Spring 2023

 

I won't be singing, but the birds sure have begun their choir in our yard.  And the darn squirrels are chirping and barking at Ferris!  

March 2023 Gardening Weather

I titled this blog March Gardening Weather because on March 20 spring officially arrives, at least on the calendar. Woo hoo!

The March 7 full moon is called the Worm Moon. Worms supposedly make their appearance this time of the year as soil warms up. Let's hope so!

As I've often done in past blogs, below are the predicted temperature and precipitation graphics per NOAA.

 

 

 

What Seeds to Start and When in Winter and Spring 2023

It's time to start the engines for the 2023 outdoor gardening season. I know you've been dreaming about spring for awhile ... it's been a long winter in the West.  March, Colorado's snowiest month could test our patience for wanting to get out in the garden. 

Large landscape projects like patios, pergolas, fences, etc. are often do it yourself undertakings which mean you will begin as time, resources and weather conditions permit.  If you're hiring a reliable landscaper to do the job then get on their schedule now, the good ones book up quickly.

For seed starters both inside and directly outside, the charts below should help you with your planning. I cover when to start seeds indoors in relation to the average final spring frost date. 

I've posted these charts previously in this blog.

The first pdf below is an overview of the outdoor gardening season along the Front Range and hopefully helpful to many gardeners in other parts of the Rocky Mountain Region.  

By cool-season I'm referring to both ornamental annual and vegetable plants that prefer growing in temperatures between 60 and 80 degrees and just don't grow as well in warm to hot temperatures. They are best suited to grow in the spring, then again in mid-summer for a fall crop. Many are tolerant of frost.

Examples of cool-season plants include snapdragons, larkspur, lobelia, nasturtium, viola, lettuce, broccoli, peas, radish, spinach, turnip, cabbage, and kohlrabi. Many more.

Warm-season ornamental annual and vegetable plants prefer growing in temperatures between 70 and 95 degrees and are intolerant of any frost (unless you're covering). They grow best in the window after the final spring frost and before the first fall frost.

Examples of warm-season plants include mandevilla, ageratrum, coleus, sun patiens, geraniums, marigolds, peppers, tomatoes, eggplant, beans, basil. Many more.

 
Annuals Herbs CoolSeason Warm-Season

A Short Get Away - Back Soon

 

Turf Grass at Super Bowl LVII

 

Burmuda Grass (Tahoma 31) developed by Oklahoma State University was recently installed at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, AZ for Super Bowl LVII

 

 

I thought you might be interested to learn more about the turf where the 2023 Super Bowl is being play. Enjoy this article from Oklahoma State University. 

"Oklahoma State University turfgrass has scored another touchdown; this time at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. This Sunday, Super Bowl LVII will be played there on Tahoma 31 bermudagrass, a turf variety developed by OSU researchers.

The NFL’s conference championships were also played on OSU turfgrass on Jan. 29 — the Philadelphia Eagles’ Lincoln Financial Field with Tahoma 31 turf for the NFC Championship and the Kansas City Chief’s GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium with NorthBridge for the AFC title game. Variety Tahoma 31  was recently installed at State Farm Stadium — home of the Arizona Cardinals — in preparation for the Super Bowl."

 “Creating a good turf can create a good environment for the safety of athletic players,” said Dr. Yanqi Wu, OSU plant and soil sciences professor and breeder. “Because the players run very quickly, there is a lot of traction on the turf, so the turf needs to be very solid and dense. When players step on it, there needs to be no slipping and no divots. Tahoma 31 has a very good root system, so it holds its surface very well.”

Continue reading ... 

May the best team win!