Garden forecast: November starts with real rain, then more warm days
Those colorful leaves overhead will soon be on the ground, ready for raking and scooping. Meanwhile, the blue sky of earlier today will yield to storm clouds tonight. Kathy Morrison
After one of the hottest Octobers on record, it suddenly feels like the appropriate season (at least for a few days).
According to the National Weather Service, a fast-moving storm will give all of Northern California a deep soaking this weekend. By Saturday night, Sacramento is expected to receive .5 to 1 inch of rain (mostly overnight), with more in the foothills. In the Sierra, snow is forecast above 6,000 feet.
By Monday, we’ll be back to sunny skies – and higher temperatures. Sacramento should see afternoon highs in the low to mid 70s throughout the coming week.
That’s actually on the warm side. November in Sacramento averages highs of 64 degrees and lows of 43. As for rain, November starts our soggy season (fingers crossed), averaging just over 2 inches.
It’s a big contrast to our just-completed October, which saw a 35-degree swing in high temperatures (and almost no precipitation). Oct. 1 hit 102 degrees in Sacramento; the high on Halloween was only 67.
Such warm weather prolonged growth on many summer plants. (My remaining tomato vines are still blooming.) Those warm-weather remainders may start fading fast.
With nights now dipping into the 40s, expect to see fall foliage coloring up in a hurry – and leaves starting to come down in bushels. Leaf season has arrived.
In the City of Sacramento, leaf season officially begins Monday with the start of in-street pickup of leaves and garden waste. Before it wraps up in January, residents can expect “The Claw” – the city’s specialized leaf-scooping tractor – to visit your street seven times.
For pick-up schedule in your neighborhood, go to: https://www.cityofsacramento.gov/public-works/recycling-solid-waste/Collectionservices/Leaf_Season
For Sacramento weather updates: https://www.weather.gov/sto/
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Garden Checklist for week of Dec. 8
Make the most of dry weather while we have it this week. Rain is returning.
* Rake leaves away from storm drains and gutters. Recycle those leaves as mulch or add to compost.
* It’s not too late to plant something. Seed wildflowers and plant such spring bloomers as sweet pea, sweet alyssum and bachelor buttons.
* Trees and shrubs can be planted now, especially bare-root varieties such as fruit trees or rose bushes. This gives them plenty of time for root development before spring growth. They also benefit from winter rains.
* Plant bare-root berries, kiwifruit, grapes, artichokes, horseradish and rhubarb.
* Set out cool-weather annuals such as pansies and snapdragons.
* Lettuce, cabbage and broccoli also can be planted now.
* Brighten the holidays with winter bloomers such as poinsettias, amaryllis, calendulas, Iceland poppies, pansies and primroses.
* Keep poinsettias in a sunny, warm location; bring them inside at night or if there’s rain.
* Plant garlic and onions.
* Prune non-flowering trees and shrubs while they’re dormant.
* Clean and sharpen garden tools before storing for the winter.
* Mulch, water and cover tender plants to protect them during threat of frost. Succulent plants are at particular risk if temperatures drop below freezing. Make sure to remove coverings during the day.
* Rake and remove dead leaves and stems from dormant perennials.
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