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El Dorado County tree farms now open

With pandemic precautions in place, holiday tradition continues

Sacramento Digs Gardening
BY Debbie Arrington PUBLISHED NOV 27, 2020

El Dorado County tree farms are now open, with COVID-19 safety requirements for customers.
(Photo courtesy visit-eldorado.com )

Some traditions continue during this most unusual holiday season. That includes Christmas tree season on Apple Hill.

With COVID safety requirements in place, most El Dorado County Christmas tree farms are now officially open for business. After years of growth, their trees are ready for customers.

But remember to bring your face mask.

"Masks are required in the sales and tree-baling area," wrote the Kobervig family on their Crystal Creek Farm website, http://caminotrees.com . "Please limit the people in your group that enter this area. We disinfect all saws and shared items."

On 20 acres in Camino, the Kobervigs grow a large assortment of trees.

"We have several varieties of trees including: White Fir, Silver Swift Fir, Silver Tip, Douglas Fir, Noble Fir, Blue Spruce, Nordmann Fir and Grand Fir," they wrote.

The flat price of $75, cash or check, includes tax and packing materials.

Outdoors and away from crowds, Christmas tree hunting can be a safe family activity. Most farms have plenty of room for social distancing, and invite visitors to walk around. Some offer tables for picnicking. Dogs on leashes are often welcomed.

Most of these farms operate as choose-and-cut, not cut your own. All customers need to do is pick one. But if they still want to saw, sanitized tools are available.

"We are owned and operated by a family that was one of the first 'Choose and Cut' tree farmers in El Dorado County more than 55 years ago," wrote Cathy Morgan of Carson Ridge Evergreens, also in the Camino area near Placerville ( https://carsonridgeevergreens.net/ ). "You choose the tree, we cut it for you or show you how to do it yourself."

Beautiful clear and crisp weather is forecast for this weekend and the next several days, making this prime tree hunting time.

For maps and details: https://chooseandcut.com/tree-farms

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Keywords:

holiday traditions gardening Sacramento holiday decor coronavirus fresh trees trees El Dorado County Christmas trees choose-and-cut trees

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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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