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| CSU Greenhouses |
Then add in my husband that tends to do frequent light watering with the veggies, definitely not the best thing to do. Even Agents husbands' sometimes don't listen. Watering frequently develops shallow rooted plants as plants need oxygen as well as water. So now that days are starting to get shorter, even though our temperatures are in the 90s, it is for a shorter period of the day. So my point is even the best of us sometimes have rough garden years. Luckily my fruit trees are doing well. They get infrequent deep watering and hubby has done a great job of treating for codling moth and other insects so there are very few worms in the apples and my red haven peaches look perfect. http://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/insects/codling-moth-control-in-home-plantings-5-613/ I shortly will start my annual preserving.
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| Apple Cobbler-2017- Susan Carter |
So, I am starting over with the vegetable garden. Right now is a great time to start the cool season vegetables with plenty of time for fall picking. A little later in the season, you can also plant garlic and seeds like spinach and lettuce for early spring picking, but still a little early for that. Some of the cool season plants germinate readily such as lettuce which is usually 7-10 days and can be picked from 28 days to 55 depending on the type of lettuce. http://planttalk.colostate.edu/topics/vegetables/1820-cultural-tips-leafy-vegetables/
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| Note: Soil Temperature, NOT air temp. From Johnny's Seed |
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| Lettuce Mix- Johnny's Seed- 28 days |
CoAgmet is a site by Colorado State University that uses weather stations across the state to track all kinds of meterological data. Check it out. Maybe a futute blog just about CoAgMet and how to use should be on the horizon. https://coagmet.colostate.edu/
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CoAgMet Soil Temperatures from Fruita Research Station Cool season vegetable information. http://planttalk.colostate.edu/topics/vegetables/1806-growing-cool-season-vegetables/ |
Within the above link to vegetable is a document that contains a chart to help you decide which crops you can plant now. Look for short season and that can tolerate cooler soil and air temperatures. You may not have enough time to grow a beet, but you could grow the greens. You could also use methods to extend your season from as simple as frost covers to a cold frame to a low tunnel. Using mulch and straw to insulate the soil to hold in the warmth can extend your growing season as well.
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| Season Extension -CSU Extension San Miquel County |
As I finish writing this blog, we finally had about 5-10 minutes of rain. Not a lot, but at least something. Check with your local Master Gardeners or Agents in your county to find out what you can plant in your area for fall harvest. Hopefully we will have a long autumn with some moisture for our dry areas of the state. And if you cannot grow it, support your local farmers.
By Susan Carter, CSU Extension Tri River Area Horticulture Agent