Tuesday's rain gets new water year off to good start
Tuesday night's rain left reminders behind. We might get more rain next week. In the meantime, dump accumulated rainwater from buckets and plant saucers to prevent mosquitos from breeding there. Kathy Morrison
The answer: A firm maybe.
A refreshing break after last weekend’s 90-degree weather, the rain wasn’t a lot, but it was a start. Sacramento recorded 0.15 inches on Tuesday, almost as much as we get in most Octobers, says the National Weather Service. Next Monday, the weather service predicts a 35% chance of more light rain.
Historically, October in Sacramento averages 0.18 inches for the entire month.
We’re coming off a whopper of a water year. Stretching from Oct. 1 to Sept. 30, our water year is a snapshot of our region’s rain and snow totals. The 2022-23 water year totaled 26.22 inches in Downtown Sacramento; that’s 7.02 inches more than Sacramento’s average for the past 30 years – 36.5% above normal.
Just as important for our water picture, the Sierra also had a bountiful water year. Blue Canyon, for example, recorded 92.09 inches of precipitation, way up from its average of 62.44.
Prospects of another wet winter are good. Warm water in the Pacific Ocean likely will fuel an El Niño weather system. El Niño systems typically soak California in mid to late winter.
But not always; some El Niño winters deliver a lot of storms to Southern California but not necessarily that much rain north of Fresno.
To be on the safe side, Sacramento-area gardeners and farmers should be prepared for more wet and cold conditions this winter. Dig up bulbs and tubers that could rot if left in the ground. Have frost protection ready to go early for tender plants. Don’t expect Christmas tomatoes; a cold November could prevent ripening.
According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, the Central Valley can expect another wet winter plus some chilly nights. But most of our rain will arrive after the New Year.
“A strong El Niño means winter will be wetter than normal, with above-normal mountain snow,” the Almanac says in its 2023-24 winter forecast. “The stormiest, wettest periods will be in early and late January, early to mid-February, and mid-March. There will be a white Christmas across the Sierra Nevada mountains, but not in the valleys or along the coast.”
Expect some frost, too, maybe before Thanksgiving.
“Winter will be colder than normal throughout the region,” the Almanac predicted. “The coldest temperatures will occur in early and late November, early and late December, and late January.”
For more on Sacramento weather: https://www.weather.gov/sto/
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Garden Checklist for week of Jan. 19
Dress warmly in layers – and get to work:
* Apply horticultural oil to fruit trees to control scale, mites and aphids. Oils need 24 hours of dry weather after application to be effective.
* This is also the time to spray a copper-based oil to peach and nectarine trees to fight leaf curl. The safest effective fungicides available for backyard trees are copper soap -- aka copper octanoate -- or copper ammonium, a fixed copper fungicide. Apply either of these copper products with 1% horticultural oil to increase effectiveness.
* 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. Clean up leaves and debris around the trees to prevent the spread of disease. (The exceptions are apricot and cherry trees, which are susceptible to a fungus that causes dieback if pruned now. Save those until summer.)
* 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.
* Clean up leaves and debris around your newly pruned roses and shrubs. Put down fresh mulch or bark to keep roots cozy.
* When forced bulbs sprout, move them to a cool, bright window. Give them a quarter turn each day so the stems will grow straight.
* Browse through seed catalogs and start making plans for spring and summer.
* Divide daylilies, Shasta daisies and other perennials.
* Cut back and divide chrysanthemums.
* Plant bare-root roses, trees and shrubs.
* 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.
* In the bulb department, plant callas, anemones, ranunculus and gladioli for bloom from late spring into summer.
* Plant blooming azaleas, camellias and rhododendrons. If you’re shopping for these beautiful landscape plants, you can now find them in full flower at local nurseries.
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