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Mon, Jan 02, 2023

Huge storm puts trees at risk

Watch out for leaning trunks and sagging branches

Sun, Jan 01, 2023

This veggie-forward soup warms without weighing you down

Vegetarian tortilla soup is adaptable to all tastes

Sat, Dec 31, 2022

Dig In: Garden checklist for week of Jan. 1

New year starts soggy, with more rain on the way

Fri, Dec 30, 2022

Resolutions for gardeners: Have more fun

Tips to help make 2023 your best gardening year

Thu, Dec 29, 2022

Too wet to garden? Catch up on how-to videos

Check out the offerings from the region's master gardeners

Wed, Dec 28, 2022

How to keep your garden afloat in atmospheric river

Up to 3 inches of rain expected in Sacramento through

Tue, Dec 27, 2022

Looking for a bargain? Plant bare root

Fruit trees, roses, berries and more available 'naked' and ready to plant

Sun, Dec 25, 2022

What to do with leftover rolls? Make dessert

Lemon bread pudding with Greek yogurt, raisins and almonds

Sat, Dec 24, 2022

Dig In: Garden checklist for week of Dec. 25

Expect a wet finale to 2022 with widespread rain

Fri, Dec 23, 2022

Christmas camellias perfect for Sacramento

'Yuletide' brightens holidays, feeds hummingbirds with December blooms

Thu, Dec 22, 2022

A lively natural habitat includes birds

Feathered friends need food help in winter

Wed, Dec 21, 2022

'Wet and mild' winter could be ahead

Northern California winter forecast is for rain but not too cold

Tue, Dec 20, 2022

Frost damage can show up days later

Don't cut the plant back while weather is still cold

Mon, Dec 19, 2022

Fog and cold lead to attack of gray mold

Damp weather has kicked some fungal diseases into high gear

Fri, Dec 16, 2022

Prune-a-thon returns to McKinley Rose Garden

Learn rose care while helping at this landmark site

Thu, Dec 15, 2022

Five great gifts for gardeners

These are practical and useful all year

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Taste Winter! E-cookbook

Lemon coconut pancakes

Find our winter recipes here!

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Garden Checklist for week of Jan. 26

As a very dry January winds down, there is still time to get winter chores done:

* Prune, prune, prune. Now is the time to cut back most deciduous trees and shrubs. The exceptions are spring-flowering shrubs such as lilacs.

* Now is the time to prune fruit trees. Clean up leaves and debris around the trees to prevent the spread of disease. Exceptions: Cherry and apricot trees, which should wait until summer.

* Prune roses, even if they’re still trying to bloom. Strip off any remaining leaves, so the bush will be able to put out new growth in early spring.

* Clean up leaves and debris around your newly pruned roses and shrubs. Put down fresh mulch or bark to keep roots cozy.

* After possible rain this weekend, apply horticultural oil to fruit trees to control scale, mites and aphids. Oils need 24 hours of dry weather after application to be effective.

* This is also the time to spray a copper-based oil to peach and nectarine trees to fight leaf curl. Best done when no wet or windy weather occurs in the 24 hours before and after any spraying is done.

* When forced bulbs sprout, move them to a cool, bright window. Give them a quarter turn each day so the stems will grow straight.

* Divide daylilies, Shasta daisies and other perennials.

* Cut back and divide chrysanthemums.

* Plant bare-root roses, trees and shrubs.

* Transplant pansies, violas, calendulas, English daisies, snapdragons and fairy primroses.

* In the vegetable garden, plant fava beans, head lettuce, mustard, onion sets, radicchio and radishes.

* Plant bare-root asparagus and root divisions of rhubarb.

* In the bulb department, plant callas, anemones, ranunculus and gladiolus for bloom from late spring into summer.

* Plant blooming azaleas, camellias and rhododendrons. If you’re shopping for these beautiful landscape plants, you can now find them in full flower at local nurseries.

* Browse through seed catalogs and start making plans for spring and summer. Start pepper and tomato seeds, especially those that require 90 or more days to maturity.

Taste Spring! E-cookbook

Strawberries

Find our spring recipes here!

Taste Summer! E-cookbook

square-tomatoes-plate.jpg

Find our summer recipes here!

Taste Fall! E-cookbook

Muffins and pumpkin

Find our fall recipes here!