More pleasant days are expected; time to get things done
Plant nasturtiums, poppies, sweet peas and other flower seeds now for blooms in early spring. Kathy Morrison
Thinking about making some landscape renovations? Now may be the right time to pick up your shovel and get to work.
October is ideal for planting trees, shrubs and perennials in our area. Soil is still warm and helps roots grow strong before the chill (and stress) of winter sets in. And pleasant daytime temperatures entice gardeners to get outside – and get busy.
According to the National Weather Service, Sacramento can expect the last of the 90-degree-plus days on Monday, with high temperatures dropping slightly into the upper 80s for the rest of the week. Normal high for this second week of October is 82 degrees. Night-time lows continue in the mid 50s – in other words, perfect fall weather.
Just make sure whatever you transplant receives enough moisture. Give plants a deep soaking so they can settle in and get growing.
These warm days and nights will prompt summer vegetables such as tomatoes and peppers to keep producing a little while longer. Thanksgiving tomatoes are possible.
Warm nights also will keep leaves green. Fall foliage with its rich golds and oranges won’t show up until later this month when overnight temperatures dip into the low 40s. Judging by the 30-day forecast, that may not be until sometime around Halloween.
* Clean up the summer vegetable garden and compost disease-free foliage.
* Harvest pumpkins and winter squash as they mature.
* Dig up corms and tubers of gladioluses, dahlias and tuberous begonias after the foliage dies. Clean and store in a cool, dry place.
* Treat azaleas, gardenias and camellias with chelated iron if leaves are yellowing between the veins.
* Chill tulip and hyacinth bulbs in the refrigerator before planting. They need about six weeks of cold before going in the ground.
* Want early spring flowers? Plant seeds for cornflower, nasturtium, nigella, poppy, portulaca, sweet pea and stock.
* Plant seeds for radishes, bok choy, mustard, spinach and peas.
* Plant garlic and onions.
* Set out cool-weather bedding plants, including calendula, pansy, snapdragon, primrose and viola.
* Reseed and feed the lawn. Work on bare spots.
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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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