Sacramento Digs Gardening: Dig In: Garden checklist for week of July 19

Keep an eye on squash in the heat. That pattypan squash could be the size of a salad plate in no time at all. (Photo: Kathy Morrison)

Heat is normal for mid July; take advantage of coming cooldown

Mid July represents the peak of Sacramento heat. The next three weeks average higher temperatures than any other time of the year -- including afternoon highs of 94 degrees.

This week also held a milestone. The hottest day in Sacramento history -- a scorching 114 degrees -- was recorded on July 17, 1925, just 95 years ago.

So what are we complaining about? With a spike here and there, recent July weather has been totally normal. Expect another mild spike this weekend before several days in the low 90s or cooler.

It's time to get things done:

* Keep your vegetable garden watered, mulched and weeded. Water before 8 a.m. to reduce the chance of fungal infection and to conserve moisture.

* Water, then fertilize vegetables and blooming annuals, perennials and shrubs to give them a boost. Feeding flowering plants every other week will extend their season. Bone meal and other fertilizers high in phosphates will help stimulate bloom.

* Give tomatoes a deep watering two to three times a week. Harvest vegetables promptly to encourage plants to produce more. Squash especially tends to grow rapidly in hot weather. Keep an eye on zucchini.

*Pinch off blooms from basil so the plant will grow more leaves.

* For late summer color, put in petunias, snapdragons, zinnias and marigolds as transplants.

* From seed, plant corn, pumpkins, radishes, winter squash and sunflowers.

CHECKLIST FOR THE WEEK

Your weekly checklist of activities in the garden.

Keywords:

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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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