Dig In: Garden checklist for week of Oct. 11

It's the perfect time to plant broccoli starts (foreground) and bunching onions (back). (Photo: Kathy Morrison)

What a relief it is! After so much heat and haze, clean air and lower temperatures make for perfect gardening conditions.

Crisp autumn mornings with afternoons in the 70s or low 80s continue for the next few days, according to the National Weather Service. But Sacramento will see the low 90s again by next weekend.

Make the most of these pleasant autumn days.

* October is the best month to plant perennials in our area. Add a little well-aged compost and bone meal to the planting hole, but hold off on other fertilizers until spring. Keep the transplants well-watered (but not wet) for the first month as they become settled.

* Dig up corms and tubers of gladioli, dahlias and tuberous begonias after the foliage dies. Clean and store in a cool, dry place.

* Treat azaleas, gardenias and camellias with chelated iron if leaves are yellowing between the veins.

* Clean up the summer vegetable garden and compost disease-free foliage.

* Harvest pumpkins and winter squash.

* Now is the time to plant seeds for many flowers directly into the garden, including cornflower, nasturtium, nigella, poppy, portulaca, sweet pea and stock.

* Plant seeds for radishes, bok choy, mustard, spinach and peas.

* Transplant lettuce, cabbage, broccoli, cabbage and other cool-season veggies.

* Plant garlic and onions.

* Set out cool-weather bedding plants, including calendula, pansy, snapdragon, primrose and viola.

* Reseed and feed the lawn. Work on bare spots.