The 10,000 ft Gardener – Spring into my Garden?

I am in a quandry. It’s April 22nd and Spring has sprung in all of our Colorado Mtn Towns. It’s the earliest I can remember and I have the gardening bug. I have decided what I will plant this season but I cannot decide when to plant. The new moon fell this past Saturday and the old wives say to always plant on the new moon, it is an auspicious day. The gravitational pull of the moon is supposed to assist the seedlings or something like that. I am known to sprinkle wild flower seeds in sections of my gardens with a wait and see what happens attitude. It usually yields a pretty border, but not always! This early warm weather…what should I do?

The master gardener I am not, but my good friend is! Cary Piecoup is a Colorado Master Gardener. Her gardens are an oasis from the tundra that surrounds us and her knowledge is top-notch. I contacted her for some support. Her suggestion is to wait a little longer. “Turn the garden bed and mix in some rich compost. You may want to get the Maggots in compost removed if you cannot handle the strong odor it usually produces. Let it settle in a bit to really help your plants along. As far as your flower garden is concerned do not rake it out quite yet. Allow that layer to keep your plants moist and warm.”

Back to the vegetable garden, she said that too should wait. “Prep your beds – turn your soil, enrich it with compost then give it another week or so before sowing your seeds. If you are planting seedlings then you definitely need to wait. The nights are still very cold”. The puddle in my front driveway sporting a thick layer of ice over it this morning was a testament to the conditions. Cary added, “If you must plant then start with some lettuce and radishes. You will know in the next two weeks if they are going to thrive and if they don’t then you can rip the area up and start all over”.

The chives are growing back with a vengeance and some scallions that I planted late last year are growing as well. My stubborn side is saying go for it, so the lettuce and radishes are going in. I will let you all know how it goes. Feel free in letting me know the same!

~Treeline Trekker

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