Sacramento County master gardeners hold Open Garden Day
View the lavender plants in bloom and learn about herbal aromas as part of a busy Open Garden Day this Saturday, May 9, at the Fair Oaks Horticulture Center. Kathy Morrison
Thunderstorms, strong winds and a 30-degree swing in temperature; what could go wrong? When it comes to edible gardening, a lot!
Fortunately, Sacramento-area gardeners have a fantastic resource available to answer all sorts of questions during this spring’s weird, wacky weather: the UC Master Gardener Program.
This Saturday, May 9, the Sacramento County master gardeners will be out in force during their monthly Open Garden Day at the Fair Oaks Horticulture Center. It’s an opportunity for the public to watch and learn from the master gardeners working in their demonstration gardens.
“In this informal event, master gardeners will be available on site from 9 a.m. to noon, rain or shine,” say the hosts. “Bring samples of your problem plants, bagged insects and questions to the ‘Ask the Master Gardeners’ information table. Get one-on-one advice based on the most recent research-based sustainable practices.”
Master gardeners will be stationed throughout FOHC, demonstrating various and timely tasks such as thinning fruit in the orchard or tending to new tomato plants. Visit the compost area to see how the master gardeners recycle clippings into garden gold. Other featured sections include grapes, berries and herbs.
Three mini talks are scheduled during the morning:
-- 9:45 a.m. "The Flavor Garden: Understanding Herbal Aromas." In the Lower Arbor.
-- 10:30 a.m. "COMPOST! Feed the Soil That Feeds Us." Upper Arbor.
-- 11:15 a.m. "Preparing Your Garden for Heat." Lower Arbor
Also, don’t miss the WEL (water-efficient landscape) display garden with many low-water natives now in bloom and buzzing with pollinator activity.
Plan on arriving early; Saturday is going to get hot. Saturday’s forecast calls for highs in the low 90s as temperatures spike. (How will that impact your newly transplanted veggies? Ask the master gardeners!) Dress in layers and wear a hat and sunscreen.
The Fair Oaks Horticulture Center is located at 11549 Fair Oaks Blvd., Fair Oaks, south of Madison Avenue and Fair Oaks Park. Admission and parking are free. No pets, please.
Details and directions: https://ucanr.edu/site/uc-master-gardeners-sacramento-county
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Flowers in My Back Yard Series
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June 30: Agapanthus adds blue fireworks to the garden
June 23: Easy-care gazanias fill those hot corners
June 16: Daylilies are perfect for water-wise gardens (and a lot more)
June 9: Grow coneflowers for pollinators -- and yourself
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May 5: Mums the word on Mother's Day weekend
April 28: Majestic Matilija poppy is worth a look
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Garden checklist for week of Aug. 16
During this break in the heat, feed your garden. Make sure to water before and after applying fertilizer.
* In the garden, direct seed beets, carrots, leaf lettuce and turnips.
* Plant potatoes.
* Harvest tomatoes, beans, squash, pepper and eggplants to prompt plants to keep producing. Give your plants a deep watering twice a week, more if planted in containers. Also, give them a boost with phosphate-rich fertilizer to help fruiting.
* Watch out for caterpillars and hornworms in the vegetable garden. They can strip a plant bare in one day. Pick them off plants by hand in early morning or late afternoon.
* Feed citrus trees their last round of fertilizer for the year. This will give a boost to the fruit that’s still small.
* Mulch can be your garden’s best friend – it conserves moisture while blocking out weeds. But don't let mulch mound around stalks, stems or trunks. That can promote rot.
* Camellia leaves looking a little yellow? Give them some chelated iron. That goes for azaleas and gardenias, too.
* Pick up after your fruit trees. Clean up debris and dropped fruit; this cuts down on insects and prevents the spread of brown rot. Then feed fruit trees with slow-release fertilizer for better production for next year.
* To prolong bloom into fall, feed begonias, fuchsias and container plants. Always water before fertilizing.
* Fertilize fall-blooming perennials, too. Chrysanthemums can be fed until the buds start to open.
* Prepare for a fall full of flowers by paying a little extra attention to your garden. Cut off spent blooms from roses, annuals and perennials, then give them a boost of fertilizer. Make sure to water plants before feeding. Roses will rebloom about six to eight weeks after deadheading.
* Indoors, start seedlings for fall vegetable planting, including bunching onion, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, radicchio and lettuce.
* Sow seeds of perennials in pots for fall planting including yarrow, coneflower and salvia.
Contact Us
Send us a gardening question, a post suggestion or information about an upcoming event. sacdigsgardening@gmail.com
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
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
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
Add asparagus to your edible garden
Soggy soil and what to do about it
Plant artichokes now; enjoy for years to come
It's late November, and your peach tree needs spraying
What to do with all those fallen leaves?
Prepare now for colder weather in the edible garden
Plant a pea patch for you and your garden
As citrus season begins, advice for backyard growers
We don't talk (enough) about beets
Seeds or transplants for cool-season veggies?
How to prolong the fall tomato harvest
SUMMER
How to get the most out of your pumpkin patch
Summer-to-fall transition time for evaluation, planning
To pick or not to pick those tomatoes?
Enhance your food with edible flowers
Why won't my tomatoes turn red?
A squash plant has mosaic virus, and it's not pretty
Tear out that sad plant or baby it? Midsummer decisions
How to grow summer salad greens
Weird stuff that's perfectly normal
SPRING
Help pollinators help your garden
Battling early-season tomato pests
Where are the bees when you need them?
How to help tomatoes thrive on hot days
Your plants can tell you more than any calendar can
Maintain soil moisture with mulch for garden success
What's (already) wrong with my tomato plants?
Should you stock up on fertilizer? (Yes!)
Grow culinary herbs in containers
When to plant summer vegetables
Don't be fooled by these garden myths
Fertilizer tips: How to 'feed' your vegetables for healthy growth
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