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The tulips and daffodils are waiving in the breeze like colored signal flags letting us know that another growing season has begun. Gardeners have spent the winter evaluating the newest horticultural offerings and have selected the very best. But before you start planting, give your soil a little help and ensure you get the best from your plants.
Most of the soil in our area can be described as Colorado clay. The soil is heavy, compacts easily and has poor aeration resulting in limited root growth. You can improve the soil texture (tilth) by adding organic matter and thoroughly blending it into the soil. The plants in your garden use a variety of nutrients to stay healthy and produce the best vegetables, fruits and blooms. Composted yard waste results in a rich dark humus that is ideal for improving the quality of your soil. Tilling it in with a garden fork or rotary tiller also improves drainage and adds nutrients. Adding amendments to the soil will help meet the plants' demand for nutrients.
The best time to add amendments is before you plant in the spring. Wait until the soil is reasonably dry before attempting to improve it. To test if the soil is ready to be worked, squeeze a fist full in your hand. If it is similar to a freshly baked cake and crumbles out of your hand, it is ready. If it sticks together, like a moist brownie, you'll need to let it dry out some more. Thoroughly mixing the amendments with the existing soil is important since layering the amendments without tilling can easily cause difficulties with the water movement. Some organic amendments are peat, composted shredded leaves and grass clippings, shredded rice hulls, well-rotted dairy manure and digested or composted sludge. Some inorganic amendments are vermiculite, perlite and sand. Adding sand to heavy clay soil is not recommended, since clay, sand and water can, in the right proportions, make concrete.
Results are best if you do your spring soil improving two to three weeks before you plan to plant. To improve the soil in an existing bed you will need amendments, a garden fork or tiller and a rake. Break the soil to a depth of 6 to 8 inches with the fork or tiller - be careful not to disturb the roots of any existing plants. Sprinkle about an inch of the amendment evenly over the surface of the broken soil and use the fork or tiller to evenly blend the soil and the amendments. Level the area by raking first in one direction, then in the opposite direction. Water well to soak the amended soil. Avoid adding too much organic matter (more than 1.25" depth) all at once, or you may create a soluble salt problem. Less is better, and it often takes years to truly improve soil. Soil improvement is a continual process.
Be patient and select plants that are tolerant of the Colorado climate and soil. Feed, weed, water as needed and say the Gardener's Prayer of "AMEND" and yours will be a bountiful Garden of Eatin'.
Additional information can be obtained by calling the Larimer County Cooperative Extension Office at 498-6000 or refer to Fact Sheet #7.222 Soil - the key to successful gardening or Fact Sheet #7.220 Gardening in Colorado: A Challenge to Newcomers. Also call Planttalk Colorado toll free at 1-888-666-3063 and request recording #1605 on Soil Preparation (see script here on-line).
Q: What is composting and how does it work?
A: Composting is the process that allows bacteria and other organisms to break down dead plant material. Yard waste can be reduced by 50% to 75%, thereby saving valuable landfill space. Returning compost to the soil as an amendment improves the clay soil found in the area, makes the soil easier to cultivate, helps balance the pH, improves moisture retention, helps root penetration, converts nutrients to a form more easily accessible to the plants and attracts beneficial insects and organisms. Compost literally makes itself. When the gardener combines the proper ratio of materials, the speed of decomposition can be affected dramatically resulting in several batches per season. Nutrient rich soil supports healthy plants that will help resist insect pests and diseases and reduce the need for chemical controls.
Q: I love the early spring when the bulbs are blooming. What should I do after the bloom?
A: You can deadhead the spent blooms if you like to keep things tidy, however, it isn't necessary. Don't cut back the leaves of the plant until they become nearly completely yellow and begin to dry out. The leaves are helping to supply the bulb with nutrients for next year's bloom. As the spring bulbs die back and then disappear in mid season, they leave big gaps. Plan to have something with good foliage or blooms to cover the empty spots left behind. Daylilies would be ideal companion plants.
Mention flower bulbs and most of us think only of tulips and daffodils. Gladiolus, tuberous begonias, dahlias, cannas, calla and Asiatic lilies are tubers and bulbs that are planted in late spring for summer bloom. These bulbs are not cold hardy in Colorado, so remember to dig them up in the fall and store them in a frost-free location for the winter.
Prune Forsythia, flowering plum and almond , lilacs and other spring flowering shrubs immediately after flowering. Take out dead and crossing branches and any other stems that affect the shape of the shrub. Rejuvenate older shrubs that are not flowering very well by pruning 1/3 of the stems all the way to the ground. Repeat this process for the next two years.
Buffalo and blue grama grass are native to Colorado's short grass prairie and will thrive on 11 to 14 inches of water annually. They are warm season grasses, turning blue-green during the warm summer months. Seed buffalo/blue grama grass in late spring and water as necessary until a dense turf is established. Over a period of a year, watering can be reduced until no additional irrigation is necessary. If you do not mow these grasses, they will grow about 4 – 10 inches tall.
As you head to the garden centers this spring, check out the plants with the Plant Select® label. Thirty-one plants - perennials, shrubs and tress have been identified and developed as some of the very best plants for gardens in our region. Most of these plants are also Xeriscape™ plants. Plant Select® is a cooperative program of the Denver Botanic Gardens, Colorado State University and the "green" industry of the Rocky Mountain and plain states.
Lawn mowers and other garden equipment engines are getting cleaner – 70% cleaner than in 1990 according to the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Phase 2 emissions standards go into effect this year (2001). California has even tougher standards so, if you want the cleanest lawn mower engine, look for the label stating the engine meets the 2000-2001 California and EPA Phase 2 emission regulations. Of course, the cleanest lawn mower of all is still the push reel mower that relies on human power and not gasoline or electricity.
The authors have received training through Colorado State University Cooperative Extension's Master Gardener program and is a Master Gardener volunteer for Larimer County.
Fact Sheets are available at the Larimer County Extension Office, 1525 Blue Spruce Drive, Fort Collins, Colorado, telephone (970) 498-6000, or contact us by e-mail at larimer@coop.ext.colostate.edu
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