Wrap up from the 2022 high altitude growing season! by CMG Ed Powers

All Photos by Ed Powers

We were OK last year - but what a growing season!  My worst since moving here in 2012.  First of all, I planted my vegetables and flowers late.  Then we were going through a dry spell which slowed down any growth. 

However, I did not let this deter me - I decided not to plant as many vegetables.  Also, we planted and bought more drought tolerant flowers.  Mainly petunias, alyssum and verbena.  Plus, my marigolds volunteered for the 4th season in a row and these along with our mixed flower pots were stunning. 

My Winter-Time Master Gardener Work by Ed Powers

One of the African Violets grown in the winter enclosure.
We did lose some of the violets due to the moisture level
but most of them made it.

Every late fall and winter are an interesting time for me as a Master Gardener at 8,000 feet.  I enjoy gardening during the late spring and summer.  My question after summer is what is next.  

Fun Plant to Grow: Christmas Cactus by Ed Powers

Pink Holiday cactus courtesy Gardener's path

I have lived in many parts of this country in my lifetime and like many of you, I garden indoor and outdoor.  One of the most beautiful indoor plants I’ve run across is the Christmas Cactus.  It was given that name because it blooms around Christmas.  In a way it is misnamed because many of these plants bloom at times other than Christmas.  I have one that blooms at Thanksgiving and then turns around and blooms at Easter.  

Critters in the garden? by Ed Powers

Raised pots on our Deck.  We used sonic pulse stakes in these pots
Photo: Ed Powers

Some of the critter challenges of growing vegetables and flowers at elevation.

I have had gardens in several states and done well growing both vegetables and flowers.  Until I moved to Colorado, I grew my plants at or below sea level.  Elevation in Colorado is very different because of lower humidity, more direct sun and the mountain weather patterns. Also, the wildlife creates havoc with gardens and vegetables.  I deal with deer, elk, rabbits, voles, mice, pack rats, chipmunks, and ground squirrels to name a few that love my gardens.  My first 3 years gardening were a disaster.

This little-known fruit can be grown at different altitudes by Ed Powers

 

Courtesy:  Baker Creek Seeds

This last summer (2021) was the most amazing and most successful in my Garden to date.  I learned many new things about how to protect my Gardens and some new vegetables that grow in our area.  I would like to focus on one of those vegetables that I grew.  They are Physalis pruinose - common name Ground Cherry Tomato.  They are flowering plants in the Nightshade group and close relatives of tomatoes, Chinese Lanterns and Tomatillos.  They grow in warm temperate and subtropical regions of the world. 

 

A plastic roof protects flowers from hail. (Courtesy of Ed Powers)

Congratulations to our Colorado Master Gardener Ed Powers for having one of his articles picked up and published by Dept. Of Ag in their morning newsletter. 

An Apple for our Higher Altitude by Ed Powers

Courtesy Wikipedia - Antonovka Apples

I recently discovered and ordered 2 small seedling trees which originated from Russia and Poland.  They could be great for our altitude in the Rockies.

This apple is called Antonovka. It consists of several varieties, but the Common Antonovka is usually grown in the U.S.  

Master Gardeners at the Farmers Markets by Ed Powers

Photo courtesy IA State Extension

Farmers Market time is here! June kicks off this great summer event across the state. Our Jefferson County Farmers Markets offer fresh fruits and vegetables grown in the local area as well as produce from other regions of the state (think Palisade peaches and Rocky Ford melons!). Many markets have morphed into outlets for crafters and cottage food producers as well as clothes, books and other items.

Gardening Power to the People: Trellis / Vertical Gardening by Ed Powers

Watch this 4-minute video by Ed Powers, Jefferson County Master Gardener, about ideas for trellising and vertical gardening. Thanks, Ed!

Seed Saving and Seed Saving Methods by Ed Powers

Seeds

Tempting though it may be to ignore everything else but the delicious flavor of our home produce, it is important to bear in mind that all living things – which means, to a greater or lesser extent, pretty much all of our food – follow a cycle in their growth patterns. With crops which are annuals, such as most commercial crops and many salads and vegetables, if we harvest the food but not the seed we are breaking this cycle. 

In order to create an even more efficient system, we can harvest the seeds from our vegetable plots and re-seed them next year, ensuring prolonged biodiversity and more economically liable growing for us, as we don’t have to keep buying seeds. 

When you save seeds for planting and legacy from year to year you should plant only heirloom seeds. There are some useful resources out there to help decide which vegetables will be most successful.  I have researched many sources including universities.   Here are some tips on seed saving from experienced gardeners and knowledgeable  individuals and organizations.

However tempting it might be to fill your garden with a blossoming diversity of different types of vegetables, in terms of actually being able to save that diversity for coming generations it may be more helpful to grow just one variety of each different crop at a time. 

What are Seed Libraries and why do we need them? by Ed Powers

mountainwise.org

A seed library is a depository of seeds where seeds are leant or shared with its members. It is distinguished from a seed bank in that the main purpose is not to store or hold germplasm or seeds against possible destruction, but to disseminate them to the public which preserves the shared plant varieties through propagation and further sharing of seed. 

Members come to the library and borrow seed for their garden.  They grow the plants in their garden and at the end of the season; they let a few plants ‘go to seed.’  From those plants, they collect seeds and return the same amount of seed (or more) as they borrowed at the beginning of the growing season.  Seeds are free to members.

The library is both a collection of seeds and a community of gardeners.  Since seed is a living thing, it must be renewed each year somewhere by someone or unique varietals can become extinct.  Even growing one seed and returning it to the library is a valuable contribution.  Seed Libraries may also operate as pure charity operations intent on serving gardeners and farmers.

A common attribute of many seed libraries is to preserve agricultural biodiversity. by focusing on rare, local, and heirloom seed varieties.

Seed libraries use varied methods for sharing seeds, primarily by:

1. Seed swaps otherwise known as seed exchanges, in which library members or the public meet and exchange seeds.
2. Seed "lending," in which people check out seed from the library's collection, grow them, save the seed, and return seed from the propagated plants to the library.
   
   

Why We Should Save Seeds from our Gardens by Ed Powers

I have lived in many climates across the country over the last 40 years and I have tried to save seeds in most of those climates.  A key for me in saving seeds was to research seed saving through universities such as Colorado State University.  What I found was heirloom type seeds produced the same crops year after year whereas hybrid seeds would not produce exactly the same crops the following years.  Heirloom seeds are true to form that comes from open-pollinated plants and some cases have been grown year after year for over 50 years.  These heirloom seeds will adapt too many local areas after being grown in that area for 3 to 5 years.  However Hybrid seeds are across between 2 different plant varieties to get the valued attributes of both. That is done to make stronger plants.  But it holds true only in one year.

Two Foothill Gardening Experiences in 2013 by Ed Powers

In 2013 I started the year where I left off in 2012. In 2012 I had just moved to Evergreen from Detroit, Michigan and was able to start seeds in late April. Almost too late for this area. I planted a few tomatoes, squash, peppers, marigolds, Icelandic poppies and zinnias. Of course I brought the seed from Detroit. Everything sprouted and grew.