Chilly storm throws another curve into spring weather
This rain-drenched rose shows an example of a blind shoot -- no bud happening here. To remedy, prune the shoot to just above a healthy leaf with five leaflets. Kathy Morrison
“Unsettled”; that’s how the National Weather Service describes our weekend forecast. Saturday (May 4) certainly fit that description with a mix of showers and thunderstorms, gusty winds and much cooler temperatures.
After basking in warm spring sunshine most of this week, Sacramento saw temperatures plunge more than 30 degrees. After 84 degrees on Friday, Saturday stayed chilly and wet in the low 50s.
With “definite rain showers” forecast throughout the day, Sacramento is expected to total ¾ to 1 inch of rain from this storm, says the weather service.
Sunday and Monday are expected to be cool (70ish) but dry. By Wednesday, we’ll be back in the low to mid 80s – with more heat on the horizon. And next weekend? We could see our first 90-degree day of 2024.
More on weather forecast: https://www.weather.gov/sto/.
What does this mean for our gardens? Expect to see more effects of weather whiplash.
Huge fluctuations in temperature and weather conditions confuse plants (as well as gardeners). For example, roses produce “blind shoots,” stems that never produce a bud or bloom. Prune those off, cutting just above a healthy leaf with five leaflets.
* Survey your garden after the storm. Heavy rain and gusty winds can break the neck of large flowers such as roses.
* Keep an eye on new transplants or seedlings; they could take a pounding on Saturday.
* Watch out for powdery mildew. Warmth that follows moist conditions can cause this fungal disease to “bloom,” too. If you see a leaf that looks like it’s dusted with powdered sugar, snip it off.
* After the storm, start setting out tomato transplants, but wait on the peppers and eggplants (they want warmer nights). Pinch off any flowers on new transplants to make them concentrate on establishing roots instead of setting premature fruit.
* 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, pumpkins, 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.
* Don’t wait; plant summer bulbs, such as gladiolus and tuberous begonias.
* Harvest cabbage, lettuce, peas and green onions.
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Garden Checklist for week of July 21
Your garden needs you!
* Keep your vegetable garden watered, mulched and weeded. Water before 8 a.m. to reduce the chance of fungal infection and to conserve moisture.
* Feed vegetable plants bone meal, rock phosphate or other fertilizers high in phosphate to stimulate more blooms and fruiting. (But wait until daily high temperatures drop out of the 100s.)
* Don’t let tomatoes wilt or dry out completely. Give tomatoes a deep watering two to three times a week.
* Harvest vegetables promptly to encourage plants to produce more. Squash especially tends to grow rapidly in hot weather. Keep an eye on zucchini.
* Pinch back chrysanthemums for bushy plants and more flowers in September.
* Remove spent flowers from roses, daylilies and other bloomers as they finish flowering.
* Pinch off blooms from basil so the plant will grow more leaves.
* Cut back lavender after flowering to promote a second bloom.
* It's not too late to add a splash of color. Plant petunias, snapdragons, zinnias and marigolds.
* From seed, plant corn, pumpkins, radishes, winter squash and sunflowers.
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