Protect your backyard grape crop from scavenging birds. Attach flash
tape to some of the branches; or, place netting over the vines and
secure it to the ground.
Tomato hornworms are arriving late this year. Look for them when they
are actively munching on your tomato leaves, early in the morning or
just after sunset.
If your automatic sprinklers come on while you're asleep, take a few
minutes to turn them on manually to check for any broken or clogged
sprinkler heads.
If you'll be renovating your lawn on a weekend this fall, now's the
time to call the rental yard to reserve a dethatcher and
aerator.
Plant a short row of lettuce every two weeks until mid-October. The
loose leaf varieties, including Green Ice and Ruby, do best
here.
Add organic matter to the garden bed before planting winter crops
such as broccoli, spinach, cauliflower, cabbage, onion sets, garden
peas, garlic, carrots and beets.
Ferocious winter winds that whip through the Delta and the Central
Valley are on the way; check the ties on stakes that support young
trees and tree roses. However, to allow a tree's root system to fully
develop, don't continue to stake any tree that can stand straight on
its own. One year for tree stakes is usually enough.
Nurseries will have a good selection of tulips, daffodils and crocus
bulbs this month for planting in October. Chill tulip bulbs in the
refrigerator for four weeks before planting.
Looking for perennials that will provide some Christmastime color in
the yard? Plants for our area that are available now include euryops,
primroses, freeway daisy and winter blooming bergenia.
Add shrubs that bloom in the winter. Among the ones that do well here
are camellias, daphne, forsythia and flowering quince.
Shorter days and cooler daytime temperatures reduces the amount of
water your lawn needs. Cut back your sprinkler time by
25%.
Plant daffodil bulbs every two to three weeks from now through
November to prolong the bloom period next spring.
Nurseries have a good supply of winter blooming annuals in supply
now; don't overlook their selection of onion sets, which will be
coming soon.
Keep cabbage loopers, aphids and whiteflies away from your winter
vegetable crops with row covers.
Feed your lawn now with a complete, slow release fertilizer. Look for
three prominent numbers listed on the bag, which refer to the
percentage of nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus of the
fertilizer.
Remove the dead and dying summer vegetable plants from your garden.
Work compost into the area, giving it a head start for next year's
crops. A good rule of thumb: rototill in one cubic yard of compost
for every 300 square feet of garden space.