Honey Bee Swarm Season is Here! By Rebecca Anderson

Bee swarm, photo by Beckie Anderson

Spring means honey bee swarm season.  A swarm occurs when an existing hive gets too full and the bees are feeling crowded.  The queen bee produces a couple of princess bees as her replacement.  Then the queen gathers half of the worker bees to move out of the hive with her.  This results in a ball of bees hanging from a tree branch, eave or fence, peacefully humming to themselves.  

Starting Those Hard to Grow Seeds: Stratification and Scarification By Brooke Colburn

Spring is creeping upon us here in the Front Range, and if you plan to start any of your flowering, perennial, native, or woody plants from seed, they may require some special treatment to overcome dormancy and germinate. There are two general types of seed dormancy: mechanical and chemical. Mechanical dormancy refers to a seed coat that is impermeable to water and or air, and it must be broken by a process called scarification. Chemical dormancy involves chemicals in the seed that must be leached away or broken down by a method called stratification.

Jefferson County Master Gardeners in Service: Call Center for Your Horticulture Questions by Amy Norwood

 Master Gardener Amy Norwood staffing the Call Center

If you are a Colorado gardener, chances are you’ve asked yourself questions like these:

• What is the best time of year to prune my apple tree?
• When I mow my lawn, what should I do with the clippings?
• What type of light does my indoor fern plant require?

You aren’t alone: questions about outdoor landscapes and indoor plantscapes arise 52 weeks a year.  Jefferson County Master Gardeners answer these questions year-round via the Master Gardener Call Center.

Starting Seeds Outdoors Video

Starting seeds outdoors is not as easy as tossing them on to the ground. Learn how to warm the soil, keep it warm and choose cold season veggie seeds.

Jefferson County Master Gardeners in Service: The Courage Garden by Lorrie Redman

Weeping Crabapple in bloom at The Courage Garden, photo by Loretta Simms

Every day, we are surrounded by stories of violent crime. Rather than forgetting these horrific events, communities strive to bring people together to honor the victims and seek solutions. In Jefferson County, a Courage Garden was created in 1995 to help individuals remember loved ones and to remind community members that there is still work to be done. The garden provides a peaceful setting for reflection and solace. 

Vermaculture or Composting With Worms Videos

Vermiculture or vermacomposting is the cultivation of worms, using food scraps and produce a great soil amendment. Worm castings (worm waste) contain higher levels of

nitrogen than most other organic amendments. Worms are natural soil builders and vermicomposting is a clean and efficient method to recycle otherwise wasted food. 

Why vermicompost?

• It reduces the volume added to the landfill. 

• It requires little space, and equipment. 

• Children love to help and will be amazed at how quickly the worms work. 

• It is an indoor gardening project and perfectly suited for apartments or other small homes.

• It provides wonder compost for your plants. 

Here are three videos produced by our Jefferson County Master Gardener Video Team showing you exactly how to do this!

Part I

Part II


Part III

Pruning Considerations: Shade Trees in the Landscape by Sally Blanchard

Photo by Donna Duffy

It is tough to be a shade tree here in the Front Range! With periods of drought to record precipitation, blistering heat to deep freezes, extreme winds to infestations of lethal insects, our trees need our help! Surely you’ve watered those trees during this period of warm weather and little or no snow or rain, and now it is time to look closely and see if your trees are in need of pruning. Early spring is the perfect time to accomplish this task.

Colorado's Native Bees by Cindy Gibson

The hum of bees is the voice of the garden – Elizabeth Lawrence

Photo courtesy Donna Duffy

As the days become warmer and the first flowers of spring appear, look and listen for the gentle sound of bees in your garden. Many bees that call Colorado home will emerge from their underground nests, hollow stems, or holes in trees starting in March. The diversity of local habitats in Colorado helps to explain why there are over 900 reported native species!

The Right Plant for the Right Place by Rebecca Anderson

Photo courtesy gardeningabout.com

When Master Gardeners and Extension horticulture staff are helping people with plant problems, we usually start with the soil.  It is thought that 80% of plant problems are related to soil issues.  We like to start with soil testing to find out if there are any deficiencies or excesses in the soil that can be corrected so plants will grow better.  But what happens when the soil test doesn't show problems and your plants still aren't thriving?  What else could be going on?

A Celebration of Irish Plants by Donna Duffy

Trifolium repens, Photo courtesy backyardgardener.com

You probably know that in Ireland, all shamrocks are considered lucky and are worn and given as gifts on St. Patrick's Day. Most Irish growers will tell you that Trifolium repens, White Clover, is the plant most commonly known as a shamrock. In Colorado, this Irish shamrock grows in our lawns, in prairies, pastures and foothills. If you enjoy clover honey, you can thank this lovely little plant.

Rethink Your Lawn by Donna Duffy

Photo courtesy university-gardens.com

Across Jefferson County, bluegrass lawns are just starting to green up. This is a good time to think about changes you’d like to make in your lawn this year. There are at least three options to consider:

1. Leave it pretty much as is
2. Renovate it
3. Remove some lawn for vegetable or flower plantings

The Importance of Insect Pollinators by Audrey Stokes

Bumblebee

First things, first: What are pollinators?

Many insects, birds, and animals help move pollen between flowers and act as “pollinators”. Butterflies, moths, bees, wasps, and flies are examples of insect pollinators. When a pollinator visits a flower it is looking for food but while feeding, these insects inadvertently transfer pollen grains between flowers and help the plants produce fruit and seeds.

Next: Why is pollination important to plants?

Pollination is important because it leads to the production of fruits we can eat, and seeds that will create more plants. Pollination begins with flowers. Flowers have male parts that produce very small grains called pollen. Pollination is the transfer of pollen grains from one flower to another.

And, so: What are the importance of insect pollinators?

Pollen Wasp

• Pollinators support biodiversity: There is a correlation between plant diversity and pollinator diversity.
• The pollinator population of an area is a great indicator of the overall health of an ecosystem.
• Some crops, including blueberries and cherries, are 90 percent dependent on honey bee pollination.
• Honey bees visit five million flowers to make one pint of honey.
• To produce 150 pounds of honey, bees cover a distance equal to 13 trips to the moon and back.
• 90 percent of the nation's apple crop is pollinated by bees.
• There are 4000 bee species in the U.S. 
• Increased yields and higher quality crops are benefits that growers and consumers realize from a healthy pollinator population, native or managed.
• Worldwide, approximately 1,000 plants grown for food, beverages, fibers, spices, and medicines need to be pollinated by insects and animals in order to produce the goods on which we depend.
• It’s estimated that there are about 2.4 million bee colonies in the U.S. today, two-thirds of which travel the country each year pollinating crops and producing honey and beeswax.