Up to 3 inches of rain expected in Sacramento
Saturated soil can lead to all kinds of problems. Also, avoid walking on wet soil -- it can easily be compacted. Kathy Morrison
After years of drought, are you ready for a flood?
Water may not reach flood stage in your neighborhood, but the incoming “atmospheric river” is expected to give the greater Sacramento area a massive soaking – and the possibility of widespread flooding.
On Wednesday, the National Weather Service issued an “area flood watch,” lasting from 7 a.m. Friday to 4 a.m. Sunday, New Year’s Day.
The rain will actually start Thursday morning with a “definite” chance of showers before dawn and again in the late afternoon, says the weather service. Thursday’s predicted rain total for Sacramento is just under an inch. But that’s followed by almost 2 inches on Friday and Saturday.
That’s a lot of rain for soil to absorb in less than 72 hours.
“Excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers, creeks, streams and other low-lying and flood-prone locations,” says the weather service. “Creeks and streams may rise out of their banks. Flooding may occur in poor drainage and urban areas. Low-water crossings may be flooded. Storm drains and ditches may become clogged with debris. Extensive street flooding and flooding of creeks and rivers are possible.”
Part of what makes this incoming storm so problematic is we’re already wet. The storm that arrived late Monday dropped 1.26 inches on Sacramento, and more on some surrounding communities. Local creeks are running high, notes the weather service.
Saturated soil can lead to other issues. Be on the lookout for leaning trees. Many trees and large shrubs have weakened roots due to the effects of prolonged drought. They’re more likely to fall in stormy weather.
Also at risk are large, horizontal branches on evergreen trees. So much rain adds a lot of weight. Such branches may need support.
Be prepared for this week’s deluge and help your landscape cope:
* Turn off your sprinklers or other irrigation; your garden won’t need it for a while.
* Make sure storm drains are clear. Rake leaves and debris away from drains.
* Remove saucers from potted plants to avoid root rot.
* Succulents are most at risk in such wet weather. They get too much rain, they rot. Move them to a sheltered location if possible.
* Avoid walking on or working wet soil. It can compact easily, squeezing out needed air for microbes and roots. Put off any transplanting until next week after the soil has drained but remains moist. Don’t plant in soggy soil.
* If you have bare-root plants in need of transplanting, keep them in sawdust or put their roots in a bucket of water. They can stay in water for several days.
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Food in My Back Yard Series
May 13: Your plants can tell you more than any calendar can
May 6: Maintain soil moisture with mulch for garden success
April 29: What's (already) wrong with my tomato plants?
April 22: Should you stock up on fertilizer? (Yes!)
April 15: Grow culinary herbs in containers
April 8: When to plant summer vegetables
April 1: Don't be fooled by these garden myths
March 25: Fertilizer tips: How to 'feed' your vegetables for healthy growth
March 18: Time to give vegetable seedlings some more space
March 11: Ways to win the fight against weeds
March 4: Potatoes from the garden
Feb. 25: Plant a fruit tree now -- for later
Feb. 18: How to squeeze more food into less space
Feb. 11: When to plant? Consider staggering your transplants
Feb. 4: Starting in seed starting
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Garden Checklist for week of May 11
Make the most of the lower temperatures early in the week. We’ll be back in the 80s by Thursday.
* Plant, plant, plant! It’s prime planting season in the Sacramento area. Time to set out those tomato transplants along with peppers and eggplants. Pinch off any flowers on new transplants to make them concentrate on establishing roots instead of setting premature fruit.
* Direct-seed melons, cucumbers, summer squash, corn, radishes, pumpkins and annual herbs such as basil.
* Harvest cabbage, lettuce, peas and green onions.
* In the flower garden, direct-seed sunflowers, cosmos, salvia, zinnias, marigolds, celosia and asters. (You also can transplant seedlings for many of the same flowers.)
* Plant dahlia tubers.
* Transplant petunias, marigolds and perennial flowers such as astilbe, columbine, coneflowers, coreopsis, dahlias, rudbeckia and verbena.
* Keep an eye out for slugs, snails, earwigs and aphids that want to dine on tender new growth.
* Feed summer bloomers with a balanced fertilizer.
* For continued bloom, cut off spent flowers on roses as well as other flowering plants.
* Add mulch to the garden to maintain moisture. Mulch also cuts down on weeds. But don’t let it mound around the stems or trunks of trees or shrubs. Leave about a 6-inch-to-1-foot circle to avoid crown rot or other problems.
* Remember to weed! Pull those nasties before they set seed.
* Water early in the day and keep seedlings evenly moist.