What to Harvest Now (or soon!): Spinach - by Barbara LaRowe

This time of year makes everyone yearn for fresh veggies, homegrown goodies from the garden.  Since we live in Colorado we are still getting vestiges of winter, so the idea of having your garden in full growth is still around the corner. 

For those people who are anxious for the taste of fresh vegetables, spinach is a great early crop that can be started in a container, and protected when necessary. 

Pruning Roses by Stan Ames

Photo CSU Extension

Just yesterday I was asked when to prune rose bushes by a friend of mine.  I quickly realized I had no idea, there is not a rose bush anywhere near my garden, so I went on line to www.ext.colostate.edu and typed “pruning roses” in the search window and several articles came up! Wow, I can trick my friend into thinking I know what I’m doing!  Planttalk Colorado provides this information:

“Winter takes its toll on Colorado roses. The canes die back, leaving dead growth to prune in the spring. Untimely pruning can leave roses vulnerable to killing frosts. Wait until two weeks before the last average hard frost to prune.
Pruning varies with different rose types, but plan on cutting back hybrid teas and grandifloras every year.
Remove dead or diseased canes first, and then focus on shape. Always make a 30 to 45-degree cut one-quarter-inch above a live bud.
Prune the cane back one-half-inch into green live wood. In severe winters, there may be only a few inches of green on the canes.
Live wood on older canes or roses with bronze stems may look brown instead of green. Clip from the top down, checking for live growth with each small portion removed. Where possible, prune to an outward facing bud to direct growth away from the center of the plant. This allows light and air penetration, minimizing disease.
Miniatures, floribundas, and polyanthas are hardier plants that don't always suffer winter damage but check yearly.
Climbing roses have intertwined canes, making them more difficult to prune.”

Check out these other articles on “Roses Basics”, “Roses – Winter Care” and “Selecting and Planting Roses”! 

Noxious Weeds Problems in Jefferson County Colorado by Gina Kokinda

Myrtle Spurge (Euphorbia myrsinites) photo courtesy CSU

Do you have a noxious weed problem? I do. The snow is melting, and so again begins my battle with the dreaded knapweed (and thistle -- among others) that persistently aim to diminish our little slice of homestead heaven. When we purchased the place in Evergreen years ago, I didn't even know what knapweed was. These days, it is the bane of my summer gardening fun. I have disposed of countless bags of it (at the local landfill), yet it persists with vigor each passing year. In fact, I'm realizing that if we want home grown vegetables this season, we'll definitely need the help of a contractor to control the weeds.

It is important to be aware of the weeds on  your county's noxious weed list. Noxious weeds threaten biodiversity and ecosystem stability with their aggressive behavior, stealing precious moisture, sunlight and nutrients from the surrounding native species, upon which our pollinators depend! If left unmanaged, they will literally take over a property and invade others in the neighborhood.

Spring 2013: Recent Cold Causes Some Plant Damage by Mary Small

Last week the weather looked and felt more like winter than spring and the cold temperatures have many wondering how it affected or will affect trees and shrubs.
We found freeze injury (dead flower buds and a few tiny dead leaves) on ornamental pears and some crab apples at the Jefferson County fairgrounds. Plant damage on your property will depend upon where they are located in the landscape, how low temperatures were for how long and plant developmental stage.

Photo by Mary Small

You can check your plants for freeze injury by first examining flower leaf buds. If they are brown and crispy, they are dead.  The tree or shrub will not produce more this year. You can break off a couple leaf buds and look for green interiors to tell you they are still alive. Crispy brown leaves should be replaced by new ones as the season progresses. If there is stem or twig damage, it may not appear until a bit later in the season.  Look for branch/twig buds that don’t open, typically from the branch tips inward toward the trunk. Sometimes buds will open but fail to grow or grow only a short time because tissues supplying water needs were damaged or destroyed, too.

Rose Care in the Spring by Donna Duffy

Proper spring rose care helps ensure summer blooms!

It's finally beginning to feel like spring! Your roses are probably showing signs of life again with canes turning green and buds starting to form. But this is Colorado, and we’re not out of freeze danger yet. With that in mind, the following are steps you can take in the next few weeks to help your roses get off to a good start.

Thirsty Lawns and Gardens; Watering Responsibly During Drought by Steve Sherwood

As we all know, Colorado is a dry state, averaging only 15 inches of precipitation a year.  According to Denver Water http://www.denverwater.org/SupplyPlanning/WaterUse/, the average single family household uses approximately 130,320 gallons of water per year.  Of this total, approximately 55 percent or 65,000 gallons is used to water lawns and gardens, and for other outside needs.
With the continuing drought, water restrictions have already been announced so how and when you water your lawn and garden is very important.

Growing Blueberries in Colorado by Carol King

Photo by Carol King

Who doesn't love a blueberry?  They are one of the super foods, filled with antioxidents.  These tiny, round blue-purple berries have long been attributed to the longevity and wellness of indigenous natives.  Blueberries are very low in calories. A cup of fresh berries provide only 57 calories.  Some research studies suggest that these berries help lower blood sugar levels and control blood-glucose levels in type-II diabetes.  Super food indeed. Why not grow them in the Colorado Front Range home garden?

Blueberries will not grow in Colorado soil. Blueberries need acidic soil (and a lot of it).  Our native soils are alkaline; the opposite of what a blueberry needs! Every year at this time, I see the blueberry plants lined up in the big box stores just waiting for some unsuspecting gardener to purchase and take home to complete failure.

Tomato Grafting: My First Experiment by Duane Davidson

One of My Grafted Plants

In June, 2012,  Barb Klett wrote here on the subject of grafting tomato plants in an article "Grafted Tomatoes -- REALLY?" This is a follow-up, reporting my own experiences trying out this technique.

Early this year I was startled to see a familiar seedhouse catalog offering grafted tomato plants. I start a few tomato plants from seed each year, hoping to enjoy home-grown tomatoes mid- to late summer. But I had never heard of grafting tomato plants. I researched the subject and found the procedure intriguing.

We know that tomato plants, particularly the tasty old-fashioned varieties, are susceptible to a number of diseases that limit tomato fruit production and often kill the plant, once it is infected. We are taught to not grow tomatoes in the same spot each year and to remove and destroy any plant showing symptoms of disease before it spreads to other plants. I have not experienced any serious disease outbreak, but often have had a plant or two show leaf wilt in mid-summer or bear undersize fruit or fruit streaked with yellow.

Carpet Beetles and Other Home Invaders of the Creepy Crawly Kind by Patti O'Neal

Ah Spring!  The weather is changing, nature is applying a little moisture, things are just starting to green up and garden bulbs are threatening to break bud.  But while nature is moving and shaking outside, a bit of it is “happening” indoors as well. 

Insects begin hatching and seeking warm, food rich environments, or in the case of some, moist environments bringing them indoors; some doing damage, some not.  Knowing when or even if you should panic is important. Most are benign and can be handled easily even if an infestation occurs.

Adult Carpet Beetle photo by Joseph Berger, Insectimages.org

One of the most common insects found in Colorado homes is the Carpet Beetle.  These insects have extremely diverse feeding habits. Some species prefer high protein materials of animal origin, so will feed on dead skin, hair, feathers of animal or humans or insect parts.   Other species will develop and feed on seeds, grains, herbs and other materials of plant origin. 

Tetanus: An Important Reminder for Gardeners by Sally Berriman

Cartoon by Microbiology2009

Last spring my girlfriend and I were constructing large tomato cages by bending metal fencing into a circle then securing it with wire and snipping off the excess fencing.  The fencing wasn’t cooperating and both of us sustained a number of scratches from the rusty metal.  Jokingly we started talking with our jaws clenched as if we had lockjaw.  After we had made a few cages and called it a day, I was washing my wounds and wondering when I last had a tetanus booster.  Not knowing how current I was, I “googled” tetanus to see if I was actually in imminent danger of having to eat everything through a straw.  This is what I discovered.

Tetanus is a serious infection.  It is caused by the bacteria Clostridium tetani which can be found almost everywhere in the natural environment.    If the bacteria gets into the body it can produce a toxin that can spread systematically throughout the body and interfere with the central nervous system, producing muscle stiffness, spasms, or rigidity and the infamous locked jaw.  Tetanus is potentially fatal.  Without treatment, one out of four infected people die.  Yikes!  Tetanus has a mortality rate of 25% in the U.S. and 50% worldwide. There are currently no blood tests that can be used to diagnose tetanus.  The diagnosis is based on the presence of tetanus symptoms. If you are infected, it can take a while for the symptoms to present themselves; anywhere from eight days to a few months.  It basically depends on how far from the central nervous system the toxin entered the body.

Garden Preparation in Spring by C J Clawson

Photo CSU

In the Spring, a gardener’s fancy turns to planting beds, soil tests and amendments, and vegetable varieties.  No one wants to think about the pests and diseases that may come later – right now, life is a vision of a beautiful, bountiful vegetable garden.  But setting ourselves up for success includes giving consideration early in the season to the types of problems we might face later in the gardening year.  We must be pro active and vigilant from the very beginning of the season to protect our precious vegetable garden.  So . . . .

If you didn’t do a great job of garden clean up last fall, do a thorough job of it now: before you plant!  Viruses like tomato spotted wilt and fungi like early blight can overwinter on infected plant material and perennial weeds.  Insects like thrips and flea beetles can overwinter on infested plants too.  It is important to remove dead plant material completely from your garden area prior to planting this year in order to give your vegetable plants the best chance at a healthy life in 2013.  If you grew vegetables in pots last year, thoroughly clean and disinfect the pots before using them again.