Dig In: Garden checklist for week of May 10

Put away that umbrella – and grab some sunscreen. Summer-like heat (and sun) is in our immediate forecast with the hottest days of 2026 (so far) expected soon.

According to the National Weather Service, Sacramento will see temperatures spike into the high 90s on Monday and Tuesday (May 11 and 12). Some areas may even flirt with triple digits, far above May’s average high of 80 degrees.

But this early summer-like heat won’t hang around, says the weather service. By Wednesday, Sacramento’s afternoon high will be down to a much more seasonal 82 degrees. We’ll stay in the low 80s for the rest of the week – making for some great gardening weather.

Overnight lows are warmer, too, dipping down to only 55 degrees most nights this week. Combined with those hot days, soil also is getting warmer – just what young tomato plants need.

Take it easy during that high heat – then get to work! Your garden is calling.

* Remember to irrigate your tender transplants. 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 cabbage, 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. Other perennials to set out include verbena, coreopsis, coneflower and astilbe.

* Transplant petunias, marigolds and perennial flowers such as astilbe, columbine, coneflowers, coreopsis, dahlias, 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.