Peak & Prairie

Rocky Mountain Chapter's
Online Newsletter
April / May 1999

Garden Clean-Up Time is Coming To Colorado

by Jan Oen

If you didn’t have time last fall to properly put your beds to rest for the winter, now is the time to clear old vegetation.

Soil Preparation: Simply turning over the soil is not enough. Double digging is your best bet. Do this methodically by removing the top shovel full and setting the dirt aside. Then dig down an additional spade’s width. Work in compost when returning the topsoil. You will have increased the volume of air in the soil. This is so important in our semi-arid climate because it will allow the moisture to penetrate the root area of plants.

Planting: Now is the time to plant your cold-weather crops such as broccoli, cabbage, spinach, early lettuce, and radishes. Don’t put your tomatoes and zucchini in until mid-May unless you have a protected area or are using something like "Wall Of Water."

Plant an extra row (rows?) for the hungry. This was a theme among the green industry last year. It is a good idea and hopefully it will carry forward this year. Another thought is to plant extras for Y2K preparedness .

Happy Gardening!