Posted on May 13, 2014
Vegetable Gardening in the Mountains
Quick Facts...
If using a well, check your permit for possible outdoor water restrictions.
Cool-season vegetables are the most successful.
Protect your vegetables from animal intrusion with hardware cloth under beds and use floating row covers.
Growing vegetables in Colorado presents challenges, but growing vegetables in the mountains is harder still. This is due to the much shorter growing season, cool nights, wind, critters, and possible watering restrictions. For the purposes of this fact sheet, ‘high elevation’ or ‘mountains’ means anything over 7,500 feet in elevation in Colorado.
The first factor to consider is the short growing season. For every 1000 feet gain in elevation, the temperature drops by an average of 3.5° F. This means that the temperatures will be below freezing later in the spring and earlier in the fall. As an example, the Extension office in Gilpin County (9,300’) has a last average frost date of June 10 and the average first frost is September 15, but in many other places there can be less than 90 frost-free days in the mountains. Gardeners at the lower end of the elevation range will have a longer growing season and be able to grow a wider variety of vegetables. An exception to this general rule is that valleys are often cooler than surrounding hillsides, due to the sinking of cool air at night. Even though the elevation may be lower, valleys may actually have cooler growing conditions than surrounding hillsides.
Cool Season Vegetables are Easiest and Most Productive
Mountain gardens excel (and perhaps do even better than lower elevation gardens) with cool season vegetables. Below are vegetables recommended for the mountains:
Leafy greens: lettuces, arugula, kale, spinach, Swiss chard, mâche, collards, cabbage, endive, radicchio, turnip greens, beet greens, garden cress;
Root vegetables: carrots, beets, radishes, turnips, kohlrabi, rutabaga, potatoes, leeks;
Other vegetables: peas, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts;
Herbs: reliably hardy perennial herbs include French tarragon, horseradish, some mints, and chives. Perennial herbs that are not reliably hardy (such as sage, thyme, oregano, rosemary, bay laurel) can be grown in pots and brought in for the winter. Annual herbs that can be direct-seeded in beds include parsley, dill, calendula, and borage. Basil and cilantro are annual herbs that are heat lovers and need a lot of GDUs to develop. Consider growing them in a pot in a warm, sunny location and putting them inside at night or covering them.
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Posted on Apr 29, 2014
When you need an all around Landscape Company that does it all:
General Landscaping,
Landscape Installs & Remodels, Sodding / Seeding / Re-vegetation, Trees & Shrubs, Irrigation Design, Install & Maintenance, Flagstone, Patios & Walkways, Retaining Walls, Barriers & Planters, Flower Bed Planting.
Lawn Care Maintenance
Mowing and Trimming, Lawn Aerations, Lawn Power Raking/Hand Raking, Weed Control/Fertilization, Weed Whacking, Irrigation System Repairs, Lawn Winterization.
Landscape Maintenance
Flower Bed Weeding, Spring / Fall Clean-ups, Mulch & Re-mulch, Tree Stakes Adjustment & Removal, Landscape Winterization, Tree Service
Contact us for your entire landscape needs at:
http://homesweethomelandscaping.com/contact
Posted on Apr 15, 2014
Pesticides: natural products
When a pest or disease is devastating your plants, refrain from grabbing the strongest chemical you can find. Always try simple and safe controls before using any pesticide. For example, sometimes a strong blast of water from a hose is all it takes to get rid of a pest. You can also handpick pests like caterpillars and drop them into soapy water. Or shake Japanese and potato beetles off plants onto a sheet. And aphids, cabbage worms and white flies are attracted to yellow so they can be trapped by covering a piece of yellow poster board with sticky glue and hanging it among the infested plants.
If physical controls don't work, the next thing to try is a homemade organic pesticide. Homemade preparations are generally milder than commercial pesticides. For garlic example, garlic makes an effective spray for most insects. Simply puree 15 garlic cloves and one pint of water in a blender, strain the mixture through cheesecloth into a clean spray bottle, and apply to the tops and bottoms of all leaves. Repeat every few days until the problem is gone.
If homemade sprays are not strong enough, you may need to buy an organic pesticide. Horticultural oils, insecticidal soaps and botanical insecticides are all organic pesticides. Most are safe to use on food Crops because they break down quickly and have no long-lasting effect on the environment. Nonetheless, they should be used as a last resort. Because they're not only toxic to the pests and diseases you are trying to eradicate, they can also be toxic to insects, birds and soil microorganisms that are part of a healthy garden.
Before applying anything to your garden, identify the pest and disease you want to control so you can choose the most effective product. And always read the label and follow directions exactly.
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Posted on Apr 1, 2014
General Landscaping,
Landscape Installs & Remodels, Sodding / Seeding / Re-vegetation, Trees & Shrubs, Irrigation Design, Install & Maintenance, Flagstone, Patios & Walkways, Retaining Walls, Barriers & Planters, Flower Bed Planting.
Lawn Care Maintenance
Mowing and Trimming, Lawn Aerations, Lawn Power Raking/Hand Raking, Weed Control/Fertilization, Weed Whacking, Irrigation System Repairs, Lawn Winterization.
Landscape Maintenance
Flower Bed Weeding, Spring / Fall Clean-ups, Mulch & Re-mulch, Tree Stakes Adjustment & Removal, Landscape Winterization, Tree Service
Contact us for your entire landscaping needs at:
http://homesweethomelandscaping.com/contact
Posted on Mar 18, 2014
Spring/Summer Landscaping is getting close, so let us help you prepare for the upcoming season landscape environment. However the snowfall is not over yet so if you need help now, we are still available to help you Now!!!
Call us immediately at 970-389-1046
We are a family owned business, based in Summit County, Colorado. We are true to our estimates and promise quality work for a very competitive price compared to other companies in Summit County. We are confident that we will exceed your expectation, and once you work with us, you will not look for another provider.
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Posted on Mar 4, 2014
You know its March and we still have the most snowfall to come. Still having snow removal issues? Then its time to give us a call.
970-389-1046
We are a snow plow contractor for your commercial property or residential property? Home Sweet Home Landscaping has a fleet of trucks with plows and sanders to handle all of your snow plowing needs.
Quality Snow Removal
Commercial Snow Plowing & Shoveling
Residential Snow Plowing & Shoveling
Roof Snow / Ice Removal
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Posted on Feb 18, 2014
Snowy Challenges and New Technology
Well after automobile use had become widespread, shopping centers, office parks and industrial centers saw the need for private snow removal equipment of their own to clear parking lots for their employees and customers. This created a market for smaller, customized equipment, and spurred technology to develop more specialized functions. Smaller plows and snow blowers were also in growing demand by private residents who sought to escape the rigors of the old-fashioned snow shovel.
In 1959, space technology entered the snow removal effort, and satellites observed and relayed climate and weather conditions, allowing for more accurate storm forecasting. While attempts at forecasting had been made earlier through weather-watchers using telegraphs, phones, and radios to communicate, this system could not be relied on with nearly as much accuracy. Cities were able to brace themselves in advance for severe winter weather and prepare for snow removal efforts. Also, increased use of media such as radio and television helped keep the public aware of impeding hazardous situations. Most of us realize how critical this has proven in our own lives, as many of us have been able to change or curtail our plans due to televised weather forecasts warning us of incoming storms, potential snowfall amounts, temperatures and wind chill factors.
As snow removal efforts progressed, protests against salt renewed, supported both by environmentalists and motorists whose cars were being corroded by years of heavy winter salt use. Environmental experts discovered in the late 1960s that salt use was corroding cars, damaging roadside plant life, polluting water supplies (including drinking water supplies), and killing fish in streams. Motorists were weary of repairing car corrosion after each winter, and road crews were discovering that salt was corrosive to roads and bridges as well. Improved salt spreaders resulted from these finds, using more efficient spreading gauges.
Contact us for all your snow removal and upcoming landscaping needs at:
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