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Sacramento’s July heat averaged 101 degrees

Relief from triple-digit temperatures coming this weekend, but smoky skies may linger

Sacramento Digs Gardening
BY Debbie Arrington PUBLISHED JUL 26, 2024

A Cherokee Carbon tomato ripens on the vine. Because of wildfire particulate in the air, tomatoes may develop a smoky taint. Kathy Morrison

Get ready for some weather whiplash. According to the National Weather Service, our weekend temperatures are expected to drop big time – and that’s good news (especially if you’re heading out to closing weekend of the State Fair).

Sacramento’s forecast high for Saturday (July 27): 82 degrees. That’s 20 degrees cooler than last weekend – and most of this month.

So far, July is trending to be one of the hottest months on record – not just in Sacramento, but worldwide. Monday (July 22) went down as the hottest day in recorded human history, European climatologists reported this week.https://apnews.com/article/hottest-day-ever-climate-change-weather-heat-extreme-global-warming-8e2b0b7fa0360ecb931ca333a832c694

Sacramento has been doing its part. Through July 25, Sacramento highs have averaged 101 degrees – that’s more than eight degrees above normal (92.6) for July. Helping hold in that heat were unusually warm nights; lows averaged 65 degrees, about six degrees above normal.

This intense heat dried vegetation to a crisp, especially grasses; that’s created high fire danger throughout Northern California. With abundant fuel, the Park Fire in Butte County doubled in size in less than 24 hours, growing to more than 164,000 acres – an area larger than the city of Chicago.

Smoke from that blaze is drifting across the valley and foothills, dropping ash and polluting air. That can trigger breathing problems for people with sensitivities as well as burn eyes.

All this heat and smoke can have major effects on our summer gardens, too. Expect to see some ozone damage to foliage. Smoky skies tend to cut down on bee activity, too. Tomatoes and grapes may develop smoke taint to their flavor. Make sure to wash fruit and vegetables well before eating; soot and ash can cling to their skin or leaves.

With such high fire danger, just a spark can start a catastrophe, warns the weather service. Do not use power equipment outdoors; a lawn mower or edger hitting a rock may be all it takes to cause a blaze. Likewise, don’t park vehicles on dry grass; igniting an engine also can ignite a grass fire.

Cooler conditions starting Saturday will help relieve that fire danger. In fact, the weather service predicts no more triple-digit temperatures for the rest of July – and August starts Thursday.

For more weather updates: https://www.weather.gov/sto/.

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Sacramento gardening July summer heat weather wildfires ash vegetables air quality

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Garden checklist for week of Feb. 8

Dodge those raindrops and get things done! Your garden needs you.

* Start your spring (and summer) garden. Transplant or direct-seed several flowers, including snapdragon, candytuft, lilies, astilbe, larkspur, Shasta and painted daisies, stocks, bleeding heart and coral bells.

* In the vegetable garden, plant Jerusalem artichoke tubers, and strawberry and rhubarb roots. Transplant cabbage and its close cousins – broccoli, kale and Brussels sprouts – as well as lettuce (both loose leaf and head).

* Indoors, start peppers, tomatoes and eggplant from seed.

* Plant artichokes, asparagus and horseradish from root divisions. Plant potatoes from tubers and onions from sets (small bulbs). The onions will sprout quickly and can be used as green onions in March.

* From seed, plant beets, chard, lettuce, mustard, peas, radishes and turnips.

* Annuals are showing up in nurseries, but wait until the weather warms up a bit before planting. Instead, set out flowering perennials such as columbine and delphinium.

* Plant summer-flowering bulbs including cannas, calla lilies and gladiolus.

* This is the last chance to spray fruit trees before they bloom. Treat peach and nectarine trees with copper-based fungicide. Spray apricot trees at bud swell to prevent brown rot. Apply horticultural oil to control scale, mites and aphids on fruit trees soon after a rain. But remember: Oils need at least 24 hours to dry to be effective. Don’t spray during foggy weather or when rain is forecast.

* Feed spring-blooming shrubs and fall-planted perennials with slow-release fertilizer. Feed mature trees and shrubs after spring growth starts.

* Remove aphids from blooming bulbs with a strong spray of water or insecticidal soap.

* Fertilize strawberries and asparagus.

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