Placer County master gardeners welcome public to experience their growing resource, now in spring bloom
Learn about all things lavender including how to make it thrive
New! Ricotta the secret ingredient to these baked treats
Plant now as month of May ends with warming trend .
Be prepared for quick fixes and managing garden info
Rain totals add up to something rare for area
Yolo County master gardeners offer free workshop via Zoom.
El Dorado County master gardeners offer advice for growing vegetables, fruit, flowers and more at higher elevations.
Memorial Day Weekend event features thousands of plants on sale at Elk Grove nursery
New! Savory cherry sauce with sweet onions goes great with pork, chicken
Get ready for warm, sunny and breezy days ahead
Layer of wood chips, straw or leaves helps plants cope with summer temperatures
Free event Sunday includes plant sale, botanist's visit
Local clubs offer lots of garden gear plus much more at huge yard sale
Sacramento neighborhood hosts garden tour, plant sale
Carmichael Cactus and Succulent Society hosts 46th annual show and sale
New! Spring asparagus blends well with green garlic
Spring growth gets heat check as Sacramento hits 90-plus
Find bargain prices on 11,000 water-wise perennials, shrubs, trees, succulents, natives and more.
Placer, El Dorado master gardeners also welcome visitors to their sites
Sacramento Digs Gardening to your inbox.
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Garden Checklist for week of July 7
Take care of garden chores early in the morning, concentrating on watering. We’re still in survival mode until this heat wave breaks.
* Keep your vegetable garden watered, mulched and weeded. Water before 8 a.m. to conserve moisture.
* Prevent sunburn; provide temporary shade for tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, melons, squash and other crops with “sensitive” skin.
* Hold off on feeding plants until temperatures cool back down to “normal” range. That means daytime highs in the low to mid 90s.
* 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.
* Some weeds thrive in hot weather. Whack them before they go to seed.
* Pinch back chrysanthemums for bushy plants and more flowers in September.
* Harvest tomatoes, squash, peppers and eggplant. Prompt picking will help keep plants producing.
* 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.
* One good thing about hot days: Most lawns stop growing when temperatures top 95 degrees. Keep mower blades set on high.
* Once the weather cools down a little, it’s not too late to add a splash of color. Plant petunias, snapdragons, zinnias and marigolds.
* After the heat wave, plant corn, pumpkins, radishes, winter squash and sunflowers. Make sure the seeds stay hydrated.