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Learn about native plants, lawn removal

El Dorado, Placer master gardeners offer workshops

California flannel bush is an attractive California native plant that requires no summer watering once established.

California flannel bush is an attractive California native plant that requires no summer watering once established. Kathy Morrison

With the fall plant sale season starting up, this is a great time to learn about landscaping with California natives.

The El Dorado County master gardeners will present a free “Native Plants” class this Saturday, Sept. 17, from 9  a.m. to noon at the Sherwood Demonstration Garden.

Master gardener Alice Cantelow will teach interested folks how to choose and add colorful, easy-care native plants to their gardens. And there are so many benefits: Natives attract wildlife and pollinators, and they require less water and fertilizers than non-natives.

The Sherwood Demonstration Garden is at 6699 Campus Drive in Placerville. It incorporates 16 individual theme gardens. With the pleasant weather we’re experiencing this week, the garden would be a lovely place to visit; this Friday, Sept. 16, it will be open to the public from 9 a.m. to noon.

For more information on the natives class, the Sherwood garden, or other El Dorado master gardener activities, go to https://mgeldorado.ucanr.edu/

The Placer County master gardeners, meanwhile, at 10:30 a.m. this Saturday will offer a free “Lawn Replacement Workshop” class at the Loomis Library, 6050 Library Drive, Loomis. 

A similar class, “Lawn Removal,” will be offered at the Roseville Utility Exploration Center, 1501 Pleasant Grove Blvd., at 10 a.m. Oct. 8. Pre-registration is required, however. Cost for this workshop is $5 for residents, $6 for non-residents.

Find more information on Placer County master gardener events at https://pcmg.ucanr.org/

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Garden Checklist for week of April 21

This week there’s plenty to keep gardeners busy. With no rain in the immediate forecast, remember to irrigate any new transplants.

* Weed, weed, weed! Get them before they flower and go to seed.

* April is the last chance to plant citrus trees such as dwarf orange, lemon and kumquat. These trees also look good in landscaping and provide fresh fruit in winter.

* Smell orange blossoms? Feed citrus trees with a low dose of balanced fertilizer (such as 10-10-10) during bloom to help set fruit. Keep an eye out for ants.

* Apply slow-release fertilizer to the lawn.

* Thoroughly clean debris from the bottom of outdoor ponds or fountains.

* Spring brings a flush of rapid growth, and that means your garden is really hungry. Feed shrubs and trees with a slow-release fertilizer. Or mulch with a 1-inch layer of compost.

* Azaleas and camellias looking a little yellow? If leaves are turning yellow between the veins, give them a boost with chelated iron.

* 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, 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.

* Mid to late April is about the last chance to plant summer bulbs, such as gladiolus and tuberous begonias.

* Transplant lettuce seedlings. Choose varieties that mature quickly such as loose leaf.

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