Dig In: Garden checklist for week of April 17

Harvest artichokes when the buds are full but still tight. The small ones can be

harvested, too. Or let them flower for the bees to enjoy. (Photo: Kathy Morrison)

Rainy days will keep Sacramento gardens cool and damp

By Debbie Arrington 

Will April showers bring May flowers? It won’t hurt. After a record dry first quarter of 2022, this spring rain certainly is needed. 

According to the National Weather Service, Sacramento can expect some precipitation almost every day this coming week. Our rainy forecast peaks on Thursday with more than a half inch of rain, predicts the weather service. 

These spring storms are actually pretty normal. Typically, April averages 1.15 inches of rain in Sacramento. All these clouds will keep temperatures a little lower than average with afternoon highs in the 60s. 

Meanwhile, nights will be cool, too, with lows on Sunday and Monday dipping down to about 42 degrees. If you already set out tomatoes and peppers, keep them warm with hot caps or other cover. But don’t expect much growth until later this month.

 In between showers, take advantage of soft soil. 

* Weed, weed, weed! Remove them before they go to seed. Whack them with a hoe, just below the soil surface, to cut off the crown. 

* 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. 

* Spring brings a flush of rapid growth, and that means your garden is really hungry. Feed shrubs and trees with a slow-release fertilizer. Or mulch with a 1-inch layer of compost. 

* Azaleas and camellias looking a little yellow? If leaves are turning yellow between the veins, give them a boost with chelated iron. 

* 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. 

* Pinch chrysanthemums back to 12 inches for fall flowers. Cut old stems to the ground. 

* From seed, plant beans, beets, carrots, celery, corn, cucumbers, fennel, melons, radishes and squash. 

* Plant onion sets and seed potatoes. 

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

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

* Plant perennials and dahlia tubers for summer bloom. 

* Transplant lettuce and cabbage seedlings. Wait a week on tomatoes and peppers.