Dig In: Garden checklist for week of Nov. 22

Just a little bit of leaf curl evident in these fallen peach leaves. It's best to dispose of diseased plant
material, not compost it. And once all the leaves have fallen, be ready to spray copper fungicide on the peach or nectarine tree, specially while the weather's still dry. (Photo: Kathy Morrison)

Cool dry November days great for planting

By Debbie Arrington

Sunny days and chilly nights; that's our forecast for Thanksgiving week.
According to the National Weather Service, Sacramento days will be bright and crisp with highs in the low 60s. Under clear skies, overnight lows will dip into the 30s but stay warm enough to avoid frost. Breezes will be mild, too.

Sounds like perfect late November gardening weather!

* Save dry stalks and seedpods from poppies and coneflowers for fall bouquets and holiday decorating.
* Rake and compost leaves, but dispose of any diseased plant material. For example, if peach and nectarine trees showed signs of leaf curl this year, clean up under trees and dispose of those leaves instead of composting.
* To help prevent leaf curl, apply a copper fungicide spray to peach and nectarine trees after they lose their leaves this month. Leaf curl, which shows up in the spring, is caused by a fungus that winters as spores on the limbs and around the tree in fallen leaves. Sprays are most effective now and best applied in current dry conditions.
* Give your azaleas, gardenias and camellias a boost with chelated iron.
* Prune non-flowering trees and shrubs while dormant.
* Plant daffodils, crocuses, anemones and scillas. Remember to take tulips and hyacinths out of the refrigerator and plant them, too.
* Seed wildflowers including poppies.
* Plant sweet pea, sweet alyssum, bachelor buttons and other spring favorites.
* You can still plant or transplant most trees and shrubs. This gives them plenty of time for root development before spring growth. They also benefit from fall and winter rains.
* Set out cool-weather annuals such as pansies and snapdragons.
* Lettuce, cabbage and broccoli also can be planted now.
* Plant garlic and onions (but don't.