Gardening and Horticulture:
Western Colorado

Mesa, Delta, Montrose, & Ouray Counties - The Tri River Area

A list of programs, workshops and activities being presented by the Tri River Area CSU Extension Horticulture Staff - Accurate as of February 8, 2010

Brown Bag Lunch Series

Where:  Western Colorado Botanical Gardens, Struthers Ave, Grand Junction, CO
When:  12:00-1:00pm.

  • February 23  Rot To Riches: Home Composting Science     Dr. Curtis Swift will teach you the basics of turning your garbage into gold for the benefit of your garden.
  • March 30   Don't Pay for Your Food - Grow It   Class is a beginner's guide to vegetable gardening taught by Carl Hochmuth from CSU Extension Center.
  • April 27  Water Gardening   Learn about different types of water features and the plants that you can grow in them from Debra Foster, Water Gardening specialist at Meadowlark Gardens.

$5.00 per sessionTo register call Grand Junction Parks and Recreation at 254-3866 or www.gjcity.org

Vegetable Gardening Workshops - Presented in conjunction with the Mesa County Library District.

Registration is required to allow for hands-on activities and participant questions. Call 243-4442 to register.

 

The Pesticide Applicators Training Workshop 2010

Pesticide Applicators Training Workshop will be held Feb. 16-18 at Two Rivers Convention Center in Grand Junction. This workshop gives commercial and private pesticide applicators the opportunity to get all the continuing education credits (CEC's) needed to maintain their license with the Colorado Department of Agriculture in one meeting. CEC's are only available for individuals who already have a pesticide application license from the Colorado Department of Agriculture. They are required before anyone, private or commercial, can renew their license, which needs to be done every three years.
Continuing education credits for commercial applicators will be offered for UT, NM and WY. If you need credits for other states, contact Bob Hammon and we will try to get them set up.
Registration is $50.00 for private applicators (no meal). Registration is $110 (1 day), $135 (2 day) or $160 (3 days) for commercial applicators who require more than core categories. Meals are included with full day registrations. Call (970) 244-1834 to register with a credit card. The agenda and program flyer/mail-in-registration are now available.

Commercial Program flyer/Mail-in-registration (pdf)

Private Program flyer/Mail-in-registration (pdf)

2010 Landscapes West Garden Show and Conference cancelled

The Mission of the Horticulture Section - Tri River Area Extension

The Colorado State University Extension Tri River Area Horticulture Program extends research-based information about plant-related concerns to home gardeners, the Green Industry (nurseries, sod farms, lawn care companies, arborists, etc.), commercial vegetable producers, government entities, and other community members and agencies in Mesa, Delta, Montrose, Ouray, San Miguel and Gunnison Counties. Information is also provided on a state, interstate, and international level because of our efforts.

Our activities and capabilities include:

  • Maintenance of over 1000 pages on this web site
  • Distribution of information through the media
  • Master Gardener program
  • Native Plant Master program
  • Organization and presentation of Landscapes West Garden Show and Conference, and other major events
  • Presentations to various civic community groups throughout the four-county area
  • Workshops/presentations for:
    • Commercial and Private Licensed Pesticide Applicators
    • Arborists
    • Golf Course personnel
    • Lawn care personnel and other members of the turfgrass industry
    • Home gardeners
    • Master Gardeners
    • Garden Clubs and Societies
    • Western Colorado Botanical Gardens
    • Montrose Botanical Society
    • Others as requested
  • Research on the drought tolerance of various plants, successful species for Western Colorado, preferred varieties, etc.
  • Installation and maintenance of demonstration gardens and arboreta
  • Assist Landscape Architects and designers with plant problems and questions
  • Development of Landscape Specifications and other industry related documents.
  • Identification of plant diseases, insect pests and other plant problems
  • On-site examination of plant and soil-related problems
  • Testing of soil, compost, manure, and water for salts
    • Note: The CSU Soil Testing Laboratory and most private soils labs can do a complete soils analysis