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Checklist for the Week Articles

Sat, May 02, 2026

Dig In: Garden checklist for week of May 3

After brief cool-down, spring gardening kicks into high gear.

Sat, Apr 18, 2026

Dig In: Garden checklist for week of April 19

April’s roller-coaster weather continues with another storm coming soon

Sat, Apr 11, 2026

Dig In: Garden checklist for week of April 12

Spring thunderstorms and colder temperatures remind us: April can be unpredictable

Sat, Apr 04, 2026

Dig In: Garden checklist for week of April 5

Get ready for more April showers – and warm weather

Sat, Mar 21, 2026

Dig In: Garden checklist for week of March 22

OK, plant some tomatoes; March heat wave continues for another week

Sat, Mar 07, 2026

Dig In: Garden checklist for week of March 8

Winter? Windy and warm weather signals early spring

Sat, Feb 21, 2026

Dig In: Garden checklist for the week of Feb. 22

Unsettled weather leads to roller-coaster temperatures, but spring-like days are coming soon.

Sat, Feb 14, 2026

Dig In: Garden checklist for week of Feb. 15

After dry Valentine’s Day, prepare for big (and cold) storm ahead

Sat, Feb 07, 2026

Dig In: Garden checklist for week of Feb. 8

Rain is on the way; get ready for a soggy Valentine’s weekend

Sat, Jan 31, 2026

Dig In: Garden checklist for week of Feb. 1

February weather starts off normal – good for gardening!

Sat, Jan 17, 2026

Dig In: Garden checklist for week of Jan. 18

Foggy mornings follow slightly warmer afternoons (but no rain)

Sat, Jan 10, 2026

Dig In: Garden checklist for week of Jan. 11

Sunny afternoons follow chilly nights and foggy mornings

Sat, Jan 03, 2026

Dig In: Garden checklist for week of Jan. 4

New year starts soggy; watch out for saturated soil

Sat, Dec 27, 2025

Dig In: Garden checklist for week of Dec. 28

Final days of 2025 offer break from rain, return of fog

Sat, Dec 13, 2025

Dig In: Garden checklist for week of Dec. 14

When will fog end – and rain return? Change is coming soon to Sacramento

Sat, Nov 29, 2025

Dig In: Garden checklist for week of Nov. 30

November ends on a chilly note, but sun is coming soon

Sat, Nov 15, 2025

Dig In: Garden checklist for week of Nov. 16

Soggy change of season can saturate landscapes

Sat, Nov 08, 2025

Dig In: Garden checklist for week of Nov. 9

Leaf season is upon us – and more storms are coming soon

Sat, Nov 01, 2025

Dig In: Garden checklist for week of Nov. 2

New month brings colder, wetter weather; be prepared.

Sat, Oct 25, 2025

Dig In: Garden checklist for week of Oct. 26

After damp start, Sacramento turns warm and sunny for Halloween week

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Taste Spring! E-cookbook

Strawberries

Find our spring recipes here!

Garden checklist for week of May 10

Take it easy during that high heat – then get to work! Your garden is calling.

* Remember to irrigate your tender transplants. Seedlings need consistent moisture. Deep watering will help build strong roots and healthy plants. Water early in the morning for best results.

* Plant, plant, plant! It’s prime planting season in the Sacramento area. Time to set out those tomato transplants along with peppers and eggplants. Pinch off any flowers on new transplants to make them concentrate on establishing roots instead of setting premature fruit.

* Direct-seed melons, cucumbers, summer squash, corn, radishes, pumpkins and annual herbs such as basil.

* Harvest cabbage, lettuce, peas and green onions.

* In the flower garden, direct-seed sunflowers, cosmos, salvia, zinnias, marigolds, celosia and asters. (You also can transplant seedlings for many of the same flowers.)

* Plant dahlia tubers. Other perennials to set out include verbena, coreopsis, coneflower and astilbe.

* Transplant petunias, marigolds and perennial flowers such as astilbe, columbine, coneflowers, coreopsis, dahlias, rudbeckia and verbena.

* Keep an eye out for slugs, snails, earwigs and aphids that want to dine on tender new growth.

* Feed summer bloomers with a balanced fertilizer.

* For continued bloom, cut off spent flowers on roses as well as other flowering plants.

* Put your veggie garden on a regular diet. Set up a monthly feeding program, and keep track on your calendar. Make sure to water your garden before applying any fertilizer to prevent “burning” your plants.

* As spring-flowering shrubs finish blooming, give them a little pruning to shape them, removing old and dead wood. Lightly trim azaleas, fuchsias and marguerites for bushier plants.

* Don’t forget to weed! Those invaders are growing fast.

Contact Us

Send us a gardening question, a post suggestion or information about an upcoming event.  sacdigsgardening@gmail.com

Taste Summer! E-cookbook

square-tomatoes-plate.jpg

Find our summer recipes here!

Taste Fall! E-cookbook

Muffins and pumpkin

Find our fall recipes here!

Taste Winter! E-cookbook

Lemon coconut pancakes

Find our winter recipes here!

Food in My Back Yard (FIMBY) Series

Lessons learned during a year of edible gardening

WINTER

Is edible gardening possible indoors?

Hints for choosing tomato seeds

Starting in seed starting

Why winter is the perfect time to plant fruit trees

When to plant? Consider staggering your transplants

How to squeeze more food into less space

Potatoes from the garden

Plant a fruit tree now -- for later

Win the weed war by tackling them in winter

Tips for planting bare-root trees, shrubs and vegetables

Time to give vegetable seedlings some more space

Ways to win the fight against weeds

FALL

Dec. 16: Add asparagus to your edible garden

Dec. 9: Soggy soil and what to do about it

Dec. 2: Plant artichokes now; enjoy for years to come

Nov. 25: It's late November, and your peach tree needs spraying

Nov. 18: What to do with all those fallen leaves?

Nov. 11: Prepare now for colder weather in the edible garden

Nov. 4: Plant a pea patch for you and your garden

Oct. 27: As citrus season begins, advice for backyard growers

Oct. 20: Change is in the autumn air 

Oct. 13: We don't talk (enough) about beets

Oct. 6: Fava beans do double duty

Sept. 30: Seeds or transplants for cool-season veggies?

Sept. 23: How to prolong the fall tomato harvest 

SUMMER

Sept. 16: Time to shut it down? 

Sept. 9: How to get the most out of your pumpkin patch

Sept. 2: Summer-to-fall transition time for evaluation, planning

Aug. 26: To pick or not to pick those tomatoes?

Aug. 19: Put worms to work for you

Aug. 12: Grow food while saving water

Aug. 5: Enhance your food with edible flowers

July 29: Why won't my tomatoes turn red?

July 22: A squash plant has mosaic virus, and it's not pretty

July 15: Does this plant need water?

July 8: Tear out that sad plant or baby it? Midsummer decisions

July 1: How to grow summer salad greens

June 24:  Weird stuff that's perfectly normal

SPRING

June 17: Help pollinators help your garden

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