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Volunteers needed for Jan. 9 Prune-a-thon

McKinley Park Rose Garden to host annual event with face masks, social distancing

Sacramento Digs Gardening
BY Debbie Arrington PUBLISHED DEC 30, 2020

Volunteers prune roses in McKinley Park during a previous year's Prune-a-thon. This year's event, with

masks and social distancing, will be Jan. 9. (Photos: Debbie Arrington)

The Prune-a-thon will go on!

With social distancing and mandatory face masks, the annual public pruning event at the McKinley Park Memorial Rose Garden will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 9.

Nisa Hayden, the McKinley Park Rose Garden manager and volunteer coordinator, confirmed that the Prune-a-thon – which usually attracts scores of rose lovers – would welcome volunteers again in 2021.

Traditionally held the first Saturday in January, the Prune-a-thon is scheduled a week later, due to New Year’s Day falling on a Friday and current COVID restrictions.

Home to about 1,200 bushes, the garden is located on H Street west of 33rd Street in East Sacramento.

Persons interested in participating are asked to fill out an online form in advance. To register, please visit https://app.vomo.org/project/annual-pruning-event .

The pruning pays off in spring, when the rose garden looks

like this.

The largest event of its kind in Sacramento, this massive pruning session annually grooms the garden’s rose bushes, often completing the task in just one day.

In addition, beginners learn the skills to help any rose bush look its best and bloom more.

“Experienced volunteers who have been trained can work on their own,” Hayden said. “Inexperienced but interested volunteers will be trained and work with supervision. ...We are also seeking some experienced volunteers who would be willing to help train.”

And there’s a bonus for sticking around. “Hot soup will be provided after we are finished,” she added.

Participants are asked to bring their own gloves and tools such as bypass pruners and loppers.

For more information, email Hayden at mckinleyrosegarden@gmail.com .

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winter chores gardening Sacramento McKinley Park Rose Garden pruning coronavirus events roses rose pruning January volunteers

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Garden Checklist for week of Sept. 15

Make the most of the cool break this week – and get things done. Your garden needs you!

* Now is the time to plant for fall. The warm soil will get cool-season veggies off to a fast start.

* Keep harvesting tomatoes, peppers, squash, melons and eggplant.

* Compost annuals and vegetable crops that have finished producing.

* Cultivate and add compost to the soil to replenish its nutrients for fall and winter vegetables and flowers.

* Fertilize deciduous fruit trees.

* Plant onions, lettuce, peas, radishes, turnips, beets, carrots, bok choy, spinach and potatoes directly into the vegetable beds.

* Transplant cabbage, broccoli, kale, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower as well as lettuce seedlings.

* Sow seeds of California poppies, clarkia and African daisies.

* Transplant cool-weather annuals such as pansies, violas, fairy primroses, calendulas, stocks and snapdragons.

* Divide and replant bulbs, rhizomes and perennials.

* Dig up and divide daylilies as they complete their bloom cycle.

* Divide and transplant peonies that have become overcrowded. Replant with "eyes" about an inch below the soil surface.

* Late September is ideal for sowing a new lawn or re-seeding bare spots.

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