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Exploring fall Saturday at Soil Born Farms

Native plants class for grown-ups; fun with leaves for ages 3-5

Fall leaves of different sizes and shapes are the inspiration for the "Lovely Fall Leaf Fun" class at Soil Born Farms this Saturday.

Fall leaves of different sizes and shapes are the inspiration for the "Lovely Fall Leaf Fun" class at Soil Born Farms this Saturday. Kathy Morrison

Gardening classes and events slow down this time of year, but they don't stop completely. Soil Born Farms in Rancho Cordova this Saturday offers two outdoor learning opportunities -- one for small kids, the other for any native plant enthusiasts.

Soil Born's Li'l Sprouts is a multi-sensory program for children ages 3 to 5 and their adult chaperones. This Saturday from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m., the program is "Lovely Fall Leaf Fun."

Here's the description: "Dive into the world of leaves in the Youth Garden where we’ll get to learn how to make art with things found in nature, specifically the fabulous leaves falling all around us! Students will practice their fine motor skills while making a painted leaf collage, building a beautiful butterfly, and crafting a tiny hedge hog out of dried oak leaves."

Cost is $15 per child; the adult chaperone is admitted free. Register here for this class; links are also there for two upcoming classes, "Farm Animal Friends Art Day" on Nov. 22 and "Twigs, Tea and Everything in Between" on Dec. 13.

Any gardener looking to expand their knowledge of California native plants will be interested in "Caring for a Native Plant Garden," to be held Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Mark Shaffer of Happy Grow Lucky will conduct the class, which costs $30.

"Get a hands-on introduction to caring for native plants in your own garden," Soil Born says. "We will discuss how to treat native plants according to their stage of life. There’s nothing easier to grow than the natives, but it takes just a bit more observation and knowledge to get them to thrive. This class will include a tour of native plants growing on the farm."

Register here for "Caring for a Native Plant Garden."

Soil Born Farms' American River Ranch is located at 2140 Chase Drive in Rancho Cordova. On Saturdays it opens to the public at 8 a.m. Until 1 p.m., visitors can buy fresh fruits and vegetables at the Open Air Organic Produce Stand, purchase farm items at Milly's Mercantile and stop for a snack at Phoebe's Tea and Snack Bar.

For more information: https://soilborn.org/

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Garden checklist for week of May 17

With an eye on warmer weather to come, continue to work on the summer vegetable garden:

* Remember to irrigate your tender transplants. The wind can quickly dry out young plants. Seedlings need consistent moisture. Deep watering will help build strong roots and healthy plants. Water early in the morning for best results.

* Plant, plant, plant! It’s prime planting season in the Sacramento area. Time to set out those tomato transplants along with peppers and eggplants. Pinch off any flowers on new transplants to make them concentrate on establishing roots instead of setting premature fruit.

* Direct-seed melons, cucumbers, summer squash, corn, radishes, pumpkins and annual herbs such as basil.

* Harvest lettuce, peas and green onions.

* In the flower garden, direct-seed sunflowers, cosmos, salvia, zinnias, marigolds, celosia and asters. (You also can transplant seedlings for many of the same flowers.)

* Plant dahlia tubers. 

* Transplant petunias, marigolds and perennial flowers such as astilbe, calibrachoa, columbine, coneflowers, coreopsis, rudbeckia and verbena.

* Keep an eye out for slugs, snails, earwigs and aphids that want to dine on tender new growth.

* Feed summer bloomers with a balanced fertilizer.

* For continued bloom, cut off spent flowers on roses as well as other flowering plants.

* Put your veggie garden on a regular diet. Set up a monthly feeding program, and keep track on your calendar. Make sure to water your garden before applying any fertilizer to prevent “burning” your plants.

* As spring-flowering shrubs finish blooming, give them a little pruning to shape them, removing old and dead wood. Lightly trim azaleas, fuchsias and marguerites for bushier plants.

* Don’t forget to weed! Those invaders are growing fast.

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Food in My Back Yard (FIMBY) Series

Lessons learned during a year of edible gardening

WINTER

Is edible gardening possible indoors?

Hints for choosing tomato seeds

Starting in seed starting

Why winter is the perfect time to plant fruit trees

When to plant? Consider staggering your transplants

How to squeeze more food into less space

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Plant a fruit tree now -- for later

Win the weed war by tackling them in winter

Tips for planting bare-root trees, shrubs and vegetables

Time to give vegetable seedlings some more space

Ways to win the fight against weeds

FALL

Dec. 16: Add asparagus to your edible garden

Dec. 9: Soggy soil and what to do about it

Dec. 2: Plant artichokes now; enjoy for years to come

Nov. 25: It's late November, and your peach tree needs spraying

Nov. 18: What to do with all those fallen leaves?

Nov. 11: Prepare now for colder weather in the edible garden

Nov. 4: Plant a pea patch for you and your garden

Oct. 27: As citrus season begins, advice for backyard growers

Oct. 20: Change is in the autumn air 

Oct. 13: We don't talk (enough) about beets

Oct. 6: Fava beans do double duty

Sept. 30: Seeds or transplants for cool-season veggies?

Sept. 23: How to prolong the fall tomato harvest 

SUMMER

Sept. 16: Time to shut it down? 

Sept. 9: How to get the most out of your pumpkin patch

Sept. 2: Summer-to-fall transition time for evaluation, planning

Aug. 26: To pick or not to pick those tomatoes?

Aug. 19: Put worms to work for you

Aug. 12: Grow food while saving water

Aug. 5: Enhance your food with edible flowers

July 29: Why won't my tomatoes turn red?

July 22: A squash plant has mosaic virus, and it's not pretty

July 15: Does this plant need water?

July 8: Tear out that sad plant or baby it? Midsummer decisions

July 1: How to grow summer salad greens

June 24:  Weird stuff that's perfectly normal

SPRING

June 17: Help pollinators help your garden

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