Get advice from experts in Sacramento and El Dorado counties
The blueberries are ripening at the Fair Oaks Horticulture Center -- and the bushes are protected from birds by this extensive netting system. Discover this and lots more during the Open Garden on Saturday. Kathy Morrison
Need some gardening inspiration – or advice? Saturday, May 20, is your opportunity to get expert help at UCCE master gardener events in two counties.
Both Sacramento County and El Dorado County master gardeners are hosting Open Garden Days on Saturday morning at their respective demonstration gardens. These special events are open to the public and offer a chance to watch these experts in action and ask gardening questions.
“Open Gardens are informal free events where you roam the gardens, watch what we are doing, see what we are growing and ask questions,” say the Sacramento County master gardeners.
“Bring samples of your problem plants, mystery pests and questions to the ‘Ask the Master Gardeners’ information table. Get one-on-one advice based on the most recent research-based sustainable practices.”
From 9 a.m. to noon, the El Dorado County master gardeners will be stationed at Sherwood Demonstration Garden, 6699 Campus Drive, Placerville.
It’s a chance for the public to get “a hands-on, interactive experience about research-based, sustainable gardening practices specific to the west slope of El Dorado County, appropriate for all ages and cultures, and reflective of a variety of environments and gardening experiences.”
The Sherwood Garden features 16 individual demonstrations gardens range from the Shade Garden to the Rock Garden. Especially popular right now is the newly planted vegetable garden. (Remember: No dogs allowed.)
Details: https://mgeldorado.ucanr.edu.
Also 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, the Sacramento County master gardeners will open the gates of Fair Oaks Horticulture Center, 11549 Fair Oaks Blvd., Fair Oaks, in Fair Oaks Park.
“Bring your family and friends to see the new spring growth in our spaces for ideas to use in yours,” say the organizers. “From vegetables in raised beds, grapes grown in barrels, fragrant herbs, or espaliered fruit trees. You will be delighted you came, and inspired for spring planting.”
Among the specific highlights Saturday:
Herbs: Culinary herbs are in full display for bedding ideas. Smell the scented geraniums, and ask about the newest herb plantings, which are so new they don't have labels yet.
Orchard: Ask how the Orchard Team is transitioning the old part of the orchard to some new trees. Find out what happened to the espaliered O'Henry peach tree up on the hill (above the berries) and learn how the winter weather was involved.
Berry Garden: See the many varieties of blueberries, blackberries and raspberries for our region, and learn how they're netted to protect the crop
Vegetable Garden: The All-America Selections display garden is planted for summer. Check out which varieties of tomatoes were chosen. See the new potato-growing area, which replaced the straw-bale garden.
Vineyard: See the prodigious growth on some of the grapevines, and learn about the newest varieties planted.
Compost Area: Watch a demonstration on how to collect worm castings.
Water-Efficient Landscape: See native and well-adapted shrubs and grasses on display; see what's blooming now that the weather has warmed.
Details: https://sacmg.ucanr.edu/.
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Food in My Back Yard Series
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
March 18: Time to give vegetable seedlings some more space
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 April 20
Before possible showers at the end of the week, take advantage of all this nice sunshine – and get to work!
* Set out tomato, pepper and eggplant transplants.
* From seed, plant beans, beets, cantaloupes, carrots, corn, cucumbers, melons, pumpkins, radishes and squash.
* Plant onion sets.
* In the flower garden, plant seeds for asters, cosmos, celosia, marigolds, salvia, sunflowers and zinnias.
* Transplant petunias, zinnias, geraniums and other summer bloomers.
* Plant perennials and dahlia tubers for summer bloom.
* Plant summer bulbs, such as gladiolus and tuberous begonias.
* Transplant lettuce and cabbage seedlings.
* Smell orange blossoms? Feed citrus trees with a low dose of balanced fertilizer (such as 10-10-10) during bloom to help set fruit. Keep an eye out for ants.
* Apply slow-release fertilizer to the lawn.
* Thoroughly clean debris from the bottom of outdoor ponds or fountains.
* Trim dead flowers but not leaves from spring-flowering bulbs such as daffodils and tulips. Those leaves gather energy to create next year's flowers. Also, give the bulbs a fertilizer boost after bloom.
* Spring brings a flush of rapid growth, and that means your garden is really hungry. Give shrubs and trees a dose of a slow-release fertilizer. Or mulch with a 1-inch layer of compost.
* Start thinning fruit that's formed on apple and stone fruit trees -- you'll get larger fruit at harvest (and avoid limb breakage) if some is thinned now. The UC recommendation is to thin fruit when it is about 3/4 of an inch in diameter. Peaches and nectarines should be thinned to about 6 inches apart; smaller fruit such as plums and pluots can be about 4 inches apart. Apricots can be left at 3 inches apart. Apples and pears should be thinned to one fruit per cluster of flowers, 6 to 8 inches apart.
* Azaleas and camellias looking a little yellow? If leaves are turning yellow between the veins, give them a boost with chelated iron.
* Pinch chrysanthemums back to 12 inches for fall flowers. Cut old stems to the ground.
* Weed, weed, weed! Don’t let unwanted plants go to seed.
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