April showers will give way to plenty of sunshine
Perennial Plant Club shifts second day of event to Sunday; other Saturday events still planned
Saturday event designed for gardeners of all ages
Find member-grown perennials, natives and more; event also includes tours, food, tool sharpening, garden art
Popular tour led by Warren Roberts highlights spring flowers in the public gardens
Sacramento club's annual event includes beginner workshop, guest artist demonstrations
NEW Ham and baby potato casserole with glazed carrots
Grab your sun hat; heat is on its way
Events at famous feng shui oasis raise funds to help children at Shriners Hospital.
Burbank High, Elk Grove Garden Club events Saturday
SacValley CNPS Nursery & Gardens hosts sale, needs used containers for future sales
Event features succulents, natives and water-wise perennials; members get in early
Capital City African Violet Society hosts annual event
NEW Chocolate glaze especially appropriate for a holiday dessert
April starts with a sunny break before more showers
Master rosarian shares tips with Farmer Fred on spring rose care basics, propagation
Gardens' best finery on display in fundraisers and free events
Stories on Stage Davis hosts special event with literary, gardening flair
El Dorado County master gardeners offer free workshop
Master gardeners to unveil water-wise showcase at Loomis Library
Sacramento Digs Gardening to your inbox.
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Garden Checklist for week of Jan. 19
Dress warmly in layers – and get to work:
* 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 oil 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.
* 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. Clean up leaves and debris around the trees to prevent the spread of disease. (The exceptions are apricot and cherry trees, which are susceptible to a fungus that causes dieback if pruned now. Save those until summer.)
* 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.
* 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.