Dig In: Garden checklist for week of March 30

April showers bring May flowers – and a last chance to add to our summer water supply.

Sacramento averages 1.15 inches in April, and we’ll likely get most of it this coming week.

March ends on a damp note with rain forecast Sunday and Monday with more precipitation to start April.

According to the National Weather Service, incoming storm systems are expected to drop up to a half inch on Sacramento between Sunday and Tuesday. Foothill communities could see 2 or more inches during that period.

During and after the rain, temperatures will linger in the low 60s with overnight lows dipping into the 40s; that’s definitely not tomato weather!

By Friday, sunny skies and a spring-like 68 degrees are expected. Average for April in Sacramento: Highs of 71 degrees and lows of 46.

Your garden doesn’t mind April showers. Get busy now to enjoy those future flowers.

* Get ready to swing into action in the vegetable garden. As nights warm up over 50 degrees, start setting out tomato, pepper and eggplant transplants.

* 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.

* Transplant lettuce and cabbage seedlings.

* 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.