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Sat, Aug 05, 2023

Dig In: Garden checklist for week of Aug. 6

Our yo-yo weather continues; watch out for signs of plant stress

Fri, Aug 04, 2023

Farmer Fred shares how to save time, money and water in any garden

Popular podcast host shares keynote speaker duties at Harvest Day

Thu, Aug 03, 2023

Be prepared for 2024 with the Gardening Guide & Calendar

'Habitat Gardening' is the theme for the latest publication

Wed, Aug 02, 2023

Get free 'Autumn Beauty' sunflower seeds at Harvest Day

Sunflowers can be planted in late summer for autumn blooms

Tue, Aug 01, 2023

Harvest Day offers great shopping for gardeners

Select local vendors, clubs and organizations bring wide range of specialties

Mon, Jul 31, 2023

Sacramento catches a break in hottest July on record

Weather roller-coaster continues; triple-digit temperatures return this weekend

Sun, Jul 30, 2023

Oh-so-ripe tomatoes make an easy garden sauce

Recipe: Chunky or smooth, it's the fresh flavor of summer

Sat, Jul 29, 2023

Dig In: Garden checklist for week of July 30

Last days of July seem normal before 'cool' start to August

Fri, Jul 28, 2023

Update on #jalapeñogate: Mystery peppers identified

Possible varieties matched up with mislabeled jalapeños and purple bells; listen to podcast with Farmer Fred

Thu, Jul 27, 2023

Take a summer morning ramble amid native plants

Registration required for free event Aug. 6

Tue, Jul 25, 2023

Get greener grass with less water

Cycle and soak method is the best way to irrigate lawns in summer, especially in clay soil

Mon, Jul 24, 2023

Think cool (veggies) during hot Dog Days of Summer

Start seeds for fall, winter favorites for transplanting after Labor Day

Sun, Jul 23, 2023

Juice fresh tomatoes, then make Bloody Mary with a twist

Recipe: Cocktail features just-squeezed tomato juice

Sat, Jul 22, 2023

Dig In: Garden checklist for week of July 23

After record heat, some cool relief is on its way

Fri, Jul 21, 2023

Midsummer replacements: What to plant now

Several vegetables and flowers can be planted in late July (just remember to water)

Thu, Jul 20, 2023

Sacramento County's Harvest Day returns Aug. 5

Plant talks, vendors, food and fun during annual gardening celebration

Wed, Jul 19, 2023

Beyond Jalapenogate: Tough summer for pepper lovers

Cool spring challenged seedling growth, no matter the pepper variety

Tue, Jul 18, 2023

Give trees extra water, TLC during summer heat

Easy irrigation method: Use a bucket with a hole in it

Mon, Jul 17, 2023

Record Sacramento heat brings outbreak of spider mites

Stay hydrated and give your plants a morning shower

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Food in My Back Yard (FIMBY) Series

WINTER:

Jan. 13: Tips for planting bare-root trees, shrubs and vegetables

Jan. 6: Hints for choosing tomato seeds

Dec. 30: Why winter is the perfect time to plant fruit trees

Dec. 23: Is edible gardening possible indoors?

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

WINTER

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

Local News

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Taste Winter! E-cookbook

Lemon coconut pancakes

Find our winter recipes here!

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Garden checklist for week of Jan. 18

Make the most of these rain-free breaks. Your garden needs you!

* Transplant pansies, violas, calendulas, English daisies, snapdragons and fairy primroses.

* In the vegetable garden, plant fava beans, head lettuce, mustard, onion sets, radicchio and radishes.

* Plant bare-root asparagus and root divisions of rhubarb.

* Plant bare-root roses and fruit trees.

* In the bulb department, plant callas, anemones, ranunculus and gladiolus for bloom from late spring into summer.

* Browse through seed catalogs and start making plans for spring and summer.

* Prune, prune, prune. Now is the time to cut back most deciduous trees and shrubs. The exceptions are spring-flowering shrubs such as lilacs.

* Now is the time to prune fruit trees, except cherry and apricot trees. Clean up leaves and debris around the trees to prevent the spread of disease.

* Prune roses, even if they’re still trying to bloom. Strip off any remaining leaves, so the bush will be able to put out new growth in early spring.

* Prune Christmas camellias (Camellia sasanqua), the early-flowering varieties, after their bloom. They don’t need much, but selective pruning can promote bushiness, upright growth and more bloom next winter. Give them an acid-type fertilizer. But don’t fertilize your Japonica camellias until after they finish blooming next month. Doing that while camellias are in bloom may cause them to drop unopened buds.

* Clean up leaves and debris around your newly pruned roses and shrubs. Put down fresh mulch or bark to keep roots cozy.

* Divide daylilies, Shasta daisies and other perennials.

* Cut back and divide chrysanthemums.

Contact Us

Send us a gardening question, a post suggestion or information about an upcoming event.  sacdigsgardening@gmail.com

Taste Spring! E-cookbook

Strawberries

Find our spring recipes here!

Taste Summer! E-cookbook

square-tomatoes-plate.jpg

Find our summer recipes here!

Taste Fall! E-cookbook

Muffins and pumpkin

Find our fall recipes here!