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Dig In: Garden checklist for Dec. 9

Sacramento Digs Gardening
BY Debbie Arrington PUBLISHED DEC 8, 2018

Leaves piling up? Put them to work in the garden as mulch or in

a new compost pile. (Photo: Kathy Morrison)

Make the most of sunny December days; plant and renovate

Get out and enjoy the bright sunshine during these brisk December days.

In between storms, soil is soft and ready for renovation. Add some compost to the vegetable beds to prepare them for future planting. Make use of fallen leaves as instant mulch.

Need more ideas?

* Empty standing water under pots or other spots where rain may have collected. Put saucers away for winter.

* Clear debris away from storm drains. If piling leaves in the street for pick-up, make sure water can flow freely in gutters.

* Tidy up fallen branches and leaves knocked down by stormy weather.

* Start a new compost pile with all those fallen leaves. Add some manure and compost starter to get decomposition rolling.

* Start pruning dormant trees and shrubs. Cut back vines.

* Transplant trees, shrubs and perennials. That will help them get established before spring growth.

* For winter and early spring color, transplant Iceland poppies, primroses, pansies, violas, calendulas, English daisies and snapdragons.

* Plant sweet peas from seed.

* Plant spring bulbs. Don’t forget the tulips in the refrigerator.

* In the vegetable garden, plant fava beans, peas, lettuce, mustard, radicchio and radishes.

* Plant garlic and onions now for harvest in summer.

* Plant bare-root berries, kiwifruit, grapes, artichokes, horseradish and rhubarb.

* Dig up new potatoes after the vines die back.

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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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