Sacramento forecast calls for three days of steady rain
Get that rake busy, especially if there are leaves in the gutter or up around the stems or trunks of dormant trees, shrubs and perennials. (But leave a least some of the leaves on open ground for insects and as weed-smothering mulch.) Kathy Morrison
Get ready for rain – for real, this time.
According to the National Weather Service, Northern California should expect three days of steady rain, coming soon. Sacramento could get 2 to 3 inches with this storm starting late Sunday night. For Monday and Tuesday, the weather service forecasts “definite rain showers and thunderstorms.”
Rain is expected to continue through Wednesday evening, tapering off through the day.
We need it. So far, December has yielded only 0.65 inches of rain in Sacramento. Normal for this month: 3.25 inches.
Temperatures will be on the mild side with highs hovering around 60 degrees each day. Overnight lows will be comparatively warm – 54 degrees on Tuesday and 52 on Wednesday. Sacramento’s average high for December is 54 degrees.
Those warmer-than-average temperatures reflect the origin of this winter storm; this is a slow-moving Pacific system coming from the west, not the north.
Tackle garden chores before the rain arrives. Afterwards, your landscape likely will be pretty soggy.
* Thursday is the first official day of winter and the shortest day of the year. After the soil dries a bit, it'll be a great time to plant garlic and onions for harvest in summer.
* Rake leaves away from gutters and storm drains.
* Prune non-flowering trees and shrubs while they're dormant.
* Clean and sharpen garden tools before storing for the winter.
* Move poinsettias indoors and out of the rain. Keep them in a bright and warm location.
* Rake and remove dead leaves and stems from dormant perennials.
* Just because it rained doesn't mean every plant got watered. Give a drink to plants that the rain didn't reach, such as under eaves or under evergreen trees.
* Bare-root season is now in full force. Plant bare-root berries, kiwifruit, grapes, artichokes, horseradish and rhubarb. Beware of soggy soil. It can rot bare-root plants. If you have bare-root plants that didn’t get into the ground before the storm, soak their roots in water or pot them up in 1- or 5-gallon containers. Bare-root roses, for example, can be kept in water up to a week.
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Garden Checklist for week of March 16
Make the most of dry breaks between showers. Your garden is in high-growth mode.
* Pull weeds now! Don’t let them get started. Take a hoe and whack them as soon as they sprout.
* Prepare vegetable beds. Spade in compost and other amendments.
* Prune and fertilize spring-flowering shrubs after bloom.
* Feed camellias at the end of their bloom cycle. Pick up browned and fallen flowers to help corral blossom blight.
* Feed citrus trees, which are now in bloom and setting fruit. To prevent sunburn and borer problems on young trees, paint the exposed portion of the trunk with diluted white latex (water-based) interior paint. Dilute the paint with an equal amount of cold water before application.
* Feed roses with a balanced fertilizer (such as 10-10-10, the ratio of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium available in that product).
* Prune and fertilize spring-flowering shrubs and trees after they bloom. Try using well-composted manure, spread 1-inch-thick under the tree (but avoid piling it up around the trunk). This serves as both fertilizer and mulch, retaining moisture while cutting down on weeds.
* Cut back and fertilize perennial herbs to encourage new growth.
* In the vegetable garden, transplant lettuce and cole family plants, such as cauliflower, broccoli, collards and kale.
* Seed chard and beets directly into the ground. (To speed germination, soak beet seeds overnight in room-temperature water before planting.)
* Before the mercury starts inching upward, this is your last chance to plant such annuals as pansies, violas and primroses.
* Plant summer bulbs, including gladiolus, tuberous begonias and callas. Also plant dahlia tubers.
* Shop for perennials. Many varieties are available in local nurseries and at plant events. They can be transplanted now while the weather remains relatively cool.
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