Cool fruity appetizer for a hot summer night
Red-hot start could make July challenging
Find our recipes for summer's luscious produce all in one place
Healthy is better and it's less stressful, too
Celebrate Summer’s luscious flavors with more than five dozen seasonal recipes
Green Acres watering seminars cover drip conversions, technology upgrades and more
With 100-degree days coming soon, these tips will save your plants
Sherwood hosts Open Garden Days; guided tour Saturday
Bread is a greatest hit from the early days of the blog
June ends with a warming trend; triple digits coming soon
Pollinator Week celebrates and supports these crucial workers
At Shepard Center, Sacramento Valley Cymbidium Society offers beautiful plants grown by members
Vegetables and flowers benefit from cooler than average temperatures.
Find great bargains on art and craft supplies, and learn to tie-dye naturally
Amador Flower Farm celebrates peak of season with special event.
NEW Roasted purple potatoes with Provencal herbs
Windy conditions will keep temperatures below average during last days of spring.
Cold spring weather created challenges; how to get your roses looking their best
Bring questions for the master gardeners during morning event
Learn how at free garden talks at all seven Green Acres
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
Local News
Thanks to Our Sponsor!
Sites We Like
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.
Powered by California Local
