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Mon, Aug 05, 2024

Lawn replacement workshop uses great example

Placer County master gardeners show how they turned unused turf into their new demonstration garden at Loomis Library

Sun, Aug 04, 2024

Marinate smaller zucchini for a cool summer salad

New! Lemon, garlic and herbs flavor this no-cook side dish

Sat, Aug 03, 2024

Dig In: Garden checklist for week of Aug. 4

After a record hot July, expect more triple digits (and hot August nights)

Fri, Aug 02, 2024

Gardeners can learn a lot at Harvest Day

From grape pruning to worm composting, hands-on 'mini-talks' provide wealth of information -- all free!

Wed, Jul 31, 2024

‘Ribbit’ is a hit (and sticking around a little longer)

Family-friendly exhibit extended at Sonoma Botanical Garden

Tue, Jul 30, 2024

Got a garden? Shop local at Harvest Day

Sacramento-area vendors offer their unique creations, plants at Saturday event

Mon, Jul 29, 2024

Harvest Day = Gardener’s Dream Day

Sacramento County master gardeners host area’s biggest free garden event of its kind

Sun, Jul 28, 2024

This old-fashioned dessert is berry, berry good

New! Spoon cake combines blackberries, blueberries

Sat, Jul 27, 2024

Dig In: Garden checklist for week of July 28

Make the most of cooler weather before another heat wave

Fri, Jul 26, 2024

Sacramento’s July heat averaged 101 degrees

Relief from triple-digit temperatures coming this weekend, but smoky skies may linger

Thu, Jul 25, 2024

Take a summer ramble through a garden of California natives

Patricia Carpenter welcomes visitors to her garden Sunday, Aug. 4

Wed, Jul 24, 2024

Why do blackberries develop white parts?

Discolored berries are another example of crops affected by intense summer heat

Tue, Jul 23, 2024

Smoke and high heat? Watch out for ash, ozone damage

Triple-digit temperatures and smoky conditions can create high pollutant levels

Mon, Jul 22, 2024

Learn benefits of summer fruit tree pruning

El Dorado County master gardeners offer free workshop at Sherwood Demonstration Garden

Sun, Jul 21, 2024

Nectarines and skillet meatballs: Who knew?

Summer stone fruit flavors a quick-cooking sauce

Fri, Jul 19, 2024

Hot tomato! What's wrong with those vines?

Surviving triple-digit temperatures comes down to moisture, mulch

Thu, Jul 18, 2024

Garden questions and answers down at The Farm

Master gardeners field queries from State Fair visitors

Wed, Jul 17, 2024

California’s worst weed loves heat and is growing fast

Don’t let bindweed overwhelm your garden; tips on how to cope with this invasive plant

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Taste Spring! E-cookbook

Strawberries

Find our spring recipes here!

Garden checklist for week of March 29

Make the most of this pleasant weather. Your garden is calling. (And those weeds won’t be ignored.)

* Get ready to swing into action in the vegetable garden. As nights consistently warm up over 50 degrees, start setting out tomato, pepper and eggplant transplants.

* From seed, plant beets, carrots, endrive, fennel, jicama, radishes, turnips and squash.

* Plant onion sets.

* In the flower garden, plant seeds for asters,  celosia, cosmos, cornflowers, marigolds, salvia, verbena and zinnias.

* Transplant petunias, zinnias, geraniums and other summer bloomers.

* Plant perennials and dahlia tubers for summer bloom. Late April is about the last chance to plant summer bulbs, such as gladiolus and tuberous begonias.

* Transplant heat-resistant lettuce seedlings.

* 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.

* 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.

* Mulch around plants to conserve moisture and control weeds.

Contact Us

Send us a gardening question, a post suggestion or information about an upcoming event.  sacdigsgardening@gmail.com

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!

Taste Winter! E-cookbook

Lemon coconut pancakes

Find our winter recipes here!

Food in My Back Yard (FIMBY) Series

Lessons learned during a year of edible gardening

WINTER

Is edible gardening possible indoors?

Hints for choosing tomato seeds

Starting in seed starting

Why winter is the perfect time to plant fruit trees

When to plant? Consider staggering your transplants

How to squeeze more food into less space

Potatoes from the garden

Plant a fruit tree now -- for later

Win the weed war by tackling them in winter

Tips for planting bare-root trees, shrubs and vegetables

Time to give vegetable seedlings some more space

Ways to win the fight against weeds

FALL

Dec. 16: Add asparagus to your edible garden

Dec. 9: Soggy soil and what to do about it

Dec. 2: Plant artichokes now; enjoy for years to come

Nov. 25: It's late November, and your peach tree needs spraying

Nov. 18: What to do with all those fallen leaves?

Nov. 11: Prepare now for colder weather in the edible garden

Nov. 4: Plant a pea patch for you and your garden

Oct. 27: As citrus season begins, advice for backyard growers

Oct. 20: Change is in the autumn air 

Oct. 13: We don't talk (enough) about beets

Oct. 6: Fava beans do double duty

Sept. 30: Seeds or transplants for cool-season veggies?

Sept. 23: How to prolong the fall tomato harvest 

SUMMER

Sept. 16: Time to shut it down? 

Sept. 9: How to get the most out of your pumpkin patch

Sept. 2: Summer-to-fall transition time for evaluation, planning

Aug. 26: To pick or not to pick those tomatoes?

Aug. 19: Put worms to work for you

Aug. 12: Grow food while saving water

Aug. 5: Enhance your food with edible flowers

July 29: Why won't my tomatoes turn red?

July 22: A squash plant has mosaic virus, and it's not pretty

July 15: Does this plant need water?

July 8: Tear out that sad plant or baby it? Midsummer decisions

July 1: How to grow summer salad greens

June 24:  Weird stuff that's perfectly normal

SPRING

June 17: Help pollinators help your garden

June 10: Battling early-season tomato pests

June 3: Make your own compost

May 27: Where are the bees when you need them?

May 20: How to help tomatoes thrive on hot days

May 13: Your plants can tell you more than any calendar can

May 6: Maintain soil moisture with mulch for garden success

April 29: What's (already) wrong with my tomato plants?

April 22: Should you stock up on fertilizer? (Yes!)

April 15: Grow culinary herbs in containers

April 8: When to plant summer vegetables

April 1: Don't be fooled by these garden myths

March 25: Fertilizer tips: How to 'feed' your vegetables for healthy growth