Dig In: Garden checklist for week of Oct. 26
Just when we were enjoying that warm summery vibe, Mother Nature reminds us that it’s late October – and well into autumn.
It’s not just a cue for us to break out the sweaters and umbrellas. This cooler, damp weather also nudges deciduous trees to change with the season. Expect to see a lot more colorful leaves this week – as well as more fallen foliage.
The damp weather that started this weekend is not expected to stick around, says the National Weather Service. And you’ll have to keep the sprinklers on this week; this passing storm system won’t drop enough to adequately irrigate your garden.
The Sacramento weekend forecast estimates less than 0.05 inches of precipitation, says the weather service. Then the sun will come out and warm us back into the upper 70s. That’s normal for this week of October; the Sacramento historic average is 78 degrees.
Overnight lows are gradually cooling down to the lower 50s and may even dip into the 40s this week. That’s normal, too. (October’s average low is 50 degrees.) Expect the last of the tomato and squash vines to start looking pretty sad.
As for rain, we’ve already banked about double October’s monthly average of 0.95 inches. So far, Sacramento has totaled 1.86 inches. That gets this new water year off to a strong start.
More rain is expected in November – which will be here next Saturday.
In the meantime, plan for a sunny, 76-degree Halloween day on Friday, with a cool and somewhat chilly Halloween night.
Before the trick-or-treaters arrive, get busy in your garden. There’s plenty to do while the sun shines.
* Pick up fallen fruit under apple, pear and persimmon trees.
* Rake autumn leaves and recycle them as mulch.
* Clean up the summer vegetable garden and compost disease-free foliage.
* Harvest pumpkins and winter squash.
* Dig up corms and tubers of gladioli, dahlias and tuberous begonias after the foliage dies. Clean and store in a cool, dry place.
* Treat azaleas, gardenias and camellias with chelated iron if leaves are yellowing between the veins.
* October is the best month to plant trees, shrubs and perennials in our area.
* Now is the time to plant seeds for many flowers directly into the garden, including cornflower, nasturtium, nigella, poppy, portulaca, sweet pea and stock.
* Plant seeds for radishes, bok choy (pak choi), mustard, spinach and peas.
* Plant garlic and onions.
* Set out cool-weather bedding plants, including calendula, pansy, snapdragon, primrose and viola.
* Reseed and feed the lawn. Work on bare spots.
