening weather by next weekend.

* During this rainy weather, turn off the sprinklers. Irrigation can stay off at least a week.

* Check soil moisture before watering.

* Finish pruning roses and dormant trees and shrubs.

* Weed, weed, weed! Pull them while they’re small.

* Feed spring-blooming shrubs and fall-planted perennials with slow-release fertilizer.

* Feed mature trees and shrubs after spring growth starts.

* Fertilize strawberries and asparagus.

* In the vegetable garden, plant Jerusalem artichoke tubers and bare-root rhubarb roots, asparagus and horseradish.

* Transplant cabbage, broccoli, kale, Brussels sprouts and lettuce (both loose leaf and head).

* Indoors, start peppers, tomatoes and eggplant from seed.

* Plant potatoes from tubers and onions from sets (small bulbs). The onions will sprout quickly and can be used as green onions in March.

* From seed, plant beets, chard, lettuce, mustard, peas, radishes and turnips.

* Plant bare-root roses, shrubs and fruit trees.

CHECKLIST FOR THE WEEK

Your weekly checklist of activities in the garden.

Keywords:

fertilizing seeds Sacramento February trees garden checklist wet conditions weather vegetable garden gardening pruning planting shrubs rainfall weeds

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Garden Checklist for week of April 21

This week there’s plenty to keep gardeners busy. With no rain in the immediate forecast, remember to irrigate any new transplants.

* Weed, weed, weed! Get them before they flower and go to seed.

* April is the last chance to plant citrus trees such as dwarf orange, lemon and kumquat. These trees also look good in landscaping and provide fresh fruit in winter.

* Smell orange blossoms? Feed citrus trees with a low dose of balanced fertilizer (such as 10-10-10) during bloom to help set fruit. Keep an eye out for ants.

* Apply slow-release fertilizer to the lawn.

* Thoroughly clean debris from the bottom of outdoor ponds or fountains.

* Spring brings a flush of rapid growth, and that means your garden is really hungry. Feed shrubs and trees with a slow-release fertilizer. Or mulch with a 1-inch layer of compost.

* Azaleas and camellias looking a little yellow? If leaves are turning yellow between the veins, give them a boost with chelated iron.

* Trim dead flowers but not leaves from spring-flowering bulbs such as daffodils and tulips. Those leaves gather energy to create next year's flowers. Also, give the bulbs a fertilizer boost after bloom.

* Pinch chrysanthemums back to 12 inches for fall flowers. Cut old stems to the ground.

* Mulch around plants to conserve moisture and control weeds.

* From seed, plant beans, beets, cantaloupes, carrots, corn, cucumbers, melons, radishes and squash.

* Plant onion sets.

* In the flower garden, plant seeds for asters, cosmos, celosia, marigolds, salvia, sunflowers and zinnias.

* Transplant petunias, zinnias, geraniums and other summer bloomers.

* Plant perennials and dahlia tubers for summer bloom.

* Mid to late April is about the last chance to plant summer bulbs, such as gladiolus and tuberous begonias.

* Transplant lettuce seedlings. Choose varieties that mature quickly such as loose leaf.

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