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Sign up for worm composting workshop (complete with worms)

Master gardeners present special workshop

These wigglers are hard at work, making rich castings from kitchen and garden waste.

These wigglers are hard at work, making rich castings from kitchen and garden waste. Kathy Morrison

It's time to get wiggly! Become a worm wrangler and make garden gold.

Learn about worm composting during a special workshop Saturday, Oct. 22, at the Fair Oaks Horticulture Center. Advance registration is required and space is limited. The deadline to register is Oct. 14.

Presented by thr UCCE Sacramento County master gardeners, this fun workshop will show how to harness worm power to make rich, high-qaulity compost. According to the master gardeners, this neat, easy and odorless method of composting is ideal for indoor and outdoor locations."

Ideal for beginners, this class covers bin construction, bedding and food needs for worms, and how to "harvest" their castings.

Registration is $30, which includes all instructional materials, a worm bin and worms -- everything you need to get started.

The two-hour course starts at 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 22, and will be held outdoors, rain or shine, at the Fair Oaks Horticulture Center. No drop-ins are allowed and no refunds will be offered.

The Fair Oaks Horticulture Center is at 11549 Fair Oaks Blvd., Fair Oaks, just south of the Fair Oaks Library. For more information on UCCE master gardener activities, go to https://sacmg.ucanr.edu/?calitem=537195

P.S. SDG's Kathy Morrison offers this tip: Get a preview of what worm composting (and other composting) is all about by visiting the Composting Area during Open Garden Day on Wednesday, Oct. 12, 9 a.m. to noon at the Horticulture Center.

-- Debbie Arrington

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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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