Three local events invite gardeners to swap seeds; one includes plants
Got seeds to share? Bring them to one of three area events this Saturday, which is National Seed Swap Day. Kathy Morrison
Wanna swap? When it comes to seeds (and plants), swapping events kick off the gardening calendar as we plan for the seasons ahead – and discover something new.
Saturday (Jan. 25) is National Seed Swap Day, a celebration of that January gardening tradition.
Gardeners from coast to coast will be exchanging seeds from their favorite plants. (Or from their stash of purchased seeds.) There are some rules for saved seeds (such as nothing that’s a patented hybrid plant or illegal). And there are some ways to make it easier to share. Find out more from Seed Savers Exchange, https://seedsavers.org/
From 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, the Placer County master gardeners will host their own National Seed Swap Day party at Loomis Veterans Hall. Admission is free.
Bring some seeds, labeled, in envelopes or zippered plastic bags. Then, take some home.
“The seed swap is a fundamental part of human history,” say the master gardeners. “Modern gardeners collect and exchange seeds for many reasons ranging from cultivating rare, heirloom varieties to basic thrift. The exchange of seeds perpetuates biodiversity, too. It is an act of giving and the ultimate form of recycling. Bring labeled seeds to share and take seeds others have brought to share.”
Loomis Veterans Hall is located at 5945 Horseshoe Bar Road, Loomis.
Registration is not required but requested. Sign up in advance here: https://pcmg.ucanr.edu/
The Rancho Cordova Library will be the site of the Sacramento Seed Swap from 1:30 to 4 p.m. Saturday. This is a free event, open to the public.
"Swap and share heirloom and open-pollinated garden seeds, build community, and make our world a little greener," organizers say.
The library is at 9845 Folsom Blvd. in Rancho Cordova. The event's Facebook page is here: https://www.facebook.com/events/1040049391492736
Also on Saturday, swap plants as well as seeds at the Green Leaf Swap Meet and Plant Celebration at Rainbow Park, 6121 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Sacramento. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., swap plants and tips while learning more about gardening. Participation is free.
“Join fellow plant lovers for a free day of plant swapping, gardening tips, and community fun,” say the organizers. “Bring your extra plants to trade with fellow green thumbs or simply come to enjoy the festivities. This event is perfect for all levels of gardening experience. Connect with other plant enthusiasts and expand your collection.”
Hosted by Color the Block, free tickets are available via Eventbrite: https://rb.gy/w2wswo
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Flowers in My Back Yard Series
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June 23: Easy-care gazanias fill those hot corners
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June 9: Grow coneflowers for pollinators -- and yourself
June 2: Sunflowers capture Sacramento's summer attitude
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May 26: Zinnias are the summer flowers every garden needs
May 19: Plant dahlias now for late-summer flower power
May 12: Know your coreopsis from your bidens
May 5: Mums the word on Mother's Day weekend
April 28: Majestic Matilija poppy is worth a look
April 21: Celebrate roses, America's favorite flower
April 14: Small flowers with outsized impact
April 7: Calendulas do double duty
April 3: Make Easter lilies last for years to come
March 31: In praise of a pollinator magnet (small-leaf salvias)
March 24: Azaleas brighten shady spots
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March 10: Keep camellias happy for years to come
March 3: Fruit tree blossoms are a fleeting joy
Feb. 27: Are your roses looking rusty?
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Garden checklist for week of Aug. 2
Get out early in the morning and monitor your garden’s moisture needs. Deep water and add temporary shade structures for plants that are feeling a little burned. In particular, protect developing peppers and eggplant.
* Put off fertilization until this heat passes; plants need to concentrate on hydration instead of growth.
* Harvest tomatoes, beans, squash, pepper and eggplants to prompt plants to keep producing. Give your plants a deep watering twice a week, more if planted in containers.
* Watch out for caterpillars and hornworms in the vegetable garden. They can strip a plant bare in one day. Pick them off plants by hand in early morning or late afternoon.
* Mulch can be your garden’s best friend – it conserves moisture while blocking out weeds. But don’t let mulch mound around stalks, stems or trunks. That can promote rot.
* Pinch off dead flowers from perennials and annuals to lengthen their summer bloom.
* Pick up after your fruit trees. Clean up debris and dropped fruit; this cuts down on insects and prevents the spread of brown rot.
* Prepare for a fall full of flowers by paying a little extra attention to your garden. Cut off spent blooms from roses, annuals and perennials. Roses will rebloom about six to eight weeks after deadheading.
* Indoors, start seedlings for fall vegetable planting, including bunching onion, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, radicchio and lettuce.
* Sow seeds of perennials in pots for fall planting including yarrow, coneflower and salvia.
* In the garden, direct seed beets, carrots, leaf lettuce and turnips. Make sure to keep seeds and seedlings consistently moist.
* Plant potatoes.
Contact Us
Send us a gardening question, a post suggestion or information about an upcoming event. sacdigsgardening@gmail.com
Food in My Back Yard (FIMBY) Series
Lessons learned during a year of edible gardening
WINTER
Is edible gardening possible indoors?
Hints for choosing tomato seeds
Why winter is the perfect time to plant fruit trees
When to plant? Consider staggering your transplants
How to squeeze more food into less space
Plant a fruit tree now -- for later
Win the weed war by tackling them in winter
Tips for planting bare-root trees, shrubs and vegetables
Time to give vegetable seedlings some more space
Ways to win the fight against weeds
FALL
Dec. 16: Add asparagus to your edible garden
Dec. 9: Soggy soil and what to do about it
Dec. 2: Plant artichokes now; enjoy for years to come
Nov. 25: It's late November, and your peach tree needs spraying
Nov. 18: What to do with all those fallen leaves?
Nov. 11: Prepare now for colder weather in the edible garden
Nov. 4: Plant a pea patch for you and your garden
Oct. 27: As citrus season begins, advice for backyard growers
Oct. 20: Change is in the autumn air
Oct. 13: We don't talk (enough) about beets
Oct. 6: Fava beans do double duty
Sept. 30: Seeds or transplants for cool-season veggies?
Sept. 23: How to prolong the fall tomato harvest
SUMMER
Sept. 16: Time to shut it down?
Sept. 9: How to get the most out of your pumpkin patch
Sept. 2: Summer-to-fall transition time for evaluation, planning
Aug. 26: To pick or not to pick those tomatoes?
Aug. 19: Put worms to work for you
Aug. 12: Grow food while saving water
Aug. 5: Enhance your food with edible flowers
July 29: Why won't my tomatoes turn red?
July 22: A squash plant has mosaic virus, and it's not pretty
July 15: Does this plant need water?
July 8: Tear out that sad plant or baby it? Midsummer decisions
July 1: How to grow summer salad greens
June 24: Weird stuff that's perfectly normal
SPRING
June 17: Help pollinators help your garden
June 10: Battling early-season tomato pests
June 3: Make your own compost
May 27: Where are the bees when you need them?
May 20: How to help tomatoes thrive on hot days
May 13: Your plants can tell you more than any calendar can
May 6: Maintain soil moisture with mulch for garden success
April 29: What's (already) wrong with my tomato plants?
April 22: Should you stock up on fertilizer? (Yes!)
April 15: Grow culinary herbs in containers
April 8: When to plant summer vegetables
April 1: Don't be fooled by these garden myths
March 25: Fertilizer tips: How to 'feed' your vegetables for healthy growth
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