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Harvest Day workshop spotlight: Grapes, butterflies, compost


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Sacramento Digs Gardening
BY Debbie Arrington PUBLISHED AUG 2, 2019
Master gardener Carole Ludlum talks about trouble-shooting grapevine problems during 2018's Harvest Day. Grapes again will be a hot topic at this year's event. (Photos: Kathy Morrison)

Mini sessions offer lots of learning opportunities

So many chances to learn; where to start?

Harvest Day, Sacramento’s annual celebration of gardening and garden know-how, is packed with informative demonstrations and mini-workshops. Set for 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at Fair Oaks Horticulture Center in Fair Oaks Park, Harvest Day is free and open to the public. No advance registration necessary.

The hardest part: Figuring out which demonstrations to see. Three sections of the Hort Center will host multiple mini-workshops. Here’s a rundown of Saturday’s short sessions:

In the Water-Efficient Landscape:

* 10 a.m.: Creating a Wildlife Habitat. Learn how to bring more beneficial insects, birds and more into your garden.

* 11:15 a.m.: Butterfly Basics. How do you get more butterflies to visit your landscape? Start with the right plants.

In the demonstration vineyard:

* 9:20 a.m.: Pests and Problems in the Vineyard. Get answers to the most-asked questions and solve problems before they start.

Check out the grapevines at the Fair Oaks Horticulture Center.
Grapevines also will be available for sale by the master gardeners.
Bring cash or checks.
* 10:15 a.m.: Six Steps to Vineyard Success. Know the basics and plan for a good harvest.

* 11:15 a.m.: Vineyard Q&A. Bring questions, get answers to common (and not-so-common) issues with grape growing.

In the compost demonstration area:

* 9:20 a.m.: Making a Worm Bin. Learn how to put together a home for happy worms, who will reward you with garden gold.

10:15 a.m.: Backyard Composting Basics. Find out how to balance the greens with the browns, and create your own fertilizer from kitchen and garden waste.

11 a.m.: Worm Wrangling. These critters are amazingly efficient at creating high-quality compost. Learn how to put worms to work for your garden.

11:45 a.m.: Critters in the Compost Pile. Learn how to tell good critters from unwanted invaders as well as composting basics.

For more on Harvest Day: http://sacmg.ucanr.edu/

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GENERAL GARDENING

An article about gardening.

Keywords:
Harvest Day UCCE master gardeners vineyards worms composting gardening Sacramento workshops low-water plants Fair Oaks Horticulture Center

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Sites We Like

  1.  UCCE Master Gardeners of Sacramento County
  2. Farmer Fred's GardenBasics.net
  3. UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden
  4. Shepard Garden and Arts Center
  5. Placer County Master Gardeners
  6. El Dorado County Master Gardeners
  7. Yolo County Master Gardeners

Garden Checklist for week of April 21

This week there’s plenty to keep gardeners busy. With no rain in the immediate forecast, remember to irrigate any new transplants.

* Weed, weed, weed! Get them before they flower and go to seed.

* 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? 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.

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

* 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.

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

* Mid to late April is about the last chance to plant summer bulbs, such as gladiolus and tuberous begonias.

* Transplant lettuce seedlings. Choose varieties that mature quickly such as loose leaf.

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