The Garden Thread

climbhoser · Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2012 6:20 pm Post subject:

Ron,

Melons go great here. I'm on the Front Range, which is very different than where chemman is. We're at ~6000'. Tomatoes also grow really well. We have a much longer growing season here, though. We have melons and tomatoes of myriad varieties.

Chemman, it you're in Summit then good luck. Might find some seed for native inter mountain grasses, but don't expect much from it. Good luck!
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jellero · Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2012 6:36 pm Post subject:

oh, yea the tomatoes. the only tomato to produce red tomatoes here is the "first lady" strain which i am growing again this year. last year i grew 11 strains and fl was the only one to make it and it did great, heavy producer. it is indeterminate. gave a plant to my cousin last spring and they kept it going all winter in a sun room, still going. j

jellero · Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2012 1:02 am Post subject:

has anyone at 7000' ever grown limas or okra?
having a steady rain with no wind for two hours so far! j

diggman · Joined: 07 Aug 2006 Posts: 2309 Location: Minnesnowta

Remember a lawn is just an expanse of a common ground cover. Grass is the default choice and then people spend time keeping all of the other things at bay.

The right strain of grass is as important as the method. I'm not sure what variety would be the prefered choice at 8000' but i'm sure some university has identifed the best strain.

The idea of using something else is worth considering. Around here creeping charlie is a weed to most but it is a great ground cover and very persistent.

We're using wild flowers in a number of areas to cut down on the amount of of "turf maintenance" we need to do. They require little maintenance, provide erosion control, and attract beneficial insects.

Of course if you are looking to create a play area neither of these are particularly good alternatives to grass.
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climbhoser · Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2012 2:26 pm Post subject:

vdrifter11 · Joined: 09 Dec 2011 Posts: 2034

rsireland3 · Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2012 5:41 pm Post subject:

I am unable to forget the melons of which Risk.Reduction posted pictures last year.
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jellero · Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2012 8:16 pm Post subject:

can anyone identify this plant? it was here when i bought this house in 1981. some sort of sage i guess. j

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vdrifter11 · Joined: 09 Dec 2011 Posts: 2034

^^^ looks like a type of sage..or juniper
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James · Joined: 24 Jan 2005 Posts: 6978 Location: Castle Rock, CO

It is a sage for sure.

This I think, Artemisia Tridentata

http://plants.usda.gov/factsheet/pdf/fs_artr2.pdf

You may want to call Guiness I have never seen one half that big.

chemman · Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2012 10:17 pm Post subject:

So if you could pluck a bit of a stem off and take a macro photo it would help, throw a quarter or ruler in there for scale. Then take a bit of it and smush it up with a finger in the palm of your hand, if it is sage it will smell quite strong. It is a bit odd unless you live in a midget house.
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James · Joined: 24 Jan 2005 Posts: 6978 Location: Castle Rock, CO

Good idea for the smell but I can guarantee you it is sage but I may be bit off on the exact type so the macro photo would help

jellero · Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2012 10:41 pm Post subject:

i know it's sage but wondered what kind. it gets water where it is and grows really fast. just curious. the lettuce is going off big time. everything is growing so fast. peas next week. best way to deal with bindweed?? this stuff has invaded my whole yard.
i discovered a way to recycle bubble wrap by the way. i put a tomato cage over a a newly planted starter, then wrap the b. wrap around it to protect from the wind for a week or so. the peppers i bought got blown to death without it. j

vdrifter11 · Joined: 09 Dec 2011 Posts: 2034

I could answer that question quite easily, if i knew that it came from the drier regions of the PNW --or rather, Inland PNW..We have but 2 types : Big Sage and Sand Sage..it looks much more like Sand than Big, for what that's worth.
Looks like there are 2 types in Co. also : big sage and Mountain Sage..My $$ is on Mountain..the foliage looks not like Big Sage's.
http://www.rmbo.org/pif/bcp/phy87/sage.htm

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jellero · Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2012 4:08 pm Post subject:

a bit late but i started some sweet potatoes. takes me back to first grade. j

http://www.diynetwork.com/how-to/how-to-plant-and-grow-sweet-potatoes/index.html