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A lady beetle rests on bell bean plants, which are
an excellent cover crop. (Photo: Kathy Morrison)
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Autumn officially begins in a little less than three weeks. The rest of the country is starting to shut down the gardening season, but not California. If the weather cooperates -- and that's no sure bet these days in the Sacramento region -- gardeners here can indulge in a favorite activity: Fall planting.
Warm soil and cooler nights, with somewhat lower daytime temps, combine for perfect planting conditions, especially for perennials. The conditions also are good for cool-weather vegetable transplants, fall/winter annuals and some trees. This window should last through October at least.
Normally at this time of year, I make a beeline to the Fair Oaks Horticulture Center's September Open Garden. I like to see what the UCCE Sacramento County master gardeners are planting for fall and to talk about what went right over the summer.
But it was just announced that the Sept. 12 event is canceled. No surprise there, given the continued COVID-19 risk and limits on group gatherings.
But the master gardeners are still around, busy and answering questions, online though not by phone. And they have a wonderful website full of information to guide any gardener through fall planting.
Specific information that I refer to often includes:
-- This handy planting chart for the Sacramento region. It shows, for example, that now through mid-October is the best time for planting carrots from seed, but it's best to wait until mid-September to plant spinach seeds.
-- The most complete guide to growing vegetables you'll ever find in just 7 pages. For this time of year, it includes important advice about rotating crops to prevent disease and pest build-up:
"Finally, make it a habit to change the location of crops each year. Rotating crops in the garden not only enhances soil fertility, but it can be effective against insect and disease pests that develop on a narrow range of vegetable plants. Moving crops to different sites isolates such pests from their food sources. This practice reduces the chances that soil-borne insect and disease pests will gain a permanent foothold in your garden."
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Cover cropping guidelines
. This is such a good practice to improve soil health. If you have a spot that's not going to be planted for fall, designate it for a cover crop.
-- Unlike most of the Hort Center, the Water Efficient Landscape area is open to the public during normal Fair Oaks Park hours. Check it out online or on site for ideas on planting natives and other perennials that can beautify your garden while using little water. Again, fall's the best time for planting perennials!
In addition to the Sacramento master gardeners' website, some other good regional resources for fall planting:
-- Peaceful Valley Farm and Garden Supply, at groworganic.com , has a number of how-to videos. Here's one on choosing and planting garlic , a timely topic.
-- The UCCE master gardeners of El Dorado County at 9 a.m. this Saturday are offering a free Zoom class, "Fall and Winter Vegetables Part 2." Go to their Facebook page to register and get the link. Part 1, held Aug. 22, was recorded and can be viewed on YouTube at the UCCE Central Sierra site .
-- And Farmer Fred Hoffman has some great reminders in his post "What NOT to do in the garden in fall."
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Flowers in My Back Yard Series
April 28: Majestic Matilija poppy is worth a look
April 21: Celebrate roses, America's favorite flower
April 14: Small flowers with outsized impact
April 7: Calendulas do double duty
April 3: Make Easter lilies last for years to come
March 31: In praise of a pollinator magnet (small-leaf salvias)
March 24: Azaleas brighten shady spots
March 17: The perfect flower for beginners? Try zonal geraniums
March 10: Keep camellias happy for years to come
March 3: Fruit tree blossoms are a fleeting joy
Feb. 27: Are your roses looking rusty?
Feb. 24: Treasure spring daffodils now and for years to come
Feb. 17: How and why to grow wildflowers
Feb. 10: Let's talk Valentine's Day roses
Feb. 3: Why grow flowers?
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Garden checklist for week of April 19
After this midweek storm, start getting serious about spring gardening. Flowers are blooming about three weeks ahead of schedule. That includes weeds!
* Get ready to swing into action in the vegetable garden – if you haven’t already. As nights warm up over 50 degrees, set out tomato, pepper and eggplant transplants.
* From seed, plant beans, beets, cantaloupes, carrots, corn, cucumbers, melons, radishes and squash; wait on pumpkins until May. 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. Late April is about the last chance to plant summer bulbs, such as gladiolus and tuberous begonias.
* Transplant lettuce and cabbage seedlings.
* 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? Give citrus trees a low dose of balanced fertilizer (such as 10-10-10) during bloom to help set fruit. Keep an eye out for ants. If leaves look yellow, your tree may need an iron boost -- apply some chelated iron fertilizer.
* 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 needs nutrition. Give shrubs and trees a slow-release fertilizer. Mulch with a 1-inch layer of compost, which helps the soil, but keep it a few inches away from trunks and stems.
* 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.
Contact Us
Send us a gardening question, a post suggestion or information about an upcoming event. sacdigsgardening@gmail.com
Food in My Back Yard (FIMBY) Series
Lessons learned during a year of edible gardening
WINTER
Is edible gardening possible indoors?
Hints for choosing tomato seeds
Why winter is the perfect time to plant fruit trees
When to plant? Consider staggering your transplants
How to squeeze more food into less space
Plant a fruit tree now -- for later
Win the weed war by tackling them in winter
Tips for planting bare-root trees, shrubs and vegetables
Time to give vegetable seedlings some more space
Ways to win the fight against weeds
FALL
Dec. 16: Add asparagus to your edible garden
Dec. 9: Soggy soil and what to do about it
Dec. 2: Plant artichokes now; enjoy for years to come
Nov. 25: It's late November, and your peach tree needs spraying
Nov. 18: What to do with all those fallen leaves?
Nov. 11: Prepare now for colder weather in the edible garden
Nov. 4: Plant a pea patch for you and your garden
Oct. 27: As citrus season begins, advice for backyard growers
Oct. 20: Change is in the autumn air
Oct. 13: We don't talk (enough) about beets
Oct. 6: Fava beans do double duty
Sept. 30: Seeds or transplants for cool-season veggies?
Sept. 23: How to prolong the fall tomato harvest
SUMMER
Sept. 16: Time to shut it down?
Sept. 9: How to get the most out of your pumpkin patch
Sept. 2: Summer-to-fall transition time for evaluation, planning
Aug. 26: To pick or not to pick those tomatoes?
Aug. 19: Put worms to work for you
Aug. 12: Grow food while saving water
Aug. 5: Enhance your food with edible flowers
July 29: Why won't my tomatoes turn red?
July 22: A squash plant has mosaic virus, and it's not pretty
July 15: Does this plant need water?
July 8: Tear out that sad plant or baby it? Midsummer decisions
July 1: How to grow summer salad greens
June 24: Weird stuff that's perfectly normal
SPRING
June 17: Help pollinators help your garden
June 10: Battling early-season tomato pests
June 3: Make your own compost
May 27: Where are the bees when you need them?
May 20: How to help tomatoes thrive on hot days
May 13: Your plants can tell you more than any calendar can
May 6: Maintain soil moisture with mulch for garden success
April 29: What's (already) wrong with my tomato plants?
April 22: Should you stock up on fertilizer? (Yes!)
April 15: Grow culinary herbs in containers
April 8: When to plant summer vegetables
April 1: Don't be fooled by these garden myths
March 25: Fertilizer tips: How to 'feed' your vegetables for healthy growth
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