Sacramento Digs Gardening logo
Sacramento Digs Gardening Article
Your resource for Sacramento-area gardening news, tips and events

Articles Recipe Index Keyword Index Calendar Twitter Facebook Instagram About Us Contact Us

The Claw is (almost) back!

Sacramento's Leaf Season begins Sunday

The Leaf refuse collecting machine
The Claw will be back in action in Sacramento starting Sunday.
(Photo courtesy City of Sacramento)





Scraaaaaaaaaaape! That scary sound of metal against concrete will be music to many Sacramento gardeners’ ears.

It’s that time of year again: The return of The Claw!

The day after Halloween, Sacramento officially starts “Leaf Season” and nearly three months of in-street leaf pick-up.

According to Sacramento’s Recycling and Solid Waste Department, The Claw operates Sunday, Nov. 1 through Jan. 24. (And yes, Claw crews work on weekends.)

When will The Claw be on your street? Check
SacLeafSmart.org for updated estimates of Claw pick-up schedules. The City also offers a free and handy SacRecycle app for your phone so you can get the latest Claw news anywhere any time.

Some reminders:

Leaf piles can be no bigger than 4 by 4 by 9 feet (and just one per household). Make sure there is space between the pile and the curb so water can flow down the gutter. Also, place the pile at least 6 feet away from cars, boats, basketball hoops or other obstructions. The Claw needs room to maneuver.

Don’t put plastic bags in street piles (including bags full of leaves). And don’t contaminate the leaf pile with trash or dog poop (a common problem).

During leaf season, the City of Sacramento continues to pick up green waste containers. Fill those first before piling leaves in the street, advises the recycling and solid waste department. The containers will get picked up 13 times during Leaf Season while residents can expect seven visits from The Claw.

For more information: SacLeafSmart.org .

Comments

0 comments have been posted.

Newsletter Subscription

Sacramento Digs Gardening to your inbox.

Local News

Ad for California Local

Taste Winter! E-cookbook

Lemon coconut pancakes

Find our winter recipes here!

Thanks to Our Sponsor!

Cleveland sage ad for Be Water Smart

Garden Checklist for week of March 23

The warm weather expected early in the week will prompt rapid growth – especially weeds! Make the most of those sunny breaks and get to work!

* Fertilize roses, annual flowers and berries as spring growth begins to appear.

* Watch out for aphids! Knock them off plants with a strong stream of water from the hose.

* Pull weeds now! Don’t let them get started. Take a hoe and whack them as soon as they sprout.

* Prepare 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.

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

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

* Seed chard and beets directly into the ground. (Soak beet seeds overnight in room-temperature water for better germination.)

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

* Shop for perennials. They can be transplanted now while the weather remains relatively cool.

Taste Spring! E-cookbook

Strawberries

Find our spring recipes here!

Taste Summer! E-cookbook

square-tomatoes-plate.jpg

Find our summer recipes here!

Taste Fall! E-cookbook

Muffins and pumpkin

Find our fall recipes here!