New! Cabbage rolls stuffed with rice pilaf, mushrooms, raisins and lemon
Frosty and (maybe) damp forecast reminds Sacramento gardeners it’s still winter
Sacramento gardener creates notebook to make detailed record-keeping simpler
Three events scheduled to help boost campus landscape
Three local events invite gardeners to swap seeds; one includes plants
That's the last day to put green waste in the street for pick-up
Add to your indoor jungle and knowledge with three workshops
Blood oranges and navels with a lavender-lemon syrup
Chilly mornings (and frost danger) continue for Sacramento area
Most plants survived, including hundreds headed for Sacramento
Sunday tour is free but requires registration
Sacramento's 'rose man' shares how Lake Shrine and its World Peace Rose Garden made it through the firestorm
El Dorado County master gardeners offer special workshop on rose care
Sacramento-area rose clubs organize fundraiser to help Tom Carruth
New! Meyer lemon squares with candied almond crust
Potential frost danger follows gusty winds in Sacramento area
Learn about fascinating insect world at Bohart Museum open house
Los Angeles firestorm a reminder of how wildfire can spread with aid of landscape
Green Acres' Roseville location hosts special event devoted to indoor gardening
Sacramento and Placer groups welcome visitors to their demonstration gardens with free workshops
Sacramento Digs Gardening to your inbox.
Food in My Back Yard Series
March 4: Potatoes from the garden
Feb. 25: Plant a fruit tree now -- for later
Feb. 18: How to squeeze more food into less space
Feb. 11: When to plant? Consider staggering your transplants
Feb. 4: Starting in seed starting
Sites We Like
Garden Checklist for week of March 2
Between raindrops, get outside and do some work. Your plants have been busy growing!
* Pull weeds now! Don’t let them get started. Take a hoe and whack them as soon as they sprout.
* Start preparing 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 help corral blossom blight.
* Feed citrus trees, which are now in bloom and setting fruit. To prevent sunburn and borer problems on young trees, paint the exposed portion of the trunk with diluted white latex (water-based) interior paint. Dilute the paint with an equal amount of cold water before application.
* Feed roses with a balanced fertilizer (such as 10-10-10, the ratio of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium available in that product).
* Prune and fertilize spring-flowering shrubs and trees after they bloom. Try using well-composted manure, spread 1-inch thick under the tree. This serves as both fertilizer and mulch, retaining moisture while cutting down on weeds.
* Cut back and fertilize perennial herbs to encourage new growth.
* In the vegetable garden, transplant lettuce and cole family plants, such as cabbage, broccoli, collards and kale.
* Seed chard and beets directly into the ground. (Tip: Soaking beet seeds in warm water a day ahead of planting helps with germination.)
* Before the mercury starts inching upward, this is your last chance to plant such annuals as pansies, violas and primroses.
* 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.