New! When ripe, the fruit is more juicy, floral than tart
Rain is coming back to Sacramento – but when?
Nursery, cafe, brewery and historic fruit shed in Loomis are open late three nights a week
Popular fundraisers benefit local programs; Woodland tour sold out
RUFF hosts free planting party near Pistachio Park
Oak Park urban nursery and garden store puts its own twist on tradition
Sacred Heart fundraiser includes cafe, boutique featuring 25 local makers
New! Bakery-style mandarin muffins with raisins
Make the most of dry, clear (and chilly) weather
Succulents, holiday poinsettias among most sensitive plants
A grateful pause on Thanksgiving
El Dorado County growers ready to welcome tree hunters
After atmospheric river, we'll have some chilly nights
Family fun, ornament painting and more at Elk Grove destination nursery/ garden store
New! Premade crust, herbed soft cheese can speed up the prep work
Thanksgiving week is a time to dry out and count blessings
Mandarin festival booth skipped; award-winning gardening guide now available online
Sacramento Perennial Plant Club supports school, nonprofit and community programs
Relles Florist in Sacramento offers popular DIY class
'Atmospheric river' could drop as much as 4 inches of rain in five days
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Food in My Back Yard Series
March 11: Ways to win the fight against weeds
March 4: Potatoes from the garden
Feb. 25: Plant a fruit tree now -- for later
Feb. 18: How to squeeze more food into less space
Feb. 11: When to plant? Consider staggering your transplants
Feb. 4: Starting in seed starting
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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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