Sacramento Digs Gardening: Dig In: Garden checklist for week of Sept. 2

Break out the seeds for fall vegetables, and don't forget to plant California poppies, too. You'll be glad you did.
(Photo: Kathy Morrison)

September starts a season of garden renewal; plant winter vegetables now

A new month and almost a new season: September brings renewed enthusiasm to Sacramento gardeners.

Weather tends to be cooler, particularly at night and early morning. It puts a little more bounce back in plants, and more bounce in gardeners’ steps.

Average Sacramento high for September is 87 degrees; overnight lows remain relatively warm with an average of 56 degrees. That range represents a sweet spot for planting fall and winter vegetables as well as flowers for spring. It’s also an ideal time for transplanting shrubs and perennials.

Need ideas? Here are some suggestions:

* Before planting, cultivate and add compost to the soil to replenish its nutrients for fall and winter vegetables and flowers.

* Plant onions, lettuce, peas, radishes, turnips, beets, carrots, bok choy, spinach and potatoes directly into the vegetable beds.

Divide peonies now for more blooms
in the spring. (Photo: Debbie Arrington)

* Transplant cabbage, broccoli, kale, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower as well as lettuce seedlings.

* Sow seeds of California poppies, clarkia and African daisies.

* Transplant cool-weather annuals such as pansies, violas, fairy primroses, calendulas, stocks and snapdragons.

* Divide and replant bulbs, rhizomes and perennials. Bearded irises should be divided every three to five years.

* Dig up and divide daylilies as they complete their bloom cycle.

* Divide and transplant peonies that have become overcrowded. Replant with “eyes” about an inch below the soil surface.

CHECKLIST FOR THE WEEK

Your weekly checklist of activities in the garden.

Keywords:

cole crops seeds fall planting gardening peonies Sacramento annuals cool weather daylilies garden chores perennials

Newsletter Subscription

Sacramento Digs Gardening to your inbox.

Taste Spring! E-cookbook

Find our spring recipes here!

Local News

Thanks to our sponsor!

Sites We Like

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.

Taste Summer! E-cookbook

Find our summer recipes here!

Taste Fall! E-cookbook

Find our fall recipes here!

Taste Winter! E-cookbook

Find our winter recipes here!