Calendar is packed with gardening and related events
The outdoors is calling. It may not be this nice to hike at Deer Creek Hills Preserve, but it should be clear. PHOTO COURTESY SACRAMENTO VALLEY CONSERVANCY
Yes, we will see the sun again.
The clouds that have taken up seemingly permanent residence in the region are expected to move along, leaving clear skies by Saturday, just in time for a plethora of outdoor events. (The gray ceiling is due back Sunday, but a certain football game dominates that day, so not much else is scheduled.)
If you haven't yet decided how to spend this clear but cold day, here are a few suggestions:
-- 13th Annual Biodiversity Museum Day at UC Davis, generally from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, but times vary depending on the site. Ten of the collections on campus will be open (follow this link for the schedule and a map) for viewing and special programs, with many appealing to children and young adults. The attraction for gardeners will be the events in the Habitat Gardens near the Teaching Nursery from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.. Here's what planners say: "We’re featuring Climate-Ready Gardening tips and activities for all ages! We’re excited to share how you can make a big impact in your garden and in our local landscapes!"
-- Bird Walk, Soil Born Farms, 2140 Chase Drive, Rancho Cordova. 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. Cost is $15, which benefits the American River Ranch Restoration & Development Fund. Naturalist Cliff Hawley leads the walk around Soil Born's American River Ranch. Suitable for beginning and intermediate birders. Register here.
-- Effie Yeaw Nature Center, inside Ancil Hoffman Park, 2850 San Lorenzo Way (off Tarshes Drive), Carmichael. The center is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day but Monday. Admission is free but there is a county fee for parking. The trails, which are open from dawn to dusk, should have dried out enough to enjoy a walk through the area, which is a local treasure. More details here.
-- Deer Creek Hills Preserve, Saturday trail hikes. One of the largest nature preserves in the Sacramento region, this site near Sloughhouse in eastern Sacramento County is open only on select days. From February through May, Saturday hours are 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Taking a self-guided hike on one of three trail options requires pre-registration by 6 p.m. Friday. $10 fee. (Shortest loop must be started by 11:30 a.m., others must be started earlier.) Details can be found here.
-- And of course, Open Garden Day, 9 a.m. to noon, at the Sacramento master gardeners' Fair Oaks Horticulture Center, 11549 Fair Oaks Blvd., Fair Oaks. Read more in our earlier blog post.
If you're not ready to venture outdoors this weekend, there are still plenty of activities for gardeners. Check out all the listings for Saturday on our Calendar, including classes on growing blueberries or growing flowers, workshops on seed starting, and the textile show and sale at the Shepard Center.
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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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