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Dig In: Garden checklist for week of Nov. 24


Camellias are forming buds and likely could used a dose of chelated iron. (Photos: Kathy Morrison)

Weather about to change for the wetter


Some rain may finally be on the way.

According to the National Weather Service, Sacramento can expect at least some showers late Tuesday and Wednesday, with perhaps a soggy Thanksgiving, too.

That moisture is something to be thankful for; it will mark Sacramento’s first measurable precipitation of this current rain season. Our normal rain total for November averages about 2 inches.

Sacramento has received only .12 inches since May; all of that came during two days in September. Such dry conditions hinted at possible drought conditions to come. (We’ll worry about that later.)

Use these dry days to get ready for rain. Rake leaves away from storm drains. Make sure gutters are clear.

Then, tackle these other November gardening suggestions:

* It’s not too late to plant shrubs, trees and several perennials. Deep-water these transplants before the rain comes.

* Save dry stalks and seedpods from poppies and coneflowers for fall bouquets and holiday decorating.

* Give your azaleas, gardenias and camellias a boost with chelated iron.

Trim chrysanthemums after they're done blooming.
* After they bloom, chrysanthemums should be trimmed to 6 to 8 inches above the ground. If in pots, keep the mums in their containers until next spring. Then, they can be planted in the ground, if desired, or repotted.

* Prune non-flowering trees and shrubs while dormant.

* Plant daffodils, crocuses, hyacinths, tulips, anemones and scillas and other spring bulbs. Don’t forget the ones chilling in the refrigerator.

* This is also a good time to seed wildflowers and plant such spring bloomers as sweet pea, sweet alyssum and bachelor buttons.

* Plant lettuce, cabbage, broccoli, peas, garlic, onions and other winter favorites.

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Garden Checklist for week of April 20

Before possible showers at the end of the week, take advantage of all this nice sunshine – and get to work!

* Set out tomato, pepper and eggplant transplants.

* From seed, plant beans, beets, cantaloupes, carrots, corn, cucumbers, melons, pumpkins, 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.

* Plant summer bulbs, such as gladiolus and tuberous begonias.

* Transplant lettuce and cabbage seedlings.

* 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.

* 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.

* Spring brings a flush of rapid growth, and that means your garden is really hungry. Give shrubs and trees a dose of a slow-release fertilizer. Or mulch with a 1-inch layer of compost.

* Start thinning fruit that's formed on apple and stone fruit trees -- you'll get larger fruit at harvest (and avoid limb breakage) if some is thinned now. The UC recommendation is to thin fruit when it is about 3/4 of an inch in diameter. Peaches and nectarines should be thinned to about 6 inches apart; smaller fruit such as plums and pluots can be about 4 inches apart. Apricots can be left at 3 inches apart. Apples and pears should be thinned to one fruit per cluster of flowers, 6 to 8 inches apart.

* Azaleas and camellias looking a little yellow? If leaves are turning yellow between the veins, give them a boost with chelated iron.

* Pinch chrysanthemums back to 12 inches for fall flowers. Cut old stems to the ground.

* Weed, weed, weed! Don’t let unwanted plants go to seed.

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