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Resolutions for a great 2025 garden year

How to be a better (and more thoughtful) gardener

Sacramento Digs Gardening
BY Debbie Arrington PUBLISHED JAN 1, 2025

Plant plenty of bright zinnias this year to entice butterflies to your garden. Bees like the flowers, too, of course. Kathy Morrison

Happy new year! Now what?

These past 12 months have been challenging for our gardens – something we can say every year in Sacramento. If it’s not drought, it’s too wet. Even if our rainfall is relatively “normal” (as it was in 2024), there’s always some kind of weather-related issue that throws us a curve.

How can we make 2025 better? Be prepared. Plan ahead. Have more fun.

We can’t control the weather (if we could, we would). But we can be better prepared for whatever weather may come.

Atmospheric rivers tend to dump a lot of moisture in a short period; how can we save some of that rain for later? (Think about installing a “rain garden” or other ways to let Mother Nature’s free water refresh our landscapes.)

Will we have another red-hot July? Consider planting summer crops such as tomatoes earlier – then plant a second crop for fall harvest after the heat peaks in late July or August.

Replacing a tree or shrub? Plant for the future with a species that will thrive with less chill hours and more summer heat.

Those are all points to consider as we look ahead with resolve. But to do what? For us gardeners, these simple resolutions will make our lives easier and help our gardens thrive – no matter the weather.

1. Take notes. Be observant and write down what you see. No matter the weather or long-term climate change, your landscape is changing. (Trees and shrubs grow; sunny spaces turn to shade.) You may need to make adjustments. Also, note what varieties did well, which didn’t. (This is key to veggie success.)

2. Use a calendar. Paper or digital, calendars are handy for jotting down those notes and keeping track of dates. For example, when did you plant seeds or transplants? When did you harvest your first tomato? You can refer to those dates later when making decisions about next season. (Tip: Get a master gardener calendar; it comes packed with monthly reminders.)

3. Do things at the right time. Plant, prune, fertilize, harvest; gardening is all about timing. For example, plants need important nutrients at critical steps in their development. Figure out in advance when you should feed certain plants (and mark it on that calendar!) Tip: Read our Garden Checklist every Saturday -- it's a handy reminder of upcoming tasks.

4. Install a smart controller and upgrade irrigation. Never have your sprinklers come on again during a storm. If you haven’t done this yet, now is the time. Water providers have rebates available for upgrading your irrigation technology. It will make your life simpler (and save water and money, too). For rebates: www.bewatersmart.info.

5. Invite wildlife into your garden and enjoy the show. Plant nectar- and pollen-filled flowers that hummingbirds, bees and butterflies love. Other birds like berries and seeds; they appreciate bushes that provide them a feast. Make them feel at home, too. Besides plants, provide a bird feeder, bird bath or bee house. For yourself, put a comfortable chair or bench in a spot where you can watch the antics of visiting winged friends. It’s a sure way to get more fun out of your garden space.

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Sacramento gardening fertilizers garden plan garden advice planting seeds seed starting irrigation weather vegetables trees shrubs birds bees pollinators wildlife

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Garden checklist for week of May 10

Take it easy during that high heat – then get to work! Your garden is calling.

* Remember to irrigate your tender transplants. Seedlings need consistent moisture. Deep watering will help build strong roots and healthy plants. Water early in the morning for best results.

* 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. Other perennials to set out include verbena, coreopsis, coneflower and astilbe.

* 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.

* Put your veggie garden on a regular diet. Set up a monthly feeding program, and keep track on your calendar. Make sure to water your garden before applying any fertilizer to prevent “burning” your plants.

* As spring-flowering shrubs finish blooming, give them a little pruning to shape them, removing old and dead wood. Lightly trim azaleas, fuchsias and marguerites for bushier plants.

* Don’t forget to weed! Those invaders are growing fast.

Send us a gardening question, a post suggestion or information about an upcoming event. sacdigsgardening@gmail.com

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