Symposium Sneak Peak: The 10 Easiest Vegetables to Grow in Colorado by Amy Bubar

Photo courtesy extension.unh.edu

The vegetable gardening season is over for most of us. And with winter just beginning, it might feel like next season is an eternity away. But the truth is that it’s never too early to start planning next year’s garden. In fact, now’s the prefect time to get started.

Beginning Vegetable Gardening Symposium January 28, 2017 by Amy Bubar

Jill Knussman Colorado Master Gardener using best practices in our demo garden.

Jefferson County CSU Extension Colorado Master Gardeners announce their 2017 Spring Gardening Symposium to be held on Saturday, January 28, 2017 from 8:45 AM to 4:00 PM at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds.  Come join us for a full day of vegetable gardening excitement for beginning and intermediate gardeners in particular.

Morning Session:

Best Management Practices for Planning This Year’s Garden. Where do you start? Lear the basic planning skills to guarantee a great garden this year whether it is your first garden or you are trying to perfect the one you already have. 

The Dirt on Dirt. It is estimated that nearly 80% of all garden problems originate with the soil and lack of appropriate preparation.  Learn how to avoid problems and develop the best soil possible for the biggest and healthiest harvest ever.  

The 10 Easiest Vegetables to Grow in Colorado. Why not start with the most successful veggies to grow in Colorado?  You will not only get a list of the top 10 best, but we’ll tell you how to do it successfully as well as how to share techniques for succession planting to keep it interesting for three seasons.  

Lunch

Lunch and Learn Class (requires special registration – limited space)

Incorporating Flowers and Herbs into the Vegetable Garden.  Add some interest and variety to your vegetable garden by incorporating aromatic herbs and edible flowers to the mix.  Learn the best options for Colorado gardens and how to do it successfully.

Tomatoes.  The Holy Grail.  If you only grow one vegetable, make it a tomato!  So what are the secrets of growing the best tasting, best producing tomatoes?  Are heirlooms better than hybrids?  What are the most common things people do wron?  Learn this and more to make your tomato crop amazing.  

Starting Seeds or Transplants? What is best? What is easiest?  What’s the difference?  Variety?  Cost?  And the list goes on.  What are the best strategies for planting seeds?  Come get a great tutorial in starting your garden the best way possible for you.  

Container Vegetable Gardening.  Short of space?  No worries.  Almost any vegetable can be successfully grown in a container.  You will learn container planting strategies to maximize pleasure and production from your small space gardens.  

Let us help you step up your vegetable gardening success this year by taking your gardening skills up a notch. No questions unanswered! 

To register visit https://sprgardsymp2017.eventbrite.com. For more information call the Jeffco Extension Office at 303-271-6620.

Master Gardeners Celebrate 40 years of Service in Jefferson County by Amy Bubar

This year, Jefferson County CSU Extension’s Master Gardeners are proud to be celebrating their 40th anniversary of service to Jefferson County residents. Jefferson County has one of the largest cadres of Master Gardeners in the state. These volunteers utilize research-based information to foster successful gardeners, develop partnerships and build strong communities. 

Is it your time? Become a Master Gardener! by Amy Bubar

Jefferson County Master Gardeners ready to serve!

Do you love planting those first little seeds in the ground each spring, eagerly awaiting their subtle greenery to break the soil surface? Do you have an on-going quest for knowledge? Do you enjoy helping others in your community?  Are you ready for the next step in your own back yard gardening?  If the answer to any of these questions is yes, consider becoming a Master Gardener! 

Don't Forget to Thin Your Seedlings! by Amy Bubar

Photo courtesy vegetable-gardening-online.com

Your vegetable garden is finally in!  Now, don’t make the mistake of neglecting your labor of love.  Those seeds tend to sprout and grow faster than we often realize, so once your seedlings are a few inches high they may need to be thinned out to make room for their roots to grow. It may seem disheartening to pluck from the ground something that you nurtured to life, but thinning is important to help reduce competition for water, light, and nutrients by nearby plants.  This will allow space for your roots to expand morph into the crop of savory delights they were destined to be!

Don’t Miss the Boat: It’s Time to Plant Cilantro! by Amy Bubar

Cilantro, photo courtesy CSU Extension

I had the most delicious soup the other day at my favorite neighborhood eatery.  Creamy and rich, it also had the unmistakable fresh, bright essence of a certain herb, which served as the perfect reminder:  Now’s the time to plant cilantro!

Precocious Pre-Schoolers put Classroom Concepts to the Test by Amy Bubar

Remember the first time you felt the joy of digging in the dirt, making a home for a tiny plant and nurturing it into a full-grown leafy donor of juicy, delicious veggies?  A group of children at the Mount Saint Vincent Home is doing just that.  Though they range from only 3 to 5 years old, as pre-schoolers they’ve already been taught the basics.