Dig In: Garden checklist for week of Jan. 11
Sacramento gets a break from recent rain as we settle into a typical January weather pattern: Sunny afternoons in the 50s following chilly nights. Due to all that accumulated moisture, we also could see some foggy mornings.
According to the National Weather Service, Sacramento can expect a good winter gardening week with highs in the 50s every afternoon, gradually warming to 59 degrees by Friday. That’s actually on the warm side; average high for early January in Sacramento is 54 degrees.
Overnight lows will tend to dip below 40 degrees each night but stay clear of freezing. That’s also normal; average low for this week is 39 degrees.
Keep an eye out for a frost watch – and rapid growth. As plants feel that afternoon warmth, they’ll start to sprout and bud out. But that growth will be tender and frost susceptible. Offer protection (such as frost caps) as needed.
Meanwhile, no rain is in the forecast for at least a week. And more sun could be on the way; the weather service’s long-range forecast for the month says we have a 90% chance of warmer than normal temperatures.
Make the most of these sunny breaks. It’s pruning season!
* Prune, prune, prune. Now is the time to cut back most deciduous trees and shrubs. The exceptions are spring-flowering shrubs such as lilacs.
* Now is the time to prune fruit trees, except cherries and apricots. Clean up leaves and debris around the trees to prevent the spread of disease.
* Prune roses, even if they’re still trying to bloom. Strip off any remaining leaves, so the bush will be able to put out new growth in early spring.
* Prune Christmas camellias (Camellia sasanqua), the early-flowering varieties, after their bloom. They don’t need much, but selective pruning can promote bushiness, upright growth and more bloom next winter. Feed with an acid-type fertilizer. But don’t feed your Japonica camellias until after they finish blooming next month. Feeding while camellias are in bloom may cause them to drop unopened buds.
* Clean up leaves and debris around your newly pruned roses and shrubs. Put down fresh mulch or bark to keep roots cozy.
* Divide daylilies, Shasta daisies and other perennials.
* Cut back and divide chrysanthemums.
* Transplant pansies, violas, calendulas, English daisies, snapdragons and fairy primroses.
* In the vegetable garden, plant fava beans, head lettuce, mustard, onion sets, radicchio and radishes.
* Plant bare-root asparagus and root divisions of rhubarb.
* Plant bare-root roses and fruit trees.
* In the bulb department, plant callas, anemones, ranunculus and gladiolus for bloom from late spring into summer.
* Browse through seed catalogs and start making plans for spring and summer.
