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Zoom in on 'Totally Tomatoes'

Placer County master gardeners offer free workshop on favorite crop

Tomatoes of many colors on a green plate
Dreaming of summer and a crop like this? Learn about growing tomatoes during a Zoom session
Saturday with the Placer County master gardeners. (Photo: Kathy Morrison)

It may be only February, but Sacramento gardeners have one summer crop on their collective mind: Tomatoes!

What would you expect in the Big Tomato?

To get ready for the tomato season ahead, the UC Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners of Placer County will host a special Zoom workshop: “Totally Tomatoes.”

Set for 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 13, this free online seminar will include something for every tomato grower, from newbie to seasoned veteran.

Now is the time to start tomato seeds indoors, so the young plants will be ready for outdoor transplanting in spring. Get valuable pointers about starting seed, variety selection and how to grow your best harvest ever.

No advance registration is necessary. Find everything you need including Zoom link and pass code at:
http://pcmg.ucanr.org/?calitem=495618&g=123640

On that webpage, you’ll also find links to these handy publications: UC Department of Agriculture and Natural Resource’s “Growing Tomatoes in the Home Garden”; specific home-garden tomato tips for Placer and Nevada counties; and master gardener seed-saving tips (which go way beyond tomatoes).

Placer County master gardeners have a full schedule of winter-early spring workshops via Zoom. Upcoming subjects: “Planning Your Summer Vegetable Garden” (Feb. 27); “From Bambi to Thumper” (managing deer, rabbits and other vertebrate pests, March 13); and “Growing Citrus in the Foothills” (March 27).

For details and links: http://pcmg.ucanr.org/

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Garden Checklist for week of May 5

Survey your garden after the May 4 rainstorm. Heavy rain and gusty winds can break the neck of large flowers such as roses. Also:

* Keep an eye on new transplants or seedlings; they could take a pounding from the rain.

* Watch out for powdery mildew. Warmth following moist conditions can cause this fungal disease to “bloom,” too. If you see a leaf that looks like it’s dusted with powdered sugar, snip it off.

* After the storm, start setting out tomato transplants, but wait on the peppers and eggplants (they want warmer nights). Pinch off any flowers on new transplants to make them concentrate on establishing roots instead of setting premature fruit.

* 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, pumpkins, 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.

* Don’t wait; plant summer bulbs, such as gladiolus and tuberous begonias.

* Harvest cabbage, lettuce, peas and green onions.

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