Growing Tomatoes in Colorado by Carol King

Photo CO-Horts

Tomatoes are the most popular vegetable to grow in the home garden in the US. In fact 93% of American gardening households grow tomatoes!

Here are a few fun facts about tomatoes: 

• The tomato plant originates from the family of Nightshade plants (potato, tobacco, chili peppers) in Central America. It was domesticated around 500 BC by Aztecs and used not only as a food, but also as powerful (and dangerous) hallucinogenic.
• It is speculated that there is over 25 thousand tomato varieties.
• Americans obtain more vitamins from tomatoes than from any other vegetable.
• An average American eats around 24 pounds of tomato each year.
• Americans have increased their tomato consumption 30% over the last 20 years. In the last few years however, salsa has replaced ketchup as the top selling condiment in the United States.

It’s finally time to plant tomatoes here along the Front Range in Colorado and this CSU Fact Sheet has all the information you need to have a great tomato crop: 

http://www.ext.colostate.edu/mg/Gardennotes/717.html

Interested in container grown tomatoes?  Try this video: 

Other interesting Tomato Facts can be found at http://www.vegetablefacts.net/vegetable-facts/tomato-facts/

Happy gardening!

Jefferson County Master Gardeners in Service: Horticulture and Demonstration Garden by Jill Knussman

Photo by Jill Knussmann

Did you know that Jefferson County Master Gardeners have a demonstration vegetable and fruit garden at the fairgrounds? For the past two years, hundreds of pounds of produce have been grown in these garden beds and donated to local food banks. We invite you to visit and see what you can learn about growing produce.

Through the Eyes of a Potato: History From a Potato's Perspective by Randy Wilkerson

Russet Burbank Potato, photo courtesy Wikipedia

My official name is Solanum tuberosum, but you can call me potato. I was born in the Andes of South America, probably near Lake Titicaca on the border of what is now Peru and Bolivia, but some of my ancestors probably came from Chile. My parents were members of the Nightshade family, so that makes me a Solanaceae. Some of my relatives include tomatoes, eggplants, chili peppers and petunias.

Prevention of Deer, Elk and Rabbit Damage to the Home Landscape by Peter J. Drake

Photo courtesy nps.gov

Whether you are justifiably proud of your long-standing, carefully-nursed hedge and flower beds, or you are just starting out in shaping your home yard into the plantscape of your dreams, you have probably already confronted, worried about, and tried to deal with wildlife damage—particularly, for Colorado at this time of year, the damage resulting from activities of deer, elk and rabbit.

A Brief History of Honey Bees by Rebecca Anderson

Honey bee (Apis mellifera) foraging in a Five Spot wildflower (Nemophila maculata).

Honey bees (Apis mellifera) have populated our planet for eons.  Fossil evidence of the earliest bee ancestors date to 130 million years ago.  About 80 million years ago, bee fossils started showing characteristics of social structure.  Recent genetic analysis of modern honey bees point to the insects originating in Asia, not Africa as previously thought.  Humans have interacted with bees for millennia.  Rock art from 25,000 years ago depict honeycomb and wild honey bee hives.  Residue of beeswax has been found on artifacts dating back 9000 years.  These artifacts were located in various regions including Europe, the Near East and North Africa.

Inviting Daphne to Your Garden by Rebecca Anderson

Daphne in bloom in April, photo by Rebecca Anderson

The daphnes (Daphne sp.) are a group of broadleaf shrubs that add interest to gardens around the world.  There are nearly 100 species of daphne, which are in the same family as thyme (Thymeaceae).  The most common species in the United States are the D. xburkwoodii, hybridized by British brothers Albert and Arthur Burkwood who were accomplished nurserymen in the 1920's.  The 'Somerset' cultivar is the original popular variety.  A beautiful mutation of 'Somerset' was discovered by New Jersey gardener Carol Mackie in 1962.  Since then, the 'Carol Mackie' cultivar has been widely propagated.  It is listed as hardy in zones 5 to 9, although many gardeners in zone 4 have had success.  'Carol Mackie' joined my flower bed in 2007 as an impulse purchase, and has really made herself at home since.

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!

History of the Tomato by Cherie Luke

Photo courtesy cedargrovegardens.com

The best way to get a delicious tomato is to grow it yourself! And many of us must be doing just that: according to the US Department of Agriculture, 93% of home gardens grow tomatoes, making it the most popular vegetable to grow. With 25,000 varieties to choose from, it’s no wonder we are enamored with our tomato plants.

Planting Trees in Colorado for Arbor Day by Carol King

Photos by Carol King

Happy Arbor Day, an annual observance that celebrates the role of trees in our lives and promotes tree planting and care. What better way to celebrate than to plant a tree! Spring is typically tree and shrub planting time in Colorado.  The garden centers and big box stores are offering a huge assortment to choose from.  How does one know which tree to choose?  Choosing the right tree is essential to tree health and success. Don’t just go to the garden center and take whatever you can find.  Put some study into it.  

Ask yourself some questions. What is growing well in your neighborhood? What varieties are suited to Front Range Colorado and are most resistant to common insect and disease pests? What is the purpose of my tree?  Shade? Fruit? Windbreak?  This can be a daunting decision so here are some resources to help:

Front Range Tree Recommendation List, from Colorado Nursery Grower's Association, American Society of Landscape Architects Colorado, the Colorado Tree Coalition, and Colorado State UniversityExtension.
http://coloradotrees.org/PDFs/TreeRecommendationList.pdf

Recommended Trees for Colorado Front Range Communities, from Colorado State Forest Service, http://static.colostate.edu/client-files/csfs/pdfs/trees_for_frontrange.pdf

Read more: Colorado tough: Great trees for your Western garden - The Denver Post http://www.denverpost.com/homegarden/ci_25616185/colorado-tough-great-trees-your-western-garden#ixzz306oIQnag 

Jefferson County Master Gardeners in Service: Community Garden Coaching by Nancy O’Brien

Community Garden Coaching, photo by Nancy O'Brien

You might be wondering, “what is a garden coach, anyway?” A garden coach provides specialized gardening information to manage garden problems. Jefferson County Master Gardeners are available to provide coaching for neighborhood associations, fraternal organizations, schools, businesses or church groups that have or sponsor a community garden. For example, a Master Gardener coach could come to a community garden and work individually with each plot owner to figure out how to get maximum harvest from their space.

Celebrate Earth Day by Audrey Stokes

Each year, Earth Day marks the anniversary of what many consider the birth of the modern environmental movement which began in 1970. At the time, Americans were slurping leaded gas through massive V8 sedans. Industry belched out smoke and sludge with little fear of legal consequences or bad press. Air pollution was commonly accepted as the smell of prosperity. “Environment” was a word that appeared more often in spelling bees than on the evening news.

Growing Great Celery Video

Thinking about growing celery this year?  This video will help you succeed.