Sacramento master gardeners will be on hand to offer advice and tips
The forecast for Saturday is clear and cold, with an excellent chance of fruit tree blossoms at the Fair Oaks Horticulture Center. Kathy Morrison
After the recent stormy weather, gardeners and gardening hopefuls are likely to be anxious to get outside. This Saturday, Feb. 10, should offer the perfect opportunity, as the Fair Oaks Horticulture Center welcomes visitors to Open Garden Day.
The free, informal event, which runs from 9 a.m. to noon, features Sacramento County master gardeners working in the various areas of the Horticulture Center. As visitors stroll through the site, they are encouraged to chat with the master gardeners, ask gardening questions and gather ideas for their own gardens.
The FOHC includes a vineyard, an orchard (including a separate citrus area), an herb garden, vegetable area, a berry garden, composting area and an extensive Water-Efficient Landscape, which features California natives and other plants appropriate for the Sacramento region. The WEL is open every day during daylight hours, but the other areas are open to the public only during Open Garden Days and Harvest Day.
The "Ask a Master Gardener" table will be staffed to evaluate gardening mysteries and view examples of garden problems (leaves, insects and the like -- preferably transported in sealed clear bags).
The master gardeners also will be selling their 2024 Gardening Guide and Calendar, an invaluable resource with a price tag of just $12. It includes planting charts and lists of monthly garden tasks, as well as a wealth of information on creating a wildlife habitat in a home garden.
Mini talks are planned in the different areas of the Horticulture Center during the morning; check the schedule at the entrance for times and topics.
The Fair Oaks Horticulture Center is at 11549 Fair Oaks Blvd., just south of Fair Oaks Park at Madison Avenue and Fair Oaks. Parking is free.
Open Gardens are typically on Saturday mornings, but a few each year are on different days to accommodate other schedules. The remaining winter and spring ones this year are set for March 16, April 17 (a Wednesday), May 11, June 6 (Thursday evening) and June 15. Harvest Day, which is a larger event, is planned for Aug. 3. The year's final Open Gardens will be Sept. 14 and Oct. 16.
For more information on Sacramento County maser gardener activities and events, visit sacmg.ucanr.edu.
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Garden Checklist for week of April 21
This week there’s plenty to keep gardeners busy. With no rain in the immediate forecast, remember to irrigate any new transplants.
* Weed, weed, weed! Get them before they flower and go to seed.
* April is the last chance to plant citrus trees such as dwarf orange, lemon and kumquat. These trees also look good in landscaping and provide fresh fruit in winter.
* Smell orange blossoms? Feed citrus trees with a low dose of balanced fertilizer (such as 10-10-10) during bloom to help set fruit. Keep an eye out for ants.
* Apply slow-release fertilizer to the lawn.
* Thoroughly clean debris from the bottom of outdoor ponds or fountains.
* Spring brings a flush of rapid growth, and that means your garden is really hungry. Feed shrubs and trees with a slow-release fertilizer. Or mulch with a 1-inch layer of compost.
* Azaleas and camellias looking a little yellow? If leaves are turning yellow between the veins, give them a boost with chelated iron.
* Trim dead flowers but not leaves from spring-flowering bulbs such as daffodils and tulips. Those leaves gather energy to create next year's flowers. Also, give the bulbs a fertilizer boost after bloom.
* Pinch chrysanthemums back to 12 inches for fall flowers. Cut old stems to the ground.
* Mulch around plants to conserve moisture and control weeds.
* From seed, plant beans, beets, cantaloupes, carrots, corn, cucumbers, melons, radishes and squash.
* Plant onion sets.
* In the flower garden, plant seeds for asters, cosmos, celosia, marigolds, salvia, sunflowers and zinnias.
* Transplant petunias, zinnias, geraniums and other summer bloomers.
* Plant perennials and dahlia tubers for summer bloom.
* Mid to late April is about the last chance to plant summer bulbs, such as gladiolus and tuberous begonias.
* Transplant lettuce seedlings. Choose varieties that mature quickly such as loose leaf.
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