Online, in-person fundraising events start March 1
Carts with plants are parked out of traffic while shoppers hunt for more treasures at a 2024 UC Davis Arboretum Teaching Nursery plant sale. More than two months of plant sales are just ahead for the Sacramento region. Kathy Morrison
Spring is in the air, and officially on the calendar starting March 20. But the spring plant sales begin before that, thanks to the fundraising efforts of our region's garden clubs, nonprofit groups and academic horticulture departments.
Sacramento Digs Gardening will have more on each of these events as they roll out, but for gardeners who like to plan (and start their shopping lists), here's a summary of all the sales we know about now. Follow the links for details. And, as they say, save the dates.
Note: Most spring flower/plant shows and garden festivals also feature plant sales. For purposes of clarity, events that are only sales are listed today.
-- Saturday, March 1. Winters Friends of the Library, along with the Yolo County master gardeners, will hold a Bareroot Fruit Tree Sale from 9 a.m. until trees are sold out. Winters Library, 517 Railroad Ave., Winters. (And don't forget to read Tuesday's FIMBY post on choosing and planting fruit trees.)
-- Saturday, March 8. This day will see the Sacramento Valley Chapter of the California Native Plant Society fast out of the gate with its two-day online sale of native plants starting at 7 a.m., accepting orders until 6 p.m. March 9. Pickup days at the nursery in Rancho Cordova are March 16, 19 and 23. The chapter already has a plant list available on the site. Salvia apiana (white sage), anyone?
Also, on March 8, the UC Davis Arboretum Teaching Nursery celebrates 50 years of plant sales. Hours are 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the nursery with a sale limited to Friends of the Arboretum. But it's easy to join at the gate, and there are three more spring sales scheduled.
At McKinley Park in East Sacramento, the Shepard Garden and Art Center on March 8 hosts the 20th Annual Gardener's Market, a fundraiser by the Sacramento Perennial Plant Club. This sale from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. features many vendors -- of plants as well as garden art, bird feeders, pottery, garden books, refreshments and more. Admission is free.
-- Friday, March 14. The El Dorado Chapter of CNPS also will hold an online native plant sale, starting at 9 a.m. March 14 and continuing until 6 p.m. March 16. Pickup day will be Saturday, March 22, between 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. only at the county building parking lot, 2850 Fairlane Court, Placerville. For information and online catalog, click here.
-- Saturday, March 15. The Shepard Center again will be abuzz, this time with its two-day Spring Sale, the all-organization sale of the groups based at Shepard. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 15 and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 16. In addition to plants, the sale includes crafts, flowers and jewelry, plus food and all kinds of miscellanea.
-- Saturday, April 5. The UC master gardeners of Yolo County hold the first of two plant sales from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Woodland Community College, 2300 E. Gibson Road in Woodland. Expect vegetables, native plants, bulbs, succulents and more.
-- Sunday, April 6. UC Davis Arboretum's second sale is a split sale: The first hour, at 9 a.m., is for Friends members only, then at 10 a.m. the gate is opened for members of the public. The sale concludes at 1 p.m.
-- Saturday, April 12. The UC master gardeners of El Dorado County hold the first of two spring sales, 8 a.m. to noon at their Sherwood Demonstration Garden, 6699 Campus Drive, Placerville. This sale will feature edibles including tomatoes, herbs and fruit.
The Elk Grove Garden Club will hold its Spring Plant Sale on April 12 as well. 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., 8609 Brodie Ct., Elk Grove. Some of the propagators for this sale are master gardeners, and they always have great plants, including some unusual ones.
Also on April 12 is the second of the Yolo master gardeners' spring sales. Same hours and location as the first: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Woodland Community College, 2300 E Gibson Road in Woodland.
-- Friday, April 18. The first of two days for the Sacramento Perennial Plant Club's Spring Sale, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 1911 Bannon Creek Drive, Sacramento (South Natomas area). Continues April 19, same times. Always a terrific selection of member-propagated plants, including vegetables.
-- Saturday, April 26. The third spring sale of the UC Davis Arboretum Teaching Nursery is open to everyone, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
April 26 also is the date for the second half of the El Dorado master gardeners' Spring Plant Sale, 8 a.m. to noon. This one will feature ornamentals and native plants.
-- Saturday, May 3. The Roseville Better Gardens Club holds its Annual Plant Sale, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Maidu Community Center, 1550 Maidu Drive, Roseville.
-- Saturday, May 10. The bargains will be all over the place at the UC Davis Arboretum Teaching Nursery's Clearance Sale, the last sale until fall quarter. 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., open to all.
More to come: A spring sale of student-propagated plants is typically scheduled in April by the American River College Horticulture Department. The Burbank (High School) Urban Garden, which was threatened this winter with closure but now has been saved, also usually holds a spring plant sale. We'll publish those dates as soon as we can confirm them.
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Garden Checklist for week of March 16
Make the most of dry breaks between showers. Your garden is in high-growth mode.
* Pull weeds now! Don’t let them get started. Take a hoe and whack them as soon as they sprout.
* Prepare vegetable beds. Spade in compost and other amendments.
* Prune and fertilize spring-flowering shrubs after bloom.
* Feed camellias at the end of their bloom cycle. Pick up browned and fallen flowers to help corral blossom blight.
* Feed citrus trees, which are now in bloom and setting fruit. To prevent sunburn and borer problems on young trees, paint the exposed portion of the trunk with diluted white latex (water-based) interior paint. Dilute the paint with an equal amount of cold water before application.
* Feed roses with a balanced fertilizer (such as 10-10-10, the ratio of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium available in that product).
* Prune and fertilize spring-flowering shrubs and trees after they bloom. Try using well-composted manure, spread 1-inch-thick under the tree (but avoid piling it up around the trunk). This serves as both fertilizer and mulch, retaining moisture while cutting down on weeds.
* Cut back and fertilize perennial herbs to encourage new growth.
* In the vegetable garden, transplant lettuce and cole family plants, such as cauliflower, broccoli, collards and kale.
* Seed chard and beets directly into the ground. (To speed germination, soak beet seeds overnight in room-temperature water before planting.)
* Before the mercury starts inching upward, this is your last chance to plant such annuals as pansies, violas and primroses.
* Plant summer bulbs, including gladiolus, tuberous begonias and callas. Also plant dahlia tubers.
* Shop for perennials. Many varieties are available in local nurseries and at plant events. They can be transplanted now while the weather remains relatively cool.
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