Rain totals add up to something rare for area
The "normal" rainfall we had this year was well-timed, producing abundant blooms on many plants this spring, including this pink and white pelargonium (often called geranium). Kathy Morrison
How would you describe Sacramento’s “water year” so far? According to the rain totals, we had a very wet winter; the rest of the time, not so much. In other words, our rain picture is finally “normal.”
Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial start of summer, which makes this a good time to catch up on our water picture.
The good news? Sacramento (and Northern California overall) had enough big storms this winter to refill reservoirs and boost our overall soil moisture. On May 22, Folsom Lake – the main reservoir serving the greater Sacramento area – was at 95% of capacity and 120% of its historical average on that date.
As gardeners, we saw the results in our landscapes this spring, with abundant blooms and heavy fruit set on trees.
After an above-average April and thunderstorms in early May, Sacramento has totaled 17.60 inches for the current water year, which started Oct. 1. Average for that period: 17.60 inches.
So, according to the National Weather Service, our current water picture couldn’t be more normal. And after recent prolonged droughts, normal feels just right.
How normal are our rain totals right now? Take the current month of May as an example. In Sacramento, its rain total – 0.57 inches – all fell on one day (May 4). Historically, the entire month of May in Sacramento averages 0.57 inches, says the weather service.
There’s little to no chance we’ll see any more precipitation this month, says the weather service, which estimates the probability of rain at “0%” through May 31.
While temperatures will dip into the 70s leading into the long Memorial Day weekend, seasonal heat is coming soon, adds the weather service. A high of 87 is forecast for Monday, Memorial Day, followed by several days in the low 90s (or close to it).
Summer really is right around the corner.
For more on Sacramento weather: https://www.weather.gov/sto/#.
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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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