Sacramento County Fair and other family-friendy events
This garden on wheels is an example of an entrant in the Sacramento County Fair's "Farm Garden in a Wheelbarrow" competition. Courtesy Sacramento County Fair
This Memorial Day weekend may be one of the more pleasant ones we've had recently, at least weather-wise, with highs expected in the low 80s. That makes this weekend the perfect time to check out gardening events and other outdoor activities in the greater Sacramento area.
-- The Sacramento County Fair, Cal Expo, Sacramento. If the State Fair strikes you as too big or impersonal, this is the fair for you, running today through Memorial Day. The theme this year is "Cowboy Boots and Fair Roots." The fair will feature concerts, carnival rides, food, displays, competitions, pig races, demolition derby and more. Check out the "Farm Garden in a Wheelbarrow" program for kids grades K-6.
Fair hours are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday through Sunday, and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday (Memorial Day). Tickets at the gate are $12 general, $8 seniors, $10 ages 12-16, and free for 11 and under. Information and tickets here.
-- "Garden Like a Farmer: Beat the Heat! Preparing Your Garden for the Sacramento Summer," 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, May 24, at Soil Born Farms, American River Ranch, 2140 Chase Drive, Rancho Cordova. Cost is $30. Instructor Tyler Stowers will talk about the skills needed to keep those tomatoes and other summer crops from succumbing to the tough Sacramento weather. Information and registration here.
-- "Controlling Weeds," El Dorado County master gardeners, 9 a.m. to noon, Saturday, May 24, Bethell-Delfino Ag Building, 311 Fair Lane, Placerville. This workshop will focus on weeds commonly found in the home landscape, their culture, and control strategies. Highly aggressive non-native weeds that have been introduced into El Dorado County also will be covered. Registration requested but not required. Register here. The master gardeners' Sherwood Demonstration Garden also is available for visits, 9 a.m. to noon both Friday and Saturday, May 23-24, at Folsom Lake College's El Dorado Center, 6699 Campus Drive in Placerville. $2 parking fee. Information here.
-- "Garden Gab," Placer County master gardeners, 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., Saturday, May 24, Inspiration Garden, Roseville Utility Exploration Center, 1501 Pleasant Grove Blvd., Roseville. Stop by the Inspiration Garden at UEC to ask gardening questions or show samples of garden or pest problems. A range of local gardening pros from City of Roseville’s Water Efficiency team to Placer County master gardeners will be present answer all inquiries. Free; no registration required.
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Food in My Back Yard Series
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
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 June 15
Make the most of this “average” weather; your garden is growing fast! (So are the weeds!)
* Warm weather brings rapid growth in the vegetable garden, with tomatoes and squash enjoying the heat. Deep-water, then feed with a balanced fertilizer. Bone meal can spur the bloom cycle and help set fruit.
* Generally, tomatoes need deep watering two to three times a week, but don’t let them dry out completely. That can encourage blossom-end rot.
* From seed, plant corn, melons, pumpkins, radishes, squash and sunflowers.
* Plant basil to go with your tomatoes.
* Transplant summer annuals such as petunias, marigolds and zinnias. It’s also a good time to transplant perennial flowers including astilbe, columbine, coneflowers, coreopsis, dahlias, rudbeckia, salvia and verbena.
* Pull weeds before they go to seed.
* Let the grass grow longer. Set the mower blades high to reduce stress on your lawn during summer heat. To cut down on evaporation, water your lawn deeply during the wee hours of the morning, between 2 and 8 a.m.
* Tie up vines and stake tall plants such as gladiolus and lilies. That gives their heavy flowers some support.
* Dig and divide crowded bulbs after the tops have died down.
* Feed summer flowers with a slow-release fertilizer.
* Mulch, mulch, mulch! This “blanket” keeps moisture in the soil longer and helps your plants cope during hot weather. It also helps smother weeds.
* Thin grapes on the vine for bigger, better clusters later this summer.
* Cut back fruit-bearing canes on berries.
* Feed camellias, azaleas and other acid-loving plants. Mulch to conserve moisture and reduce heat stress.
* Cut back Shasta daisies after flowering to encourage a second bloom in the fall.
* Trim off dead flowers from rose bushes to keep them blooming through the summer. Roses also benefit from deep watering and feeding now. A top dressing of aged compost will keep them happy. It feeds as well as keeps roots moist.
* Pinch back chrysanthemums for bushier plants with many more flowers in September.
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