Rain will dampen gardening plans, keep soil wet
It's wet and there's another month of winter ahead of us, yet tiny buds signaling next year's orange crop already are forming on a Washington navel orange tree. Kathy Morrison
February’s rainy streak continues as Northern California is in the midst of another set of atmospheric rivers.
The first storm arrived Saturday (Feb. 17) and will stick around through early Sunday morning, says the National Weather Service. Sacramento can expect about a half inch of rain as most of the moisture will likely end up as Sierra snow. Originating in the mid-Pacific, this is a warm storm; local temperatures will be relatively warm, too, with afternoon highs in the lows 60s and overnight lows in the 50s.
Watch out for falling trees and branches! This rain is expected to be accompanied by gusty winds, up to 45 mph in the Sacramento area. With so much wet soil, trees weakened by drought may be uprooted.
Wait, there’s more! A second stronger storm will quickly follow this first wave. It’s now expected to arrive Sunday afternoon and slowly creep over Northern California for three days. “Definite rain showers and thunderstorms,” reads the weather service forecast from 4 p.m. Sunday through 3 p.m. Tuesday.
There goes the long Presidents Day weekend.
The second storm will make Saturday’s rain seem like sprinkles. NWS estimates that downtown Sacramento will total 3.14 inches from these two storms by Wednesday night.
That moisture will keep soil very wet; to avoid compressing soil don't walk on it or work in the garden. Don’t dig until all this water has a chance to soak in.
When you do get outside, concentrate on damage control.
* Keep storm drains and gutters clear of debris.
* Clean up tree debris knocked down by wind and rain.
* Where did the water flow in your garden? Make notes where revisions are necessary.
* Are any trees leaning? See disturbances in the ground or lawn around their base? Time to call an arborist before the tree topples.
* Dump excess water out of pots.
* Indoors, start peppers, tomatoes and eggplant from seed.
* Lettuce and other greens also can be started indoors from seed.
* Got bare-root plants? Put their roots in a bucket of water until outdoor soil dries out. Or pot them up in 1- or 5-gallon containers. In April, transplant the plant, rootball and all, into the garden.
* Browse garden websites and catalogs. It’s not too late to order for spring and summer.
* Show your indoor plants some love. Dust leaves and mist to refresh.
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Food in My Back Yard Series
June 10: Battling early-season tomato pests
June 3: Make your own compost
May 27: Where are the bees when you need them?
May 20: How to help tomatoes thrive on hot days
May 13: Your plants can tell you more than any calendar can
May 6: Maintain soil moisture with mulch for garden success
April 29: What's (already) wrong with my tomato plants?
April 22: Should you stock up on fertilizer? (Yes!)
April 15: Grow culinary herbs in containers
April 8: When to plant summer vegetables
April 1: Don't be fooled by these garden myths
March 25: Fertilizer tips: How to 'feed' your vegetables for healthy growth
March 18: Time to give vegetable seedlings some more space
March 11: Ways to win the fight against weeds
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 June 8
Get out early to enjoy those nice mornings. There’s plenty to keep gardeners busy:
* Warm weather brings rapid growth in the vegetable garden, with tomatoes and squash enjoying the heat. Deep-water, then feed with a balanced fertilizer. Bone meal or rock phosphate can spur the bloom cycle and help set fruit.
* Generally, tomatoes need deep watering two to three times a week, but don’t let them dry out completely. Inconsistent soil moisture can encourage blossom-end rot.
* It’s not too late to transplant tomatoes, peppers or eggplant.
* From seed, plant corn, melons, pumpkins, radishes, squash and sunflowers.
* Plant basil to go with your tomatoes.
* Transplant summer annuals such as petunias, marigolds and zinnias.
* It’s also a good time to transplant perennial flowers including astilbe, columbine, coneflowers, coreopsis, dahlias, rudbeckia, salvia and verbena.
* Feed camellias, azaleas and other acid-loving plants. Mulch to conserve moisture and reduce heat stress.
* Cut back Shasta daisies after flowering to encourage a second bloom in the fall.
* Trim off dead flowers from rose bushes to keep them blooming through the summer. Roses also benefit from deep watering and feeding now. A top dressing of aged compost will keep them happy. It feeds as well as keeps roots moist.
* Pinch back chrysanthemums for bushier plants with many more flowers in September.
* Tie up vines and stake tall plants such as gladiolus and lilies. That gives their heavy flowers some support.
* Dig and divide crowded bulbs after the tops have died down.
* Feed summer flowers with a slow-release fertilizer.
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