Sacramento Digs Gardening logo

Sacramento Digs Gardening Articles

Your resource for Sacramento-area gardening news, tips and events

Articles Recipe Index Keyword Index Calendar Twitter Facebook Instagram About Us Contact Us

All Articles

Mon, Jul 29, 2024

Harvest Day = Gardener’s Dream Day

Sacramento County master gardeners host area’s biggest free garden event of its kind

Sun, Jul 28, 2024

This old-fashioned dessert is berry, berry good

New! Spoon cake combines blackberries, blueberries

Sat, Jul 27, 2024

Dig In: Garden checklist for week of July 28

Make the most of cooler weather before another heat wave

Fri, Jul 26, 2024

Sacramento’s July heat averaged 101 degrees

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

Thu, Jul 25, 2024

Take a summer ramble through a garden of California natives

Patricia Carpenter welcomes visitors to her garden Sunday, Aug. 4

Wed, Jul 24, 2024

Why do blackberries develop white parts?

Discolored berries are another example of crops affected by intense summer heat

Tue, Jul 23, 2024

Smoke and high heat? Watch out for ash, ozone damage

Triple-digit temperatures and smoky conditions can create high pollutant levels

Mon, Jul 22, 2024

Learn benefits of summer fruit tree pruning

El Dorado County master gardeners offer free workshop at Sherwood Demonstration Garden

Sun, Jul 21, 2024

Nectarines and skillet meatballs: Who knew?

Summer stone fruit flavors a quick-cooking sauce

Fri, Jul 19, 2024

Hot tomato! What's wrong with those vines?

Surviving triple-digit temperatures comes down to moisture, mulch

Thu, Jul 18, 2024

Garden questions and answers down at The Farm

Master gardeners field queries from State Fair visitors

Wed, Jul 17, 2024

California’s worst weed loves heat and is growing fast

Don’t let bindweed overwhelm your garden; tips on how to cope with this invasive plant

Tue, Jul 16, 2024

See lots of little webs? Spider mites love heat

Tiny pests thrive during hot, dry, dusty conditions

Mon, Jul 15, 2024

Sacramento Iris Society hosts one-day sale

Add a rainbow of color to your water-wise garden with easy-care bearded irises

Sun, Jul 14, 2024

Overripe banana inspires summer breakfast treat

New! Banana blueberry pancakes (with one banana lots of blueberries).

Sat, Jul 13, 2024

Dig In: Garden checklist for week of July 14

After record-setting heat, Sacramento gardeners may be getting a break

Fri, Jul 12, 2024

How to save a half-dead plant

Tips to rescue vegetables, shrubs, container plants and more after too much sun, heat

Thu, Jul 11, 2024

Celebrate gardening at Harvest Day on Aug. 3

Free event includes speakers, demonstrations, vendors

Wed, Jul 10, 2024

No zucchini? Grab a paintbrush

How to give bees a hand and pollinate squash, cucumber, melon and pumpkin flowers

Newsletter Subscription

Sacramento Digs Gardening to your inbox.

Taste Fall! E-cookbook

Muffins and pumpkin

Find our fall recipes here!

Thanks to Our Sponsor!

Cleveland sage ad for Be Water Smart

Local News

Ad for California Local

Garden Checklist for week of Nov. 3

November still offers good weather for fall planting:

* If you haven't already, it's time to clean up the remains of summer. Pull faded annuals and vegetables. Prune dead or broken branches from trees.

* 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.

* 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 and plant such spring bloomers as sweet pea, sweet alyssum and bachelor buttons.

* Rake and compost leaves, but dispose of any diseased plant material. For example, if peach and nectarine trees showed signs of leaf curl this year, clean up under trees and dispose of those leaves instead of composting.

* Save dry stalks and seedpods from poppies and coneflowers for fall bouquets and holiday decorating.

* 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.

* Give your azaleas, gardenias and camellias a boost with chelated iron.

* For larger blooms, pinch off some camellia buds.

* Prune non-flowering trees and shrubs while dormant.

* To help prevent leaf curl, apply a copper fungicide spray to peach and nectarine trees after they lose their leaves this month. Leaf curl, which shows up in the spring, is caused by a fungus that winters as spores on the limbs and around the tree in fallen leaves. Sprays are most effective now.

Taste Spring! E-cookbook

Strawberries

Find our spring recipes here!

Taste Summer! E-cookbook

square-tomatoes-plate.jpg

Find our summer recipes here!

Taste Winter! E-cookbook

Lemon coconut pancakes

Find our winter recipes here!