Colorado Gardener Search Results

By harvest time most of our energy seemed to be used up – like we needed the rest and didn’t have any the years I’ve seen growers in Colorado sow carrots, parsnips, and kale in the fall and successfully harvest

Dagendesh: Harvest supply kit Children’s old backpacks and giveaway canvas tote bags make a handy harvest Fill with a knife, plastic bags, scissors, & other handy harvest supplies. Bubble wrap Bubble wrap is invaluable for harvesting fruit that can bruise or split. Homemade harvest baskets A metal, plastic or wood dish drainer makes a convenient harvest basket.

Q: How do I know when my Acorn and Hubbard winter squash are mature enough to harvest and store well? If it is difficult to impossible to insert your thumbnail, the squash is ready to harvest.

Here is a brief tour of some of the many ways humans have preserved their harvest from the dawn of gardening Try to preserve within 48 hours of harvesting; rinse and cut out all bad spots. Over the years, our cold-stored veggies have kept longer and longer—some until the next year's harvest FERMENTING Our favorite way to preserve our apple harvest is cidering. Photo: Idelle Fisher SALT, OIL, SUGAR, ALCOHOL, VINEGAR Preserving the harvest these time-tested ways

When can we harvest them? I won’t have to plant any more carrots, beets, or parsnips this year.

This fall I hope to revive our big ol’ Harvest Party. One of the best parts of a Harvest Party is learning new ways to prepare food.

Q: Can I still plant vegetables for a fall harvest? A: Absolutely! the leaf lettuce and spinach I planted last fall wintered through and gave me an extra early spring harvest

It’s been a good long run—27 years. When my plant-loving mother died in 1996 she left me enough cash to pay the first three printing bills for Colorado Gardener . Thanks to our advertisers I didn’t need to use it after the first issue. Most gardening information published at the time featured English garden plants and styles, and in the U.S., focused on the East Coast or California. Few people knew about the palette of plants for semi-arid western climates because few garden centers grew or carried them. Xeriscape wasn’t a household word and was often misinterpreted as “Zeroscape,” a bleak, no maintenance landscape of rocks on top of landscape fabric. Chemically supported lawns were championed. Insects were destructive pests to be eliminated and bees were considered a nuisance at best. My old friend Tom Theobald, a pessimistic beekeeper who passed away a few years ago, was sounding the alarm way back then, but nobody wanted to hear it (he kept at it till the end). There were very few farmers markets in the state and CSAs were a novelty. Food had become industrialized. Produce grown with chemical fertilizers and pesticides was called “conventional”. No one was talking about pollinators. The Rodale Institute had been publishing books and Organic Gardening magazine for decades after WW II, but composting and organic methods were still considered somewhat subversive in the 1990’s at Land Grant Universities and Extension Offices. Round-up ready crops were new and the “miracle weed killer,” used in agriculture then marketed to home gardeners, was embraced by millions (and still is despite known risks). DDT was banned for agricultural use in the U.S. in 1972 after Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring was published, but neonicotinoid pesticides developed in the 80’s and widely used today are even more lethal to insects, if safer for humans. Much has changed for the better. We now realize insects aren’t simply pests, but plant pollinators and the basic building block of the food chain, supporting all animals including humans. We champion healthy “living” soil, fungi, microbes, and interconnectedness. And yet, we’re still hurtling toward a very unsettling future. I didn’t understand all this when I started Colorado Gardener of course, I just knew I wanted to contribute in some way to a healthier environment and didn’t have much skill (or ambition) beyond words. I’ve always surrounded myself with plants and liked growing them, mostly on my own. But I discovered a vibrant gardening community here and was eager to tap into it. I’ve learned an awful lot from various people at Denver Botanic Gardens—especially Panayoti Kelaidis, who has been generous since the moment I first contacted him—and from the many gardener/writers who’ve contributed to the paper over the years; several are horticulture graduates from CSU in Fort Collins. Joining groups like the North American Rock Garden Society and Boulder Culinary Gardeners also introduced me to amazing plants and plantpeople. This is the last print issue we’ll publish, though www.coloradogardener.com will continue as an extensive archive for gardeners, with some new content added during the year. I have much confidence in our web designer, Idelle Fisher. Many thanks to our talented, patient Art Director, Lise Neer, who stuck with me for so long, and my trusty distributors, especially Sean Stevenson and Joyce Wagner, who brave Front Range traffic to get the paper out. We’ve had many calendar compilers over the years, including my daughter Sophie Macaulay who has been pressed into service (and come through gracefully) many times. Jodi Torpey has also stepped up recently. Special thanks to Publication Printers in Denver, especially Mike Blodis who shepherded every issue for decades and to Dave Sanchez. As usual, we’ve packed a lot into this Issue. John Hershey’s writing continues to delight me. The photo he took at a local garden center for his piece on page 3 is apropos but disturbing; we added a touch of Tiananmen Square, which I think lends itself perfectly. Sara Stewart Martinelli covers immune-boosting herbs for winter wellness . Check out the Botanica Fest she puts on at her farm in Lafayette in October. Gary R Raham tells you about plant-inspired robots , while Kenton Seth discusses trees’ fitness to survive in light of “native tree-killing climate change.” Panayoti Kelaidis wants us to plant more shrubs , which provide “a vast array of services,” require little care or attention, and live for decades. His 10 favorites are rarely seen in newer gardens. Mike Kintgen shares five alpines that are easy to grow even if you live on the plains. In “ Poison, Food and Medicine ” Mikl Brawner discusses the nature of poison and describes common toxic plants that you’ll want to be aware of. Entomologist Eric Eaton describes the amazing diversity of grasshoppers . There are roughly 145 species in Colorado. (He thanked me for tolerating his unorthodox perspective.) Garden Father Larry Stebbins knows a lot about growing vegetables . Here he focuses on strategies for success in an increasingly unpredictable climate. The best thing about growing your own food is eating it. Penn Parmenter knows how to grow and cook. She shares what she’s learned about eating more parts of the plants we grow . Marilyn Raff immersed herself in horticulture after studying Jungian psychology in Switzerland in her 20’s. Here she looks back on her lifetime passion from a Jungian perspective. Wishing you all the best, Jane Shellenberger

Speaking of gatherings and traditions, Penn Parmenter is hoping to revive her Harvest Party this year Until then, harvest some seeds for next year, keep cool, keep calm, and keep cooking.

Our Harvest print issue will be out soon. Happy harvest season! Jane Shellenberger Publisher/Editor, Colorado Gardener

Since it’s harvest time we have a piece by Deb Whitaker on best practices for storing vegetables for

Moving from the big picture to our Harvest Issue, here’s what’s inside. Because it’s harvest season Pam Sherman offers 9 ways to preserve what you grow in your veggie garden

dividing peonies, growing blackberries, planting late season vegetables for a fall and early spring harvest Enjoy and share your harvest.

Every week of the growing season I spend Friday mornings helping the farmers with planting, harvesting season passes the midway point, the demands in the field seem to grow exponentially; keeping up with the harvest By harvest time most of our energy seemed to be used up – like we needed the rest and didn’t have any I’ve seen growers in Colorado sow carrots, parsnips, and kale in the fall and successfully harvest them

we’ll be publishing three print issues next year – two in the spring (mid March and early May) and a Harvest issue in late August - while I search in earnest for a successor, whether digital, print or some combination In “After the Harvest” Jennifer Bousselot offers tips for jump-starting next year’s veggie gardens. Enjoy the harvest and what’s left of the summer. See you next spring! Jane Shellenberger

It’s time to reap the harvest in the veggie garden. finally, Kelly Grummons answers questions about gogi berries, asparagus, and planting now for a fall harvest

She also shared Bob’s insight into harvesting winter squash. Since we published a Harvest print issue for more than 20 years we have lots of articles on harvesting Harvesting Tips By William J. Dagendesh Harvest supply kit Children’s old backpacks and giveaway canvas tote bags make a handy harvest Fill with a knife, plastic bags, scissors, & other handy harvest supplies.

I’ve already harvested most of the veggie garden and have been waiting for cooler temps to plant beets Garden Q&A, Keith Funk covers when to plant spring-blooming bulbs , planting vegetables for a fall harvest Enjoy this cooler September & your harvest,  Jane Shellenberger Grasshopper on Coneflower

Bringing in the seed each fall is as normal as digging potatoes or storing the pumpkin harvest in a cool It’s easier than most harvest chores too, especially with ‘dry saves’.  If you harvest it all at once chances are the pods at the top won’t ripen at all, but since these seed At home I make several visits to the plant to harvest ripe and almost opened seedpods.    The plant shows you when the seed is ready to harvest; open seedpods often come in the form of cups or

this in a gym, I would get the same exercise with no free vitamin D and no possibility of an eventual harvest Under frost cloth, they can grow through the spring, and I’ll harvest enough broccoli, beets, and kale He felt the same about his garden at Walden Pond: “These beans have results which are not harvested by … How, then, can our harvest fail?”

These stems can be harvested and used in cooking. Keith Funk is handling our Q & A  this year.

I’ve enjoyed and benefitted from being a member of plant societies and gardening groups over the years and I recommend it to others. Most plant enthusiasts are knowledgeable, unassuming, and generous in my experience. Though I’m not among the most active members I try to get to some talks, annual conferences, and garden tours each year. I had a great time at the national conference of the North American Rock Garden Society in Steamboat Springs this year. The Colorado chapter is one the biggest; our state is a rock gardening mecca. All the people who put the conference together really knocked themselves out, especially Mike Kintgen from Denver Botanic Gardens. We hiked all around the area during peak wildflower season, saw and heard inspired presentations by top plant people from Patagonia and Sweden, among other places. We visited the beautiful Yampa Valley Botanic Gardens in Steamboat, the Betty Ford Alpine Gardens in Vail, and Mike Kintgen’s private garden near Steamboat. I missed the add-on field trip to Wyoming but heard it was awesome. It only costs $15/year to join this organization. Visiting Jim (& Dorothy) Borland’s Denver garden full of natives and unusual plants (ever hear of squirting cucumber vine?) was a special treat this year, part of the Colorado Native Plant Society Tour. I hadn’t been to their garden for quite a while, though they are gracious enough to be included in a number of tours. If you have an opportunity to see this garden, don’t pass it up! Joining CONPS is a great way to learn about Rocky Mountain plants and this year is their 40th, to be celebrated at their annual conference in September in Boulder, so now is a perfect time to become a member. There are several Urban Homestead Tours each year for all you vegetable-growing food-producers out there. I was curious to visit the Dirkse sisters’ Loveland homestead since Jacki Hein wrote a story about them for this issue. They were on the NOCO Urban Homestead Tour and their garden – and the tour – didn’t disappoint. It was remarkable to see all they have planted, constructed, accomplished in two short years. Nearly self-sufficient, they pack in a tremendous number of vegetable plants by growing vertically on trellises. Other features in this issue include Paula Ogilvie on the botany of fruit and natural science writer Gary Raham on phytobiomes. The definition is too long to include here but it represents a shift to a more holistic approach to botany. Marcia Tatroe writes about ornamental alliums and a few edible ones. All are bee magnets and easy bulbs to plant in the fall or, unlike other bulbs, at other times of the year. This has been a hard couple of years for trees along the Front Range. Our local municipality is giving away mulch and woodchips for free indefinitely since homeowners have dropped off so many dead and damaged tree limbs. Mikl Brawner tells you how to best support trees in Colorado. Only three – cottonwood, willow, and box elder – are native to the plains and they grow along streams and creeks. Our urban canopies have all been planted and many struggle in our semi-arid climate. James Wieser follows up on previous articles in CG, telling you about the fall and winter mushroom season in this issue. And entomologist Eric R. Eaton discusses the insects that try to find a cozy home inside for the winter like the rest of us. Almost all are an annoying nuisance at worst so no need to get too worked up about them. Fall is seed-saving season in the garden or, as Penn Parmenter puts it, Free Seed Store! She offers lots of practical tips for collecting, cleaning, and drying your bounty. Don’t overlook Kelly Grummons’ always helpful Q & A on p. 14, next to our Marketplace section. Special thanks to our Art Director, Lise Neer, who managed to layout this issue during campground stops on a cross-country bicycle ride, “Sea to Sea.” The trip is a high-visibility project intended to advocate for brain injury and stroke awareness. She and the other undaunted participants arrive in Boston in early September. To learn more: spokesfightingstrokes.org We’ll publish again in early February 2017, which marks our 20th Anniversary. Enjoy the fall and do a rain dance; it’s crispy out there. Jane Shellenberger

Q:  What vegetables are good choices for a fall harvest and when should they be planted?

: What vegetables can I plant in late summer and fall for a nice late fall, winter or early spring harvest , radish, turnip and sweet onion can be planted as early as July or as late as September for a fall harvest Using frost cloth or row-cover fabric through October and November can extend your usable harvest by This is especially useful for spinach and onion that can also be harvested the next spring. Being a broccoli lover, I sow a second crop in July that I can harvest in September and October.

The Spring issue will be mailed out starting April 18, the Harvest issue on August 18-20.

Water peppers daily then harvest in abundance in August and September!

Seed catalogs usually give rate of germination and the number of days until harvest. Consider how much and which methods (described below) you’ll use to preserve the harvest. continue to produce throughout the season, consider succession planning (planting a few each week) so the harvest With busy lives, it’s easy to be too busy when you need to harvest & preserve your food. Put harvest dates on your calendar to mentally prepare and help from feeling overwhelmed.

plant on the plains around March 15 to May 1 (I’ve had some success planting even later too, but the harvested Harvest with a fork to prevent cutting into the potatoes.

I harvested it as temps began to climb into the 90’s again. As summer flowers senesce, keep an eye out for the right time to harvest the seed.

Once harvested, store in a cool spot, not refrigerated, which causes garlic to sprout, and taste bitter Harvest mid-July, when about half of the long stems have turned brown and flop. Two weeks before harvesting discontinue watering to begin the dormancy and curing process. If using hardneck varieties another good indicator is to harvest roughly 1-2 weeks after the curlicue

As summer flowers senesce, keep an eye out for the right time to harvest the seed.

Tomatoes, apples, and onions are ready to harvest at the same time. (All winter squash need to be cured for at least two weeks after harvest and before eating, so let it

That leads me to what gardeners can do to increase their chances for a bountiful harvest, even when Mother The largest hail just bounces off these panels. The side panels, that can be rolled up for extra ventilation and harvesting, are 6 mil UV treated clear

Make the frame spacious enough so that you can work and maneuver while weeding and harvesting.

When autumn comes around, the children harvest the vegetables to enjoy on personal pizzas in a Garden-to-Table

Many tomatoes grown for grocery store sales are harvested from grafted, greenhouse-grown plants.

If you want to upgrade your chances of success, here are a few tips: PICK YOUR SPOT Before you harvest When you do harvest, gently brush off dirt and snip tops to 1/2". Harvest winter squash before the first, hard frost.

(This is the same book mentioned by Kenton Seth in his piece, Trees in the Apocalypse in our Harvest

stems and flowers may curve with a springtime flourish on their paper mounts, but collectors typically harvest

in intensive market gardening including soil health, planting, irrigation, weed and pest management, harvesting Students from Kemper Elementary in Cortez visited Washington DC to help Michelle Obama plant and harvest They returned to DC in June 2016 to help with her final harvest and cook the bounty alongside her.

Before Patti O’Neal cracked the code on growing flawless carrots, she harvested a few funny-looking roots Vegetable gardeners can take heart knowing they can do everything right and still harvest some oddball

Fewer people know that one third of the crops we blithely harvest from our local King Soopers wouldn’ July 6 of this year ScienceDaily reported on the work of Canadian scientists at York University who harvested

landscape restoration of native plant communities on the reservation through planting and traditional harvest

There are a lot of rules for keeping vegetables through the winter, and we’ll cover them in the Harvest In general, long keepers are planted and harvested later, so you still have time to get some in for this Others mentioned for extended shelf life are the late-harvester Long Season, the bolt-resistant Boltardy

There is a nice article by Kenton Seth that you might want to check out in our Harvest 2021 Issue on the in-progress guide to buying bee safe plants on the Front Range on our website, added after the Harvest

decided to continue publishing, but two print issues instead of three: SPRING in mid to late April and HARVEST

Grasshoppers immediately devour everything I plant, saving me time on future chores like weeding, watering, harvesting

fcgov.com/gardens/noco-urban-homestead-tour We’re starting to work on our Harvest issue that will come

wanting to procure the highest quality essential oils, and crafters interested in getting a better harvest Harvest stems and buds before the flowers open for craft and culinary use.

As summer flowers senesce, keep an eye out for the right time to harvest seed.