Spring Home & Garden 2021

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April 15, 2021

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April 15, 2021

Tips in planting a vegetable garden

BY THELMA GRIMES TGRIMES@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

I

t’s As flowers begin blooming and the signs of spring emerge, many begin thinking about the summer vegetable garden. The master gardeners through Colorado State University Extension have created a guide to how and when all of summer’s favorite fruits and vegetables should be planted.

At the start, the master gardeners say understanding Colorado’s climate is important before seeds go in the ground. According to the Colorado Vegetable Guide, the state’s climate presents a lot of challenges for gardening, starting with the range in elevation, which can go from 4,000 to 12,000 feet.

With a clear atmosphere, low humidity,

intense sunlight and extreme variations in precipitation and temperatures gardening in Colorado is unique.

According to the guide, a successful vegetable garden can be directly impacted by the length of the growing season. The average last-killing frost in the spring can range from mid-May to as late as July. The first-killing frost in the fall can come as early as August.

The unpredictable weather in Colorado can cause growing season to be as short as 30 days or as much as 150 days.

While cool-season crops can survive a frost and thrive through cold weather, warm-weather fruits and vegetables do not fair as well in unexpected frosts.

For this reason, the gardeners with CU Extension recommend holding off on planting the warm-season seeds until the danger of frost passes.

Home & Garden Talk to a Master Gardener in your county: Jefferson County: (303) 271-6632 Arapahoe County: (303) 730-1920 Douglas County: (720) 733-6940 Adams County: (303) 637-8100 Visit the website at: extension.colostate.edu/ topic-areas/yard-garden/

The gardening guide, which can be found online at extension.colostate. edu, not only looks at specific plants,

but it also focuses on what Coloradans need in soil, which in this state can lack adequate organic materials.

Tips for planting some summer favorites include: Carrots • Cool-season crop • Sun exposure – full sun • Soil condition - Do not use fresh manure to amend the soil in a carrot bed (or in any root crop bed).

It can cause tough skins and hairy roots. Carrots grow best in loose, sandy soil; they are not able to germinate properly if there is crusting of clay soil.

• Irrigation needs – consistent moisture is key especially for germination.

• Mulching – if mulching, wait until after seedlings are up. Mulch can help prevent greening of the carrot shoulders.

Cucumber • Warm-season crop • Sun exposure – At least 8 hours of sun is necessary.

• Soil condition – Well amended soil with good drainage.

• Irrigation needs – Avoid soggy soil. Irrigate to keep soil moist to a depth of 10 inches; dry soil may cause deformed fruit.

• Mulching – Mulch can be beneficial but only after the plant is established.

Eggplant • Warm season plant • Sun exposure – full sun but site should be protected from wind.

• Soil condition – well amended soil, apply fertilizer when planting if necessary.

• Irrigation needs – once established can tolerate less regular watering.

• Mulching – can create a wire cage wrapped with plastic to combat drying winds, mulch with straw or grass to retain soil moisture.

Horseradish A perennial crop that can be replanted every year or every few years.

• Sun exposure – Full sun but can tolerate some shade.

• Soil condition – Tolerates a variety of soils.

• Irrigation needs – Less water increases the intensity of flavor.

• Mulching – Deep organic mulch is beneficial.

•

Melons • Warm-season crop and can be difficult to transplant. In most of Colorado it is wise to seek out varieties with a short growing season.

• Sun exposure – Full sun • Soil condition – Soil temperatures need to be at least 75° for best germination. Well amended soil is best.

• Irrigation needs – Keep soil moist 8-10 inches deep. Be careful when cultivating as some roots are close to the surface.

• Mulching – Mulch can be useful but not necessary.

Onions • Warm-season plant that tolerates cool weather so their long season can be manageable. Seek out long day or day-neutral varieties.

• Sun exposure – Full sun • Soil condition – Onions prefer more clay soils, but high in nitrogen. If needed work fertilizer into soil prior to planting.

• Irrigation needs – Moist but not wet, onion roots will not tolerate being water-logged.

• Mulching – Can be done, not necessary.

Peppers • Warm season crop. Two main types: sweet and hot.

• Sun exposure – Full sun, although shade cloth can

• • •

be beneficial to prevent sunburn on the fruit.

Soil condition – Well amended soil, amend with fertilizer prior to planting if needed, and again midseason to encourage fruit production.

Irrigation needs – Keep soil moist to a shovel depth (10 inches).

Mulching – Plastic mulch can warm the soil and encourage rapid growth.

Summer Squash/ Zucchini (zucchini, patty pan, etc.)

• They have tender flesh and can be harvested through much of the season.

• Sun exposure – Full sun • Soil condition – Prefers a light soil but tolerates a well amended soil. High nutrients levels are beneficial.

• Irrigation needs – Water regularly. Do not let your plants dry out, can cause fruit to be deformed.

Plants will wilt during hot days, if they recover, they are getting sufficient moisture.

• Mulching – Plants respond well to plastic mulch to help warm the soil.

Tomatoes Determinate/Indeterminate • Tomatoes are a warm season plant; the favorite of many gardener’s vegetable plots.

• Sun exposure - Select a site in your garden where the plants will get at least 8 hours of sunlight each day and where the soil will warm up early in the spring.

• Soil condition - Prepare the tomato bed by adding organic matter and fertilizer based on soil test recommendations; spade it in at least 12 inches (preferably more).

• Irrigation needs - From time of transplant to late August, keep soil moist to about 12 inches. Do not let soil dry out.

• Mulching – mulch once the plant has established.

Home & Garden

April 15, 2021

Tips to attract the good insects, detract the bad

BY THELMA GRIMES TGRIMES@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

W

ith help from the expert gardeners at the Colorado University Extension project, local gardeners can create an environment that attracts butterflies and bees and detracts destructive insects.

Butterfly gardens According to the Extension project, there are dozens of butterfly species commonly found along the front range. While most butterflies stop by gardens for a drink, there are steps to take to prolong their stay.

The Extension project recommends providing the proper environment, which includes adding food plants used by caterpillars, food sources used by the adult butterflies, and physical environment.

Butterflies prefer some shelter from the high winds common along the Front Range. They also like open, sunny areas. This means planting windbreak plants or providing other shelter options, which provides a suitable physical environment.

Certain butterflies, especially males, can be seen on moist sand or mud collecting around puddles of water where they feed.

Female butterflies spend a lot of time searching for food plants required by immature caterpillar stages.

Caterpillars of the monarch butterfly develop only on milkweed. The black swallowtail butterfly feeds on parsley, dill and related plants.

When a female finds the proper host plant, they will

lay eggs. This makes it important to provide necessary food plants for developing caterpillars.

Food for adult butterflies includes sweet liquids, such as nectar from flowers that provide energy. Some flowers contain more nectar, and are more attractive to butterflies. Bright-colored flowers are also more

attractive to butterflies.

The Extension master gardeners recommend creating large patches of flower gardens that bloom in CONTINUED NEXT PAGE

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April 15, 2021 FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

sequence. This is particularly important during summer when butterflies visit more frequently. Flowers and flowering shrubs are good choices.

Attracting native bees In Colorado, there are more than 946 native bee species. Of all pollinators in gardens, bees are the most common and efficient.

To create a proper bee habitat, just like humans, bees and other pollinators need food, water, shelter and space to support a robust bee population.

While honey bees are social and live in large colonies, 90% of native bee species are actually solitary. Another 70% of these nest underground in the soil.

When considering shelter and vegetation for native bees, it is best to plant in layers. It is important to establish structure as the first layer of trees and shrubs. The next step is to add perennials, grasses and groundcovers as further layers in the landscape.

To provide a drinking source, gardeners can provide a shallow dish filled with pebbles and water to allow bees and other insects to drink.

Insect control To control unwanted insects, the experts at Colorado Extension recommend a variety of options, starting with horticulture oils. A variety of oils, diluted with water can be applied or sprayed on plants to effectively control many plant pests.

Horticulture oils are refined petroleum oils combined with an emulsifying agent.

According to the Extension guide, the advantages of oils include safety, effectiveness and limited effects on beneficial insects.

It is important not to use oils on sensitive plants, and to remember that plants under drought stress may

concentration of about 2%. have increased risk of injury.

To learn more about insect control and gardening, Another option to deterring pesky, destructive insects visit the website at https://extension.colostate.edu. can be the use of soaps and detergent. These soaps can be used to stop aphids, mealybugs, psyllids and Talk to a Master Gardener in your Douglas County: spider mites are most county: (720) 733-6940 susceptible to soaps.

Jefferson County: To use soaps or Adams County: (303) 637-8100 detergents used for control (303) 271-6632 Visit the website at: extension.colostate. of insects are applied as Arapahoe County: edu/topic-areas/yard-garden/ dilute sprays, mixed with (303) 730-1920 water and to produce a

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Home & Garden

April 15, 2021

Liven up the home with more color, spring flowers STAFF REPORT

A

s with tradition, spring is one of the best times of the year to evaluate a home. Think about the paint color in the kitchen, living room and bathrooms. Consider where a vase of bright-colored flowers will liven things up. Ask yourself if the heavier comforter should be stowed away and replaced with a quilt featuring spring colors and designs.

This year, it is possible to add a touch of spring without breaking the bank. Some good ideas to bring your home into the season include: • Adding flowers – Whether fresh or fake, adding a vase with flowers throughout the hallway, front-door

•

•

area and in several rooms can add a welcome touch of color. Some popular choices in spring include daffodils and tulips.

Painting – Spring is the best time of year to look at the home’s dingy walls and decide if a room could use an entire refresh, or the addition of an accent wall. As with most years, green is a popular spring color used to brighten rooms. While green is a go-to color, yellows and blues are also popular in spring.

House plants – If some plants did not quite make it through the winter, spring is a good time to

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Small changes – Making simple changes throughout the home can bring a fresh, spring feel. Take the covers on throw pillows on beds and couches and exchange them with covers that add more color and light.

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