At day-long free event, experts offer advice to inspire spring gardening
Farmer Fred Hoffman will speak on spring gardening at 1 p.m. Saturday. Kathy Morrison
Does spring have your green thumb itching? Or do you need a little inspiration to go along with some expert advice?
Find it Saturday during “Grow Orangevale,” a special event aimed at introducing people of all ages to gardening. Set for Saturday, March 25, the free gardening event will be held at the Orangevale branch of the Sacramento Public Library. As an extra special treat, Farmer Fred Hoffman – host of the popular podcast, “Beyond the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred” – and rose and insect expert Baldo Villegas – Sacramento’s “Bug Man” – will be among the featured speakers.
“There’s no substitute for vegetables harvested from your own yard!” say the organizers. “This will be the topic of the presentations from UC Master Gardeners of Sacramento County. … Whether you have a sunny balcony or a spacious lot, you can enjoy produce grown mere steps from your own back door. Join us for this presentation and other gardening-related programs throughout the day.”
Events will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with something for every gardener from beginner to veteran.
At 10 a.m., start with a community seed and plant swap. Patrons are urged to bring something from their garden – cuttings, seedlings, root divisions, seeds, etc. – and take something home to plant.
At 11:30 a.m., join Jesse Blacksher from the Orangevale Foodbank Farm and Nelson Kirk from the Orangevale Recreation and Park District as they answer your questions about organic gardening and caring for your trees.
That’s followed at noon by a native plant workshop. Colene Rauh from the California Native Plant Society will discuss the ecological importance of native plants in your landscape.
At 1 p.m., Sacramento County master gardener Andi McDonald will discuss the basics of starting and maintaining a home vegetable garden – what, when, and where to plant.
Then at 2 p.m., Farmer Fred – a lifetime master gardener – will present tips on spring gardening. The former radio host also will answer questions.
Rounding out the workshops at 3 p.m. will be Orangevale’s own Baldo Villegas, an award-winning Master Consulting Rosarian. Baldo, who grows thousands of roses at his Orangevale home, will discuss how to grow and care for roses in your landscape. A retired state entomologist, he also will discuss how pests and diseases affect roses and how we can control them.
The Orangevale branch library is located at 8820 Greenback Lane, Suite L, Orangevale.Details: https://sacmg.ucanr.edu/.
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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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