Master gardeners offer two free workshops on fall and winter vegetables
It's August, which means it's time to start seeds for many cool-season vegetables. Master gardener workshops on Aug. 12 and 19 will offer tips for success. Kathy Morrison
When our weather is at its hottest, it’s time to focus on cool – as in fall and winter vegetables.
Make the most of our year-round growing season with the help of the UC Cooperative Extension master gardeners with two free workshops – one in person and one via Zoom. (You don’t even need to leave the comfort of your air-conditioned home.)
At 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 12, the master gardeners of Placer County will host “Fall is the New Spring,” a one-hour in-person workshop at Loomis Library, 6050 Library Drive, Loomis.
“Plant cool-season veggies in July or August? REALLY???” posted the master gardeners in their course description. “Come and learn the importance of planting cool-season crops earlier than you ever thought – and why. Meet Persephone and hear her tale of woe.”
No pre-registration is required. Just show up with questions and a notepad.
Details and directions: https://pcmg.ucanr.edu/.
For a more in-depth look (and no driving), the master gardeners of El Dorado County present a three-hour online workshop on the following Saturday via Zoom. At 9 a.m. Aug. 19, the master gardeners will host “Fall and Winter Vegetables,” with plenty of tips for success.
“Would you like to continue to harvest luscious, home-grown vegetables even after the heat of summer subsides?” say the master gardeners. “If so, now is the time to plant for a fall and winter harvest. Learn how to grow a successful winter vegetable garden from UC Master Gardener Zack Dowell.”
Pre-registration is required for this workshop. Sign up in advance to receive the Zoom link. Look for the workshop under “Master Gardener Calendar.”
Details: https://mgeldorado.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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