Monday, March 18, 2024

Get Your Tools in Shape for the New Gardening Season

Garden Friend - I thought you might like to read my recent garden article that ran in The Denver Post about getting your tools ready for the new gardening season.

Link to The Denver Post article, click HERE. The full article is below.

How to gets your tools prepped for spring planting  

Just like washing our hands to remove germs and bacteria, we need to do the same for our garden tools. (Betty Cahill, Special to The Denver Post)
Just like washing our hands to remove germs and bacteria, we need to do the same for our garden tools. (Betty Cahill, Special to The Denver Post)

PUBLISHED:

“If the only tool you have is a hammer, it’s hard to eat spaghetti,” says David Allen, a productivity consultant and writer. Could this analogy apply to using the right garden tool to effectively complete outdoor tasks?

No doubt, and taking it further: It is time to get tools in their best working condition for the new season.

Take a good hard look at your garden tool kit and then make some decisions. Are your bypass pruners making sharp cuts or are they doing harm by crushing the branch? If your trowel handle bends like a paper drinking straw when digging, then a new, hardworking one will change your garden life for the better. Maybe your tools just need a bit of spit and polish and a good sharpening session. And after your decisions are made, how about spaghetti for dinner?

The list of gardening tools to clean each season includes shovels, rakes, pitchforks, plant trellises, cages, stakes, accessories and containers. (Betty Cahill, Special to The Denver Post)
The list of gardening tools to clean each season includes shovels, rakes, pitchforks, plant trellises, cages, stakes, accessories and containers. (Betty Cahill, Special to The Denver Post)

Clean and disinfect

Improve tool performance with a good cleaning. Just like washing our hands to remove germs and bacteria, we need to do the same for our garden tools. No need to spread any harmful pathogens from last year to established plants in the garden and new ones that will be planted soon. And when referring to tools, the list includes plant trellises, cages, stakes, accessories and containers (they’ll need cleaning and disinfecting, too). Some trellises and containers may not be easy to clean because of location and size, so do the best you can. Generally, wooden containers naturally repel fungi and bacteria. Where possible, wash with soap and water, rinse well and let dry.

Clean each tool well before disinfecting. Begin by giving each a strong blast of water to remove caked-on dirt and debris. Pruners can easily be dissembled by removing the nut or screws that hold the blades together, then the spring coil will slip off. (Keep track of the pieces.) Soaking in warm, liquid dish soap is all you need; use a stiff brush for hard-to-reach places. If there’s dried-on residue or sap, soak longer in soapy water or try a commercial product like Scrubbing Bubbles, which also disinfects. Read and follow label cautions associated with commercial products. Rinse well with water after cleaning and dry.

Lysol — or similar, store-brand versions — works well as a disinfectant for possible fungi, bacteria and viruses on tools. Simply place the tool in a bucket or box and spray all sides, or opt for the easy-to-use wipes. When finished, let the tools air dry.

Avoid using bleach products to disinfect pruners and other sharp-edged cutting tools. Bleach is very corrosive and can make pits in some metal tools. However, diluted bleach (one part bleach, nine parts water) can be used on rakes, shovels, spades, trellises, tomato cages and containers.

Undiluted 70% or higher concentration rubbing alcohol works well on small hand tools and pruners, although when used on tools to prune out fire blight, it might not be as effective.

All clean: Soaking garden tools in warm, liquid dish soap is typically all you need; use a stiff brush for hard-to-reach places. (Betty Cahill, Special to The Denver Post)
All clean: Soaking garden tools in warm, liquid dish soap is typically all you need; use a stiff brush for hard-to-reach places. (Betty Cahill, Special to The Denver Post)

Rust can be removed a couple of ways: Soak exceptionally rusty tools in a jar or can of white vinegar for several hours or overnight. For shovels, soak a large rag with vinegar, wrap it around the shovel blade, cover with plastic and let it sit overnight. Use a wire brush after soaking to remove any residual rust. After soaking any tool, wash with soapy water, rinse and dry.

Also try using some elbow grease with sandpaper or steel wool for rust.

Sharpening

Want superior experiences preparing a meal and maintaining a garden? Assuming your answer is yes, both disciplines require sharp tools.

The easiest way to sharpen is to take your clean and sanitized tools to a reputable garden center, hardware store, small business or friend who specializes in sharpening gardening tools. Prices should be reasonable.

For DIY, a carbide file is great for smaller tools like pruners, loppers and small snipper shears. A mill file works well on shovel blades.

Once all your tools are cleaned, disinfected, and sharpened, give them a wipe down with some vegetable oil, which will help prevent rust through the season. Bypass pruners will benefit from a drop or two of hardware lubricant (like 3-In-One oil).

Tool tips

  • During the outdoor gardening season, some smart gardeners brightly paint the handle of their trowels, making them easier to spot in the garden.
  • A pocketed apron is handy for holding and carrying tools around while gardening. Plastic tubs decked out with a saddle bag to hold all sorts of tools (and perhaps an adult beverage for later in the day) are also popular.
  • Take advantage of these warm late winter days into spring and do the work outside while soaking up some healthy vitamin D. Clean tools, sharpened pruners? Life is good.

Resources

How to Clean and Sharpen Tools

Laura, The Garden Answer

Video Betty and Alan Rollinger

 

 Denver, CO - MARCH 15: Denver Post garden contributor Betty Cahill demonstrates how to properly divide and move plants for this week's DPTV gardening tutorial.  Plants are divided or moved because they are overgrown, overcrowded, lack vigor or are in the wrong place. Spring is the best time to move summer and fall blooming plants. (Photo by Lindsay Pierce/The Denver Post)

Betty Cahill is a freelance writer who speaks and writes about gardening in the Rocky Mountain Region. Visit her site at http://gardenpunchlist.blogspot.com/ for even more gardening tips.

Tuesday, February 27, 2024

Seeding - What and When 2024

Garden Friend - I thought you might like to read my recent garden article that ran in The Denver Post about seeding vegetables, herbs and ornamental annuals inside and outdoors.

Link to The Denver Post article, click HERE. The full article is below.

The countdown to growing season is on. Here’s how to start seeding indoors

The timing, seeding and planting information on seed packets can vary per company. (Betty Cahill, Special to The Denver Post)
The timing, seeding and planting information on seed packets can vary per company. (Betty Cahill, Special to The Denver Post)

PUBLISHED:

With the first couple of months of the new year behind us, gardeners are focused on one thing: the countdown to the outdoor growing season.

Vegetable seeds that need to be started indoors very soon for transplanting outside in March to April include broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, parsnips, onions and cauliflower. (Betty Cahill, Special to The Denver Post)
Vegetable seeds that need to be started indoors very soon for transplanting outside in March to April include broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, parsnips, onions and cauliflower. (Betty Cahill, Special to The Denver Post)

Because spring weather in Colorado can be all over the map with moisture and temperatures, we know that dates don’t necessarily equate to the exact time or window to start planting outdoors. However, there are some flexible rules to follow so that we won’t be left behind.

For newbies (and as a review for more experienced gardeners), there are three defined and overlapping outdoor growing seasons to put plants and seeds (based on type) in the ground along the Front Range. For higher elevations, adjust the spring and fall seasons by waiting longer in the spring and plan for a shorter fall growing season.

The indoor seeding season is based on timing, plant type, and what the seed packet says about the time needed to grow indoors under lights or near a sunny window before planting them outside.

In a nutshell: learn it (plant type you wish to grow); live it (plant in the correct window); love it (eat the fruits and vegetables and enjoy every bloom that you plant).

Planting windows overview  

The cool-season planting window ranges anywhere from March to the middle of May. These include cool-season vegetables, which prefer growing in cooler daytime temperatures and are tolerant of cooler nighttime temperatures. (Betty Cahill, Special to The Denver Post)
The cool-season planting window ranges anywhere from March to the middle of May. These include cool-season vegetables, which prefer growing in cooler daytime temperatures and are tolerant of cooler nighttime temperatures. (Betty Cahill, Special to The Denver Post)

This planting and seeding overview shows the big picture of the cool and warm-season seeding indoor, outdoor and planting for all three planting windows.

1. The cool-season planting window ranges anywhere from March to the middle of May. These include cool-season vegetables, which prefer growing in cooler daytime temperatures and are tolerant of cooler nighttime temperatures. They include spinach, lettuce, peas, potatoes and beets, and cool-season annuals like pansy, calendula, snap dragon and sweet pea.

If snow is on the ground or it’s raining or snowing from mid-March to mid-May, the cool- season planting window may either be delayed or skipped; it’s your choice. The good news is you can plant most cool-season plants in mid-summer (season 3) for fall eating.

Tunnels, cold frames, row covers and cloches are recommended to help you through uncooperative weather.

2. The warm-season window is anywhere from mid-May to the middle of July. This group of plants must have warmer daytime and nighttime temperatures to grow and mature. They are intolerant of frost and temperatures in the 30s and do not grow well in the 40s. These include ornamental perennials, vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers, squash, corn and basil (herb), plus annuals such as petunias, geraniums, marigolds, sunflowers and cosmos.

3. Mid-summer (mid-July to August), also called the fall planting season, is when the third season planting window begins. This includes mostly cool-season vegetables that mature in sixty days or less and warm-season crops that also have a shorter maturity date like summer squash, okra and basil.

This is also a great time to plant perennials that were missed earlier. The selection may be more sparse, but many perennials begin going on sale later in the summer into fall.

Indoor seeding charts

For seeding plants indoors, the windows and tips can be found on one of the four charts linked here. They include indoor seeding for ornamental annuals, perennial and annual herbs, and cool and warm-season vegetables. Not included is a perennial indoor seeding chart, although many perennial plants can be seeded indoors while others are only available as grown plants in garden centers and online.

The timing, seeding and planting information on seed packets can vary per company. Some mention soil temperatures or map zones as guides to direct seeding outdoors, or a certain number of days from frost dates, to start seeds indoors. Pay attention and familiarize yourself with the seed packet information. The charts here try to accommodate most seed company brands.

Seed packets will give you instructions on how and when to plant, like these leek seeds. (Betty Cahill, Special to The Denver Post)
Seed packets will give you instructions on how and when to plant, like these leek seeds. (Betty Cahill, Special to The Denver Post)

Vegetable seeds that need to be started indoors very soon for transplanting outside in March to April include broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, parsnips, onions and cauliflower.

Tunnels or cold frames are recommended for early planting when freezes and frosts are the norm. Soil conditions for setting out new plants or direct seeding need to be spot on, too — not too wet, frozen or cold.

Warm-season seeds including tomatoes and peppers are generally started indoors in late March to April for mid- to late-May transplanting.

Keep in mind that if you miss the window to start your seeds indoors, you can always purchase cool-season transplants at garden centers in February and well into spring. Circle back later in April and May to purchase warm-season transplants.

Trees, shrubs, lawns

Most shrubs and trees can be planted as early as March and all the way to early fall. The exception for woody plants and perennials is to try to avoid planting when temperatures are extremely warm — unless it’s a scheduled installation or a must for your landscape. It can be done, but pay close attention to watering and providing some shade for several days after being planted if possible.

Turf grass can be seeded or sodded beginning in spring. Seed cool-season grasses including bluegrass, fescue and ryegrass anytime from March through September. Seed warm-season grasses like blue grama, buffalo grass and Bermuda grass from April through July. Avoid seeding after early August so the seed has plenty of time to get established.

People living at 7,000 feet elevation or higher should seed or sod cool-season grasses when the temperatures remain warmed up in the spring and before fall frost sets in. Warm-season grasses at high elevations can be seeded in late June to early July if typical monsoon rains are present over a period of time to help the seeds get going. Or seed in late fall so that the seeds will germinate the following spring.

Resources

Building Inexpensive Hoop Houses Video with Betty Cahill:  Part 1  and  Part II

Frost dates and climate summaries for Colorado: cmg.extension.colostate.edu/gardening-resources/online-garden-publications/frost-frost-dates-and-climate-summaries/

High-altitude native grasses 

 

 Denver, CO - MARCH 15: Denver Post garden contributor Betty Cahill demonstrates how to properly divide and move plants for this week's DPTV gardening tutorial.  Plants are divided or moved because they are overgrown, overcrowded, lack vigor or are in the wrong place. Spring is the best time to move summer and fall blooming plants. (Photo by Lindsay Pierce/The Denver Post)

Betty Cahill is a freelance writer who speaks and writes about gardening in the Rocky Mountain Region. Visit her site at http://gardenpunchlist.blogspot.com/ for even more gardening tips.

 

Tuesday, February 13, 2024

Valentine's Day - Say it with Flowers and Plants

Garden Friend - I thought you might like to read my recent garden article that ran in The Denver Post about celebrating Valentine's Day.

Link to The Denver Post article, click HERE. The full article is below.

The origins of Valentine’s Day and the messages behind gifts of bouquets

You can’t go wrong sending roses for Valentine’s Day, but other cut flowers, even plants, score meaningful points, too

Yellow roses -- which once represented greed and jealousy -- now offer good health, joy and friendship. (Betty Cahill, Special to The Denver Post)
Yellow roses — which once represented greed and jealousy — now offer good health, joy and friendship. (Betty Cahill, Special to The Denver Post)

Combine luck, legend, romance, gift-giving, flowers and the beginning of the bird mating season and you have Valentine’s Day covered.

Giving a loved one yellow tulips indicate there is sunshine in your smile. (Betty Cahill, Special to The Denver Post)
Giving a loved one yellow tulips indicate there is sunshine in your smile. (Betty Cahill, Special to The Denver Post)

Each February, writers and bloggers delight in offering facts and myths about the day’s origins and traditions. Many stories trace it back to ancient Turkey and Rome, with religious origins and some folk legends tossed in.

  • In the third century AD, a Catholic bishop named Valentine defied a ban on marriage by Roman Emperor Claudius II and continued performing ceremonies in secret. Evidently, the emperor felt that single men made better soldiers. When Claudius found out about Valentine’s defiance, he had the bishop put to death (probably by one of the single guys). Valentine was declared a saint by the church sometime later.
  • The ancient Romans observed Lupercalia, a pagan fertility festival held Feb. 13-15 and dedicated to the Roman god of Agriculture, Faunus. After a full day of animal sacrifices, women placed their names in an urn and had their names drawn by the bachelors. Either the couples ended up in marriage or tried their luck again the following February. In the fifth century, Pope Gelasius I banned Lupercalia for its un-Christian-like practices, and renamed Feb. 14 St. Valentine’s Day.
  • Who can forget the commencement of the bird-mating season in mid-February, first written about by four English authors? The most famous, Geoffrey Chaucer, wrote “Parliament of the Fowls” in honor of the engagement between England’s Richard II and Anne of Bohemia, daughter of the Roman Emperor Charles IV, in 1382. “For this was on Saint Valentine’s day, when every fowl comes there his mate to take … .”
  • Perhaps the oldest known surviving Valentine’s Day poem was written in 1415 by Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London after the battle of Agincourt between the English and the French. (“I’m already wearied by love, my very sweet Valentine.”) You can see and read in person his affectionate poem in the British Library in London. Today, there are over 145 million Valentine’s Day cards exchanged each year worldwide. E-Valentines are gaining in popularity.  (Sorry, they’re just not the same as handwritten cards in my book.)

Flowers and plants

Cut flowers, roses and all the various types of bouquets and plants surely are the true measure of one’s feelings toward another, aren’t they? In the early 1700s, Charles II of Sweden introduced floriography — the language of flowers — into European culture where entire sentiments, practically whole conversations, could take place based on the type of flowers that were exchanged. Floriography dictionaries written in the 1800s included symbolic meaning assigned to flower colors, scents and medicinal qualities.

As a gift, orchids communicate delicate beauty, charm and love. (Betty Cahill, Special to The Denver Post)
As a gift, orchids communicate delicate beauty, charm and love. (Betty Cahill, Special to The Denver Post)

Imagine using flowers instead of emojis to represent almost any kind of sentiment you’d like to convey. The red rose takes top billing as the symbol of beauty and love. Pink roses are a close second, signifying appreciation, gratitude and happiness. White roses are associated with marriage, new beginnings and purity. Orange roses are for passion, fascination and enthusiasm, while yellow roses — which once represented greed and jealousy — now offer good health, joy and friendship.

You can’t go wrong sending roses for Valentine’s Day, but other cut flowers, even plants, score meaningful points, too. Primroses say “I can’t live without you,” while orchids communicate delicate beauty, charm and love. Forget-me-nots are synonymous with, well you know. Blue hyacinths suggest constancy of love, while yellow tulips indicate there is sunshine in your smile.

Giving someone basil, the main ingredient in pesto, can mean hatred. (No worries, in other circles basil means well wishes.) (Betty Cahill, Special to The Denver Post)
Giving someone basil, the main ingredient in pesto, can mean hatred. (No worries, in other circles basil means well wishes.) (Betty Cahill, Special to The Denver Post)

Flowers and plants can evoke negativity, too. Give someone a lavender plant to say you don’t trust them or you’re devoted to them (your choice). Willows indicate sadness, while a narcissus means you’re selfish or your love is unrequited. Be careful with what you bring to a potluck: Basil, the main ingredient in pesto, can mean hatred. (No worries, in other circles basil means well wishes.)

If you’re concerned about sending the wrong message, Forrest Gump might suggest a box of chocolates.

 Denver, CO - MARCH 15: Denver Post garden contributor Betty Cahill demonstrates how to properly divide and move plants for this week's DPTV gardening tutorial.  Plants are divided or moved because they are overgrown, overcrowded, lack vigor or are in the wrong place. Spring is the best time to move summer and fall blooming plants. (Photo by Lindsay Pierce/The Denver Post)

Betty Cahill speaks and writes about gardening in the Rocky Mountain Region. Visit her site at gardenpunchlist.blogspot.com for even more gardening tips.

Wednesday, February 7, 2024

Home Composting made Easy!

Garden Friend - I thought you might like to read my recent garden article that ran in The Denver Post on home composting.

Link to The Denver Post article, click HERE. The full article is below. 

 

Creating your own Colorado compost pile is easy — and saves money

There are stats that show composting reduces yard waste going to landfills by anywhere between 50 and 75 percent

Jim Borland's pile of compost reaped last year was quite large for a backyard operation. (Provided by Jim Borland)
Jim Borland’s pile of compost reaped last year was quite large for a backyard operation. (Provided by Jim Borland)

PUBLISHED: | UPDATED:

When I cogitate on the methods and outcome of home composting, I often think of the title of the classic compost book, “Let it Rot” by Stu Campbell. The book was first published in 1975 (the same year the movie “Jaws” was released).

There are many compost books and online sources that cover how and what to compost. Compost is made up of the carbon-rich “browns” and nitrogen-rich “greens” that combine and turn into the ultimate finished soil stage — often called “black gold” by gardeners.

I compost for one reason: It doesn’t make sense not to compost. After all, nature set a pretty good example by creating soil over the eons by decomposing all sorts of plant and animal matter. Plus, it is very convenient and satisfying to toss easily accessible stuff from around the landscape into a pile or souped-up compost system, things such as mowed grass clippings, garden trimmings, leaves and indoor food scraps that otherwise just stink up the house.

Jim Borland's composting setup in West Denver is very large, so his net soil haul is as much as 4.16 cubic yards. (Provided by Jim Borland)
Jim Borland’s composting setup in West Denver is very large, so his net soil haul is as much as 4.16 cubic yards. (Provided by Jim Borland)

There are stats that show composting reduces yard waste going to landfills by anywhere between 50 and 75 percent. I like that, too.

The end goal of composting is to incorporate the soil you made into areas of your garden and landscape that need some help with soil quality, fertility  and plant health — the essential gardening hat trick.

Anyone can join in the compost fun. It’s almost free and only takes as much time to manage as you’d like to put in. Some people turn the pile regularly, which helps it break down quicker. Others make a compost pile and walk away. The saying that “compost happens” simply means that, just like in nature, organic matter left on its own will eventually break down to become soil with or without our help.

Jim Borland is a Denver area native plant expert and co-host of the weekly call-in radio program, “The Garden Wise Show,” on 95.3-FM/810-AM, which has been on-air for 29 years. He has been composting since he was a youth growing up in Pennsylvania. He enjoyed raking leaves into large piles. In no time, “the leaves turned into soil that his dad used in the vegetable garden and where his mother loved to grow sedums, monarda and carnations in between rocks she thoughtfully placed around the yard.”

At their West Denver home, Jim and his wife, Dorothy, built a very large two-bin compost system that has stood the test of time. They used stacked railroad ties, which were commonly used years ago. Today, rot-resistant wood, cement blocks, wire fencing, barrels, three-bin systems, dug holes and piles are commonly used.

In one bin, the Borlands collect compostable material, tossing spent plant matter from their landscape and all food scraps (except ham bones). Jim doesn’t follow the rules stipulating that fat and dairy can’t go into the pile. “Critters may come and go but aren’t a bother.” Mice steer clear with the help of their ever-on-duty cat.
Creating a small compost pile is fun and easy, and cost-saving. (Betty Cahill, Special to The Denver Post)
Creating a small compost pile is fun and easy, and cost-saving. (Betty Cahill, Special to The Denver Post)

They fill bin No. 2 with the materials from bin one and make layers as material is added. Water is applied between layers until the pile reaches 6 feet or so. Jim turns the contents of bin two “as often as his body will allow.”

Decomposition will generate heat, so the compost will naturally rise in temperature. Jim uses a compost thermometer so he knows the pile is working well and cooking at 140 degrees. The pile continues to compost even in the winter, as observed by the steam cloud when it is turned. In time, the pile condenses, losing about a third of its original size. Once it is finished composting in six to nine months, Jim screens the soil to remove any remaining larger bits and uses it all through the vegetable garden and as part of his own special soil blend in seed starting and potting plants.

Jim says that “failing at home composting has to do with the size of the pile; anything smaller than three feet wide in any direction won’t make compost. People can get discouraged and just not compost anymore if they aren’t getting results.”

Home composting basics

A compost system, bin, container, etc., should be at least 3 feet wide by 3 feet long by 3 feet high or larger. For safety, it is best to fence the area if digging a hole. Keep it simple: Remember all that is needed is time, browns, greens, water and air. Place it where it will get some sun for warming, has drainage, and is easily accessible for tossing in materials.

An out-of-the-way hole in the ground can create a small compost pile for a vegetable garden. (Betty Cahill, Special to The Denver Post)
An out-of-the-way hole in the ground can create a small compost pile for a vegetable garden. (Betty Cahill, Special to The Denver Post)

Planning your own compost framing system can be an excellent, inexpensive DIY project during the off-season. Sketch it out and be ready to put it together in early spring or sooner.

Browns include dry leaves; coffee filters; dried or dead (disease-free) foliage; non-shiny egg cartons; woody branches and twigs less than 1/4 inch in diameter; chopped, weed-free straw; and toilet and paper towel rolls. Small amounts of sawdust and pine needles are OK. Shredded newspaper and cardboard (not shiny) can be added or placed in recycle bins.

Greens include chemical-free grass clippings (or leave on the lawn when mowing); kitchen scraps like eggshells; vegetable greens; fruit peels and cores (OK with seeds); coffee grounds; human or pet hair; small amounts of manure from herbivore-eating animals only (chickens, cow, sheep and rabbits); fresh and spent cut foliage from plants and vegetation; and weeds (if seeds are removed).

Avoid: Plants that are treated with pesticides/herbicides; resinous cuttings from junipers, spruce and pine; wood ashes; bones; meat; dairy or fat (unless you follow Jim and can deal with possible critter visits). Use high-tannin leaves (oak, cottonwood) in small amounts. No dog or cat feces or cat litter. Avoid dryer lint and produce stickers.

Mix: Layer or mix the materials until it is at least 3 feet high or more. Ideally, you want equal amounts of “brown” and “green” but don’t sweat the exact proportions. Water as you mix to moisten all the materials. Keep the pile as wet as a wrung-out sponge and turn often. It will compress quickly. You can add more materials for a short time, then stop and let it finish composting. Kitchen scraps can be added to the middle of the pile since they break down quickly.

Tips: Materials cut, chipped or chopped into smaller pieces compost better than large, chunky items. Jim uses a chipper/shredder machine for his compost. Layers of the same type can compress and get matted or become a solid, soggy mass. Try to prevent this by initially mixing up different materials. It can smell if it is too wet or if it has too many “greens,” so if that happens add some “browns.” If using a hole or above-ground pile, cover with a tarp to avoid drying out. If the pile does not heat up, it might be too dry. Turn it and add water to layers as you go. Keep animals away by burying any food scraps.

The finished product of a small compost pile is enough to spread on a raised bed that was planted with garlic. (Betty Cahill, Special to The Denver Post)
The finished product of a small compost pile is enough to spread on a raised bed that was planted with garlic. (Betty Cahill, Special to The Denver Post)

Time frame

If turned regularly and kept moist, finished compost can be ready in two to four months or so during the summer. If left mostly unattended, it might take a year or longer. The temperature in piles can range between 120 and 150 degrees. Composting slows down in cooler weather.

The resulting soil amount can be about half the size you started with. A few visible bits or pieces are OK; you can toss them back into the next pile. The newbie soil will smell earthy and wonderful, and be crumbly and dark brown in color.

Then you can step back and be proud that you’ve successfully made your own high-quality soil. Use it anywhere for soil preparation and actively growing plants. (Share with others if you ever have leftovers.)

Resources

Composting Yard Waste

Denver Urban Gardens

City of Denver Composting

 Denver, CO - MARCH 15: Denver Post garden contributor Betty Cahill demonstrates how to properly divide and move plants for this week's DPTV gardening tutorial.  Plants are divided or moved because they are overgrown, overcrowded, lack vigor or are in the wrong place. Spring is the best time to move summer and fall blooming plants. (Photo by Lindsay Pierce/The Denver Post) 

Betty Cahill speaks and writes about gardening in the Rocky Mountain Region. Visit her site at http://gardenpunchlist.blogspot.com/ for even more gardening tips.

Tuesday, January 30, 2024

Water Landscapes Now - it's DRY out there!

Garden Friend - I thought you might like to read my recent garden article that ran in The Denver Post on watering landscapes during winter dry spells

Link to The Denver Post article, click HERE. The full article is below.

How to pay attention to your Colorado grasses and trees in the dry winter months

Water when temperatures are above freezing during the middle part of the day so there is time for the moisture to soak in before sunset. (Betty Cahill, Special to The Denver Post)
Water when temperatures are above freezing during the middle part of the day so there is time for the moisture to soak in before sunset. (Betty Cahill, Special to The Denver Post)

PUBLISHED:

Dry January may be good for your health, but a dry January climate is not healthy for your landscape.

Your trees may need human intervention.

It may seem like an inch or two of snow here and there is adequate natural moisture for our landscape plants. We may conclude that it will snow more soon, so there is no need to be concerned about our plants. It’s winter, after all, and aren’t plants dormant and not actively growing, so they don’t need any help from us?

The short answer is that plants need our assistance in the winter just like they need watering in the heat of summer. Plants need water because they continue to use it during the winter, but in less amounts. If they are well hydrated, they not only survive tough, low water months, but also they head into spring and summer stronger and healthier.

The only way to know if your landscape soil is moist is to physically check the soil.

Find your longest screwdriver and poke it down into the ground through the mulch, the grass and especially on sunny south-, west- or southwest-facing areas. If the screwdriver doesn't go down easily, then the ground, the soil, is dry. (Betty Cahill, Special to The Denver Post)
Find your longest screwdriver and poke it down into the ground through the mulch, the grass and especially on sunny south-, west- or southwest-facing areas. If the screwdriver doesn’t go down easily, then the ground, the soil, is dry. (Betty Cahill, Special to The Denver Post)

Find your longest screwdriver and poke it down into the ground through the mulch, the grass and especially on sunny south-, west- or southwest-facing areas. Check anywhere the soil isn’t frozen. If the screwdriver doesn’t go down easily, then the ground, the soil, is dry. If you need to use more effort to get it down, then the area is extremely parched. Your plants and plant roots need attention, very soon.

Ongoing and prolonged dry plant roots can lead to root damage, death or reduced plant vigor. Above-ground foliage damage may not show up right away, but down the road the stress from lack of water in the soil will be apparent.

This month, pull out those hoses, sprinkler heads, soaker hoses or a deep-root soil needle and get busy giving your landscape a big, long, deep drink.

Priority watering starts with the most expensive and not easily replaced plants in any landscape: trees (both deciduous and evergreen). Follow that by paying attention to shrubs, perennials and then grass turf. Plants and bulbs that were newly installed last spring, summer or fall are also important to water first.

Water when temperatures are above freezing during the middle part of the day so there is time for the moisture to soak in before sunset. Avoid windy days. Set up your hose and sprinkler to water all around the drip line (outer branch tips) of trees or close to the trunk if the tree is new or young.

Make it easier by setting a timer and moving the sprinkler every 15 or 20 minutes. Circle back and repeat the same procedure (soak and cycle) if the area is severely dry.

Soak and cycle helps the water soak downward, avoiding water waste and run-off.

When using a deep-root soil needle, plan on spending a good hour or more per large tree. Less time may be needed for smaller and newly planted trees and shrubs. Insert the soil needle down no more than 8 to 10 inches (that’s where most of the roots are located) and let it run for five or so minutes in each spot. You’ll know when the spot is saturated as the water will bubble up and not soak in well. Move it every 5 feet around the tree.

Set up your hose and sprinkler to water all around the drip line (outer branch tips) of trees or close to the trunk if the tree is new or young. (Betty Cahill, Special to The Denver Post)
Set up your hose and sprinkler to water all around the drip line (outer branch tips) of trees or close to the trunk if the tree is new or young. (Betty Cahill, Special to The Denver Post)

A soaker hose works well, too. Extend it around the tree drip line (or closer for new trees). Make sure the water pressure is low so it soaks downward and not up and into the air. Leave it in place until your screwdriver goes down easily (check after each rotation.) Soaker hoses aren’t as easy to place around the tree when the hose is cold; you may need to use some landscape pins to keep it in place.

Tips

  • If it turns much colder after watering our landscapes, don’t worry: Frozen water in the soil will not harm plant roots.
  • Lawns can be affected by lack of winter moisture too, especially on south- and west-facing locations.
  • Disconnect all hoses after use, drain and keep them handy for the next time.
  • Check your landscape soil often for dryness, and aim for no relapses until your sprinkler system is turned on in the spring.

For more information, check out this article on fall and winter watering at colostate.edu.

Denver, CO - MARCH 15: Denver Post garden contributor Betty Cahill demonstrates how to properly divide and move plants for this week's DPTV gardening tutorial.  Plants are divided or moved because they are overgrown, overcrowded, lack vigor or are in the wrong place. Spring is the best time to move summer and fall blooming plants. (Photo by Lindsay Pierce/The Denver Post)

 

Betty Cahill speaks and writes about gardening in the Rocky Mountain Region. Visit her site at http://gardenpunchlist.blogspot.com/ for even more gardening tips.