Dig In: Garden Checklist for week of Sept. 21

Happy end of summer! Fall officially starts at 11:19 a.m. PDT Monday, Sept. 22. During the autumn equinox, the sun shines directly overhead on the equator, which means nearly equal hours of daylight and darkness around the globe.

Here in Sacramento, we’ll get plenty of sun during those daylight hours – with more heat on the way.

According to the National Weather Service, fall starts with a heat spike. Sacramento’s expected high Monday: 95 degrees.

That’s well above our normal for mid to late September – 87 degrees.

Fortunately, this heat won’t stick around long. The weather service predicts 89 for Wednesday, 90 for Thursday; still warm, but pleasant.

Overnight lows will be above normal, too, with temperatures staying in the low 60s. (Historic average is 56 degrees.) That will keep soil temperatures warm – great for planting!

A cool down is on the near horizon, says the weather service. Next weekend is expected to see highs around 82 degrees – very seasonal for the first weekend of fall.

Although thunderstorms are in the Sierra forecast for Saturday (Sept. 20) and Tuesday (Sept. 23), Sacramento has only a slight chance – 25% – of seeing rain, says the weather service. We could use some; September averages 0.29 inches.

Meanwhile, enjoy cooler morning temperatures – and get stuff done!

* Now is the time to plant for fall. The warm soil will get these veggies off to a fast start.

* Keep harvesting tomatoes, peppers, squash, melons and eggplant.

* Compost annuals and vegetable crops that have finished producing.

* Cultivate and add compost to the soil to replenish its nutrients for fall and winter vegetables and flowers.

* Fertilize deciduous fruit trees.

* Late September is ideal for sowing a new lawn or re-seeding bare spots.

* Plant onions, lettuce, peas, radishes, turnips, beets, carrots, bok choy, spinach and potatoes directly into the vegetable beds.

* Transplant cabbage, broccoli, kale, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower as well as lettuce seedlings.

* Sow seeds of California poppies, clarkia and African daisies.

* Transplant cool-weather annuals such as pansies, violas, fairy primroses, calendulas, stocks and snapdragons.

* Divide and replant bulbs, rhizomes and perennials.

* Dig up and divide daylilies as they complete their bloom cycle.

* Divide and transplant peonies that have become overcrowded. Replant with “eyes” about an inch below the soil surface.