The basic components of automatic sprinkler systems are the same, whether you purchase a do-it-yourself system or contract with a professional service to have one installed. The clock controller unit is the core of the system. It activates the sprinkler system according to selections you choose. There are two types of controller units: electro-mechanical clocks…
Squeezing a second crop of vegetables in before fall frost makes good use of Garden space. Once spring Crops are harvested, fertilize and prepare the soil for summer planting. The following suggestions for summer planting are made based on the mid-October average killing frost date for Denver, but you should check the last frost date…
You can’t always count on unlimited water at the tap. If you look at the history of the state, you’ll see that droughts are regular visitors to Colorado. In the 1900’s alone, four prolonged dry spells occurred. There was one in the 1910s. Another, in the ’30s, caused the dust-bowl period.The second worst drought on…
Sunflowers are mature when the back of the head turns yellow and the seeds take on a brownish tinge. If birds begin to pick at the heads before they are mature enough to cut, tie a perforated plastic bag over the head. Pick the heads and hang them upside-down in a warm, dry place. When…
Colorado’s eastern plains are a semi-arid environment. All newly planted trees and shrubs will need supplemental water. Apply as much water as the size of the pot or root ball each week. For balled and burlapped stock, apply 10 gallons of water for each trunk diameter inch. For example, give five gallons of water for…
Pumpkins are ready to harvest when the stems are dry and the skin resists penetration by a thumbnail. Light frost is not damaging to pumpkins but they should be harvested before a hard freeze. To harvest, cut the fruit from the vine with pruners or loppers. Leave a long, intact portion of the stem attached.…
Harvest garlic when the green tops turn brown and die down. It typically takes 90 to 100 days for spring-planted garlic to reach this stage. Pull up and let dry for a couple of days. You can trim the leaves off before curing if you don’t cut into the bulb. To cure, spread the garlic…
Root vegetables grow very well in Colorado, even in higher elevations where long-season vegetables have little chance of success. Carrots, beets, turnips and rutabagas can be harvested at any size, making them ideal for short-season areas. Radishes are notable because they mature in 30 to 45 days, making them the king of fast Crops. Root…
Why not consider growing more than lettuce when planting salad greens in your Garden? Spicy greens like arugula, cress and Japanese mustards, can add variety to what can otherwise be a ho-hum salad. Many of these are easy to grow in the spring and mature in a very short period, usually between 20 and 60…
Today, kale is grown as much for ornamental purposes as it is for a vegetable and plate garnish. The most common vegetable kale grown in America is the frilly, blue-green type. Typical varieties include Vates Dwarf Blue, Scotch Curled and Squire. Other culinary kales are frilly and blushed with red. Common varieties include Ragged Jack,…
Growing onions from seed is economical, and seed-started onions don’t send up flower stems as often as transplanted bedding onions do. An onion’s flowering process ruins the quality of a bulb onion. In northern Colorado, onions grown for winter storage will begin to form bulbs as summer days get longer, usually in July. When shopping…
American Gardeners plant pumpkins to carve or paint as jack-o’-lanterns, bake into pies or display for Halloween and Thanksgiving. Pumpkins are warm season vegetables that do well in low humidity and usually grow in any average soil. But, they won’t tolerate wet, poorly aerated soils. Pumpkins need a lot of room and full…
