Dig In: Garden checklist for week of March 23
The first full week of spring will feel more like May than March. A sudden warming trend will push high temperatures into the 80s on Monday and Tuesday with the possibility of a few records.
But keep your rain gear handy; just as fast as those warm days appeared, they’ll be gone.
According to the National Weather Service, Sacramento will see 80 degrees on Monday and 82 on Tuesday; the all-time hottest March day in Sacramento was 88 degrees and the record for Tuesday is 86.
But later in the week, another storm system will brings lots of clouds, possible showers and much cooler temperatures. With rain expected to arrive overnight Wednesday, Thursday’s expected high is 66 degrees – normal for late March in Sacramento.
Although Monday and Tuesday will definitely feel like tomato-planting weather, hold off another week or two on transplanting summer favorites outdoors. Overnight lows (such as 44 degrees, forecast for Friday) are still too cold. (By the way, 44 is the average low for late March; this part is normal.)
These warm temperatures will prompt rapid growth – especially weeds! Make the most of those sunny breaks and get to work!
* Fertilize roses, annual flowers and berries as spring growth begins to appear.
* Watch out for aphids! Knock them off plants with a strong stream of water from the hose.
* Pull weeds now! Don’t let them get started. Take a hoe and whack them as soon as they sprout.
* Prepare vegetable beds. Spade in compost and other amendments.
* Prune and fertilize spring-flowering shrubs after bloom.
* Feed camellias at the end of their bloom cycle. Pick up browned and fallen flowers to help corral blossom blight.
* Feed citrus trees, which are now in bloom and setting fruit.
* Cut back and fertilize perennial herbs to encourage new growth.
* In the vegetable garden, transplant lettuce and cole family plants, such as cauliflower, broccoli, collards and kale.
* Seed chard and beets directly into the ground. (Soak beet seeds overnight in room-temperature water for better germination.)
* Plant summer bulbs, including gladiolus, tuberous begonias and callas. Also plant dahlia tubers.
* Shop for perennials. They can be transplanted now while the weather remains relatively cool.
