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Dig In: Garden checklist for week of Oct. 4

Hazy conditions keep weather cooler

Pumpkin on vine
It's time to harvest pumpkins and winter squash. (Photo: Kathy Morrison)




Once the smoke clears, October will look and feel almost normal. That’s a good thing for our gardens.

According to the National Weather Service, our forecast for the week calls for high temperatures in the 80s – average for the first week of October in Sacramento. Wildfire-smoke haze, acting like cloud cover, also is keeping temperatures down as we ease into autumn.

When working outdoors, you may want to wear a smoke-filtering face mask (such as a N95) or wait until the Delta breeze returns later in the week to clear that haze away.

What tasks are waiting? Here are some suggestions:

* 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.

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

* Divide and replant perennials.

* Plant seeds for cornflower, nasturtium, nigella, poppy, portulaca, sweet pea and stock.

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

* Plant garlic and onions.

* Transplant lettuce, cabbage, broccoli, kale and other cool-weather vegetables.

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


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Dig In: Garden Checklist

For week of March 19:

Spring will start a bit soggy, but there’s still plenty to do between showers:

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

* Watch out for aphids. Wash off plants with strong blast from the hose.

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

* Prepare summer 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 fight blossom blight.

* Feed citrus trees as they start to blossom.

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

* Seed and renovate the lawn (if you still have one). Feed cool-season grasses such as bent, blue, rye and fescue with a slow-release fertilizer. Check the irrigation system and perform maintenance. Make sure sprinkler heads are turned toward the lawn, not the sidewalk.

* In the vegetable garden, transplant lettuce and kale.

* Seed chard and beets directly into the ground.

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

* Shop for perennials. Many varieties are available in local nurseries and at plant events. They can be transplanted now while the weather remains relatively cool.

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