Wet weather can cause issues for gardeners with water-logged landscapes
Diverters attached to downspouts can redirect water to spots where it can soak in safely, away from foundations. Kathy Morrison
Right now, my garden seems afloat on an atmospheric river. Succulents are literally floating out of their pots after their containers filled up with water.
After an avalanche of leaves, some plants had to be dug out, too. Saturday’s deluge denuded my pistache and maples of their remaining fall foliage. The patio (and all its potted plants) is buried in a soggy mess.
At least, my trees are still standing and held onto their limbs. Other trees in the neighborhood weren’t so lucky as our wet and wild winter weather arrived early.
In the first wave of these almost-winter storm systems, Downtown Sacramento received 1.9 inches of rain between Thursday and Saturday, Dec. 12-14, including a record 1.10 inches Saturday, says the National Weather Service. Monday’s showers will push that total well over 2 inches.
Another atmospheric river is expected to hit late Friday or early Saturday. That storm should put Sacramento’s monthly total over December’s historical average of 3.25 inches.
Our landscapes can usually deal with slow, steady and well-spaced showers; the moisture percolates down into the ground.
But at some point during heavy rains, our soil “fills up” and can’t take another drop. That’s when we see pooling, puddling or worse: flooding.
During these storms, check how the water flows through your landscape. Make sure to direct it away from foundations. Connect diverters to downspouts and redirect water to spots where it can soak in safely.
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.
Here are more tips to help your landscape cope with so much water:
* 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. If they get too much rain, they rot. Move them to a sheltered location if possible.
* Avoid walking on or working with 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.
* Although the calendar says it’s time, don’t spray peach and nectarine trees during these damp conditions. Wait until we have a 72-hour window of dry weather.
* Stay on top of weather changes, which can come fast and furious. Get more weather updates here: https://www.weather.gov/sto/#
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Garden Checklist for week of Jan. 12
Once the winds die down, it’s good winter gardening weather with plenty to do:
* Prune, prune, prune. Now is the time to cut back most deciduous trees and shrubs. The exceptions are spring-flowering shrubs such as lilacs.
* Now is the time to prune fruit trees. (The exceptions are apricot and cherry trees, which are susceptible to a fungus that causes dieback. Save them until summer.) Clean up leaves and debris around the trees to prevent the spread of disease.
* Prune roses, even if they’re still trying to bloom. Strip off any remaining leaves, so the bush will be able to put out new growth in early spring.
* Clean up leaves and debris around your newly pruned roses and shrubs. Put down fresh mulch or bark to keep roots cozy.
* After the wind stops, apply horticultural oil to fruit trees to control scale, mites and aphids. Oils need 24 hours of dry weather after application to be effective.
* This is also the time to spray a copper-based fungicide to peach and nectarine trees to fight leaf curl. (The safest effective fungicides available for backyard trees are copper soap -- aka copper octanoate -- or copper ammonium, a fixed copper fungicide. Apply either of these copper products with 1% horticultural oil to increase effectiveness.)
* When forced bulbs sprout, move them to a cool, bright window. Give them a quarter turn each day so the stems will grow straight.
* Browse through seed catalogs and start making plans for spring and summer.
* Divide daylilies, Shasta daisies and other perennials.
* Cut back and divide chrysanthemums.
* Plant bare-root roses, trees and shrubs.
* Transplant pansies, violas, calendulas, English daisies, snapdragons and fairy primroses.
* In the vegetable garden, plant fava beans, head lettuce, mustard, onion sets, radicchio and radishes.
* Plant bare-root asparagus and root divisions of rhubarb.
* In the bulb department, plant callas, anemones, ranunculus and gladioli for bloom from late spring into summer.
* Plant blooming azaleas, camellias and rhododendrons. If you’re shopping for these beautiful landscape plants, you can now find them in full flower at local nurseries.
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