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Dig In: Garden checklist for week of Oct. 13



Plant transplants of kale and other cool-weather vegetables now. (Photo: Kathy Morrison)

After the smoke clears, plant something; lots of possibilities



Plants don’t mind the smoke. This weekend, fires burning in the Sierra foothills cast a smoky haze over the Sacramento area, making eyes water and throats scratch.

So, although temperatures remained mild, it’s not advised to undertake strenuous activity outdoors until the smoke clears. That should happen when breezes pick up, which may be as soon as Sunday night.

When the smoke clears, take advantage of some very comfortable fall weather. According to the
National Weather Service , Sacramento high temperatures will stay in the 70s all week with overnight lows flirting with 50.

That’s great planting weather. Need suggestions?

* October is the best month to plant perennials in the greater Sacramento 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.

* Trees and shrubs also benefit from fall planting. Keep them well watered until winter rains take over irrigation.

* California native plants do best when transplanted now; they’ll develop strong, deep roots.

* Now is the time to plant seeds for many flowers such as cornflower, nasturtium, nigella, poppy, portulaca, sweet pea and stock.

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

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

* 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.

















































































































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Garden Checklist for week of Feb. 9

Be careful walking or working in wet soil; it compacts easily.

* Keep the irrigation turned off; the ground is plenty wet with more rain on the way.

* February serves as a wake-up call to gardeners. This month, you can transplant or direct-seed several flowers, including snapdragon, candytuft, lilies, astilbe, larkspur, Shasta and painted daisies, stocks, bleeding heart and coral bells.

* In the vegetable garden, plant Jerusalem artichoke tubers, and strawberry and rhubarb roots.

* Transplant cabbage and its close cousins – broccoli, kale and cauliflower – as well as lettuce (both loose leaf and head).

* Indoors, start peppers, tomatoes and eggplant from seed.

* Plant artichokes, asparagus and horseradish from root divisions.

* Plant potatoes from tubers and onions from sets (small bulbs). The onions will sprout quickly and can be used as green onions in March.

* From seed, plant beets, chard, lettuce, mustard, peas, radishes and turnips.

* Annuals are showing up in nurseries, but wait until the weather warms up a bit before planting. Instead, set out flowering perennials such as columbine and delphinium.

* Plant summer-flowering bulbs including cannas, calla lilies and gladiolus.

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