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Mark your calendar for new year's first gardening events


Want to watch a master rose pruner at work? The Historic City Cemetery's rose garden will be the site of two Jan. 12 workshops by Stephen Scanniello, known as the "rock star of roses." He's also very entertaining. (Photo: Kathy Morrison)

Pruning workshops coming soon

Have you started filling in your 2019 calendar yet? (If you don't have one yet, the master gardeners of Sacramento and Placer counties have excellent gardening calendars, which Debbie wrote about
here .)

Today's a busy day for so many of us, but the new year will be here quickly. Some excellent pruning events, for example, are scheduled in January, including:

Saturday, Jan. 5
Annual McKinley Park Prune-athon: 9 a.m. to noon. Volunteers prune the dozens of roses in McKinley Park. Open to all. Bring gloves and bypass pruners. Information email: friendsofeastsac@aol.com

Saturday, Jan. 12
Rose Pruning at the Cemetery: 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. Rose expert Stephen Scanniello returns to Sacramento's Historic Rose Garden to present two workshops. His running narration as he works on roses in the Historic City Cemetery just may be the best (and most entertaining) one-day education on pruning you can find. $10 donation. He also will speak at the Mount Diablo Rose Society on Jan. 9 and the Sacramento Rose Society on Jan. 10. 1000 Broadway, Sacramento. www.cemeteryrose.org

Saturday, Jan. 12
Sierra Foothills Rose Society Winter Rose Care Workshop:  8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. (rain or shine). This comprehensive (mostly indoor) free workshop covers the basics of rose care and much more. Watch master rosarian Baldo Villegas prune a rose bush in under three minutes!  Learns the secrets to more rose blooms with less work. The workshop wraps up with a chili cookoff. Public is welcome. Questions? Call Kay Jelten, 916-799- 6005. Maidu Community Center, 1550 Maidu Drive, Roseville.

Saturday, Jan. 19
Open Garden, Featuring Winter Pruning: 9 a.m. to noon.  Free. Sacramento County m aster gardeners will demonstrate winter pruning of deciduous fruit trees, blueberries, cane berries, grape vines and landscape trees. Visitors also can learn how herbs enhance landscapes and how to garden in a small yard. Bring gardening questions to the Ask the Master Gardener table. Fair Oaks Horticulture Center, 11549 Fair Oaks Blvd., Fair Oaks. Information: sacmg.ucanr.edu

For other events during the first months of 2019, see our Garden Calendar here. Check back soon; we'll update it as more events are scheduled.

Happy holidays!

-- Kathy Morrison

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Dig In: Garden Checklist

For week of March 24:

In between cloud bursts, try to catch up with early spring chores. 

* Attack weeds now! Get them before they flower and go to seed. Take a hoe and whack them as soon as they sprout. Aim for 1 inch below the soil line.

* 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.

* Seed and renovate the lawn (if you still have one). Feed cool-season grasses such as bent, blue, rye and fescue with a slow-release fertilizer. Check the irrigation system and perform maintenance. Make sure sprinkler heads are turned toward the lawn, not the sidewalk.

* 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.

* 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.

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