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The Claw is (almost) back!

Sacramento's Leaf Season begins Sunday

Sacramento Digs Gardening
BY Debbie Arrington PUBLISHED OCT 27, 2020

The Claw will be back in action in Sacramento starting Sunday.

(Photo courtesy City of Sacramento)

Scraaaaaaaaaaape! That scary sound of metal against concrete will be music to many Sacramento gardeners’ ears.

It’s that time of year again: The return of The Claw!

The day after Halloween, Sacramento officially starts “Leaf Season” and nearly three months of in-street leaf pick-up.

According to Sacramento’s Recycling and Solid Waste Department, The Claw operates Sunday, Nov. 1 through Jan. 24. (And yes, Claw crews work on weekends.)

When will The Claw be on your street? Check SacLeafSmart.org for updated estimates of Claw pick-up schedules. The City also offers a free and handy SacRecycle app for your phone so you can get the latest Claw news anywhere any time.

Some reminders:

Leaf piles can be no bigger than 4 by 4 by 9 feet (and just one per household). Make sure there is space between the pile and the curb so water can flow down the gutter. Also, place the pile at least 6 feet away from cars, boats, basketball hoops or other obstructions. The Claw needs room to maneuver.

Don’t put plastic bags in street piles (including bags full of leaves). And don’t contaminate the leaf pile with trash or dog poop (a common problem).

During leaf season, the City of Sacramento continues to pick up green waste containers. Fill those first before piling leaves in the street, advises the recycling and solid waste department. The containers will get picked up 13 times during Leaf Season while residents can expect seven visits from The Claw.

For more information: SacLeafSmart.org .

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Keywords:

deciduous trees yard waste gardening Sacramento The Claw green waste trees leaf season street piles fall gardening leaves

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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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