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Zoom in on the Kitchen Garden: Tomatoes, pests and more

Yolo master gardeners present an online and in-person chat

So the tomatoes are starting to grow -- and the pests appear.

So the tomatoes are starting to grow -- and the pests appear. Kathy Morrison

The tomatoes are finally in the ground, growing and even setting fruit. Then the pests start to appear, especially the dreaded tomato hornworm. Or the tomatoes develop brownish spots on the bottom -- blossom end rot!

What's a tomato grower to do?

Certainly, prevention and awareness are keys to keeping those tomatoes from harm. At 10 a.m. on Saturday, June 3, in a hybrid in-person and Zoom online event, the Yolo County master gardeners will present their lastest Kitchen Garden Chat on this topic and more.

"We will talk about what to do in the edible garden with emphasis on pests and tomato issues and how to store the summer bounty," say the organizers.

The in-person event will be in the Leake Room of the Woodland Public Library, 250 First St., Woodland. To view the chat via Zoom, go to https://ucanr.zoom.us/j/98028723763. The event is free and open to all.

In addition, if you happen to be at the Woodland farmers market Saturday morning, starting at 9 a.m. the Yolo master gardeners will be staffing a table. Bring gardening questions and plant problems to them for potential solutions. 

Looking ahead, an in-person workshop on "Gardening for Year-Round Meals" will be presented by the Yolo master gardeners on Saturday, June 10, at 11 a.m.,  United Methodist Church/Grace Gardens, 1620 Anderson Road, Davis.

For more on these events, check the Yolo MGs' Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/yolomg.

For general information on the UCCE master gardeners of Yolo County, visit https://yolomg.ucanr.edu/ 

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Garden Checklist for week of April 21

This week there’s plenty to keep gardeners busy. With no rain in the immediate forecast, remember to irrigate any new transplants.

* Weed, weed, weed! Get them before they flower and go to seed.

* April is the last chance to plant citrus trees such as dwarf orange, lemon and kumquat. These trees also look good in landscaping and provide fresh fruit in winter.

* 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.

* Spring brings a flush of rapid growth, and that means your garden is really hungry. Feed shrubs and trees with a slow-release fertilizer. Or mulch with a 1-inch layer of compost.

* Azaleas and camellias looking a little yellow? If leaves are turning yellow between the veins, give them a boost with chelated iron.

* 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.

* Pinch chrysanthemums back to 12 inches for fall flowers. Cut old stems to the ground.

* Mulch around plants to conserve moisture and control weeds.

* From seed, plant beans, beets, cantaloupes, carrots, corn, cucumbers, melons, 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.

* Mid to late April is about the last chance to plant summer bulbs, such as gladiolus and tuberous begonias.

* Transplant lettuce seedlings. Choose varieties that mature quickly such as loose leaf.

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