Bring seeds, cuttings to share with others while learning about California native plants
California poppies are easy sources of seeds. When mature and dry, those long pods visible around the blossoms yield many tiny seeds. Kathy Morrison
Got seeds? It’s time to swap!
Fall is a high time for gathering seed from annuals and perennials – particularly California natives – that are now wrapping up their bloom cycle. Gather that seed and share it with others in an old-fashioned Seed Swap, hosted by the Sacramento Valley chapter of the California Native Plant Society.
Set for Sunday, Nov. 3, this community Seed Swap will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Shepard Garden and Arts Center in East Sacramento's McKinley Park. Admission, parking and seeds are free.
“Save the seed!” say the hosts. “The California native plant community seed swap is coming this November 3rd. Save your seeds now and swap them with our community. … Come one. Come all. If you don’t have seeds to swap, that’s OK. Cuttings will also be welcome. @hedgerow_farms and @findoutfarms will also be bringing their expertise to the tables. Should be a fun event.”
Bag your seed in clear, zippered bags and label the bags with the name of the plant variety (if possible). Other welcome information: Scientific name, date collected, source (location), propagation info and images.
CNPS notes that these seeds are intended for home gardening. "Please leave wild places wild by not messing with their genetics," the group says.
Besides being a great source of native plant seeds, this event also will be packed with information about how to get those plants to grow and thrive.
For more information: https://www.sacvalleycnps.org/
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Food in My Back Yard Series
June 10: Battling early-season tomato pests
June 3: Make your own compost
May 27: Where are the bees when you need them?
May 20: How to help tomatoes thrive on hot days
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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
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Feb. 18: How to squeeze more food into less space
Feb. 11: When to plant? Consider staggering your transplants
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Garden Checklist for week of June 8
Get out early to enjoy those nice mornings. There’s plenty to keep gardeners busy:
* Warm weather brings rapid growth in the vegetable garden, with tomatoes and squash enjoying the heat. Deep-water, then feed with a balanced fertilizer. Bone meal or rock phosphate can spur the bloom cycle and help set fruit.
* Generally, tomatoes need deep watering two to three times a week, but don’t let them dry out completely. Inconsistent soil moisture can encourage blossom-end rot.
* It’s not too late to transplant tomatoes, peppers or eggplant.
* From seed, plant corn, melons, pumpkins, radishes, squash and sunflowers.
* Plant basil to go with your tomatoes.
* Transplant summer annuals such as petunias, marigolds and zinnias.
* It’s also a good time to transplant perennial flowers including astilbe, columbine, coneflowers, coreopsis, dahlias, rudbeckia, salvia and verbena.
* Feed camellias, azaleas and other acid-loving plants. Mulch to conserve moisture and reduce heat stress.
* Cut back Shasta daisies after flowering to encourage a second bloom in the fall.
* Trim off dead flowers from rose bushes to keep them blooming through the summer. Roses also benefit from deep watering and feeding now. A top dressing of aged compost will keep them happy. It feeds as well as keeps roots moist.
* Pinch back chrysanthemums for bushier plants with many more flowers in September.
* Tie up vines and stake tall plants such as gladiolus and lilies. That gives their heavy flowers some support.
* Dig and divide crowded bulbs after the tops have died down.
* Feed summer flowers with a slow-release fertilizer.
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