Dig In: Garden checklist for week of March 29

Editor’s note: Due to a mis-typed date, Thursday’s blog post did not go out in our daily newsletter. The information from that post, on several upcoming garden tours, is repeated today below the checklist.

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Our summer-like temperatures continue this early spring weekend, but change is in the air.

According to the National Weather Service, Sacramento can expect a weekend of more record-nudging temperatures with highs in the mid 80s including 86 degrees on Sunday, March 29. That’s nearly 20 degrees above average; normal for this last week of March is 67 degrees.

Monday starts a cooldown with possible rain moving in Tuesday night. The current forecast pegs Wednesday with a 50-50 chance of showers, says the weather service, with a high of only 68 degrees – but still above average. The weather service expects Sacramento to return to the mid 70s by next weekend.

Overnight lows will still be on the chilly side, dipping down into the mid 40s – too cold for tomato transplants.

Don’t expect much from this incoming storm system in our area, adds the weather service, which predicts Sacramento will receive less than 0.1 inches total. (Keep the sprinklers on.)

Meanwhile, make the most of this pleasant weather. Your garden is calling. (And those weeds won’t be ignored.)

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

* From seed, plant beets, carrots, endrive, fennel, jicama, radishes, turnips and squash.

* Plant onion sets.

* In the flower garden, plant seeds for asters,  celosia, cosmos, cornflowers, marigolds, salvia, verbena and zinnias.

* Transplant petunias, zinnias, geraniums and other summer bloomers.

* Plant perennials and dahlia tubers for summer bloom. Late April is about the last chance to plant summer bulbs, such as gladiolus and tuberous begonias.

* Transplant heat-resistant lettuce 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.

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

* 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.

* Mulch around plants to conserve moisture and control weeds.

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