But it's only good enough for second place as Minnesota mega-gourd breaks world record at championship weigh-off
Fall brings shorter days, but still hints of summer. Celebrate with more than 60 seasonal recipes
Recipe: Chilies, cumin flavor a double-duty sauce
Much cooler temperatures coming soon; plant now!
ARS conference in Sacramento features huge rose show; plus hear Debbie talk roses and horses
From Woodland to Placerville, plenty of possibilities -- and a propagation workshop, too
Annual festival celebrates humongous gourds and family fun
Free community party features food, music, shopping and family fun
More than 30 clubs and vendors will offer wide range of plants, crafts, garden stuff and more.
Recipe: Fresh apple muffins with vanilla yogurt.
Light rain, cool temperatures and warm soil create great conditions for planting fall garden.
Patches are now open at local nurseries with thousands of possibilities; what to look for when pumpkin shopping.
Yolo master gardeners also to present garden talk, plant sale soon
Pumpkin contests, workshops and games are part of garden fun for the whole family
Get water-wise favorites and California natives in time for fall planting.
Sacramento show highlights floral freedom of expression
Spiced coffee cake an ideal treat for early-fall breakfast
Autumn starts on cool side – with a chance of rain coming soon
Eradication efforts underway to stop the spread of this highly destructive pest
Advice for the vegetable garden, orchard, roses -- and late-summer produce
Sacramento Digs Gardening to your inbox.
Food in My Back Yard Series
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
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Garden Checklist for week of March 9
Make the most of the sunny days before the rain arrives mid-week; your garden needs some TLC.
* Pull weeds now! Don’t let them get started. Take a hoe and whack them as soon as they sprout.
* Start preparing 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 starting to bloom. 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; organic fertilizers tend to have lower numbers, such as 4-4-4).
* Prune and fertilize spring-flowering shrubs and trees after they bloom. Try using well-composted manure, spread 1-inch thick under the tree. 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.
* 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.
* Soil pH is important for blueberries to produce a crop. Now is the time to test the soil around the plants using a soil test or soil meter. The soil should be in the 4.5 to 5.5 range; most Sacramento soil is in the 7 range. The sulfur package will list the amount to apply, depending on what the test shows.
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