Learn about planting garlic -- and preserving it, too
2023 was a great tomato year for gardeners, farmers who planted later
On Wednesday, Warren Roberts guides free tour of earliest fall color
Find hundreds of indoor plants in rare varieties at Shepard Center event
Recipe: Easy cake can be gluten-free, too
Sunny, clear and not-too-hot days make for good planting weather
Timeless Thrills in East Sac hosts pop-up event featuring pottery, cactus and succulents -- plus a talk
Sacramento master gardeners staff Horticulture Center for Open Garden Day
Check drip system is working when plant shows sign of dehydration
Find hundreds of unusual, colorful shade-loving plants at free event
Let nature give you a hand; recycle fallen leaves -- and dig bigger holes
Recipe: Grilled chicken breasts with watermelon salsa
Make the most of this cool end of summer; start your fall garden
They only look scary (and they eat lots of bugs)
It's a Sisyphean battle, but don't surrender
Red Flag Warning means be cautious; what Sacramento-area gardeners need to know
Community Garden hosts free composting workshop
Placer County master gardeners offer expertise at several locations during the month
Recipe: Roasting the tomatoes adds extra flavor
August ends on a warm note, but cooler days coming soon
Sacramento Digs Gardening to your inbox.
Sites We Like
Garden Checklist for week of Nov. 24
In between rainy episodes this week:
* Keep your gutters and storm drains cleared. Watch out for leaning trees or weakened branches; if you spot trouble, call an arborist.
* Remember to turn off the sprinklers or other irrigation. Be careful walking on or working with wet soil; it can compact easily.
* On rainy days, do some indoor gardening. Tend to houseplants. Sort seed packets. Start seed indoors for cool-season veggies and flowers.
* For holiday blooms indoors, plant paperwhite narcissus bulbs now. Fill a shallow bowl or dish with 2 inches of rocks or pebbles. Place bulbs in the dish with the root end nestled in the rocks. Add water until it just touches the bottom of the bulbs. Place the dish in a sunny window. Add water as needed.
* Rake and compost leaves, but leave at least some healthy leaves in planting beds for nesting insects and foraging birds. But dispose of any diseased plant material. For eample, if peach and nectarine trees showed signs of leaf curl this year, clean up under trees and dispose of those leaves instead of composting.
* If you decide to use a living Christmas tree this year, keep it outside in a sunny location until Christmas week. This reduces stress on the young tree.
* Give your azaleas, gardenias and camellias a boost with chelated iron.
* After they bloom, chrysanthemums should be trimmed to 6 to 8 inches above the ground. If in pots, keep the mums in their containers until next spring. Then they can be planted in the ground, if desired, or repotted.
* Prune non-flowering trees and shrubs while dormant.
* Keep planting bulbs to spread out your spring bloom. Some possible suggestions: daffodils, crocuses, hyacinths, tulips, anemones and scillas.
* This is also a good time to seed wildflowers such as California poppies and plant spring bloomers such as as sweet peas, sweet alyssum and bachelor buttons.
* Now is the best time to plant most trees and shrubs. This gives them plenty of time for root development before spring growth. They also benefit from fall and winter rains.
* Set out cool-weather annuals such as pansies and snapdragons.
* Lettuce, cabbage and broccoli also can be planted now.
* Plant garlic and onions.