Experimenting with Winter Seed Propagation

By Lori Williams, CSU Extension – Denver Master Gardener since 2016

 I hope my winter experiment yields beautiful Echinacea plants this summer! Image: Flickr

I’m a fan of the gardening podcast “A Way to Garden” hosted by Margaret Roach, columnist for The New York Times. Recently she interviewed Heather McCargo, founder of the Wild Seed Project, a horticulturist-supported non-profit based in Maine. The organization is committed to building awareness of native plants, the importance of increasing biodiversity, and ethical seed collection. Find the full interview here.

Their discussion of outdoor winter seed sowing really piqued my interest. Had I ever given much thought to winter sun, precipitation and temperatures being necessary for native seeds to germinate? Honestly? No. 

The suggested timing for winter seed propagation – start after the holidays – also caught my attention. It all sounded pretty simple. Start by gathering on-hand garden supplies and seeds collected from my yard and other gardeners and find an appropriate winter location for the pots to live. The genuine bonus of growing a few of my own perennials was just too intriguing not to try. I was inspired!

Everything needed for winter propagation of seeds that not only survive winter but germinate because of winter. Photo: Lori Williams

Materials

• Containers roughly 4-8” wide, avoid biodegradable pots as they will likely break down in winter weather.
• Seeds – discover germination guidelines and other seed information for Colorado here.
• Organic, compost-based potting soil is recommended because it’s filled with different microorganisms. Please note, compost is not recommended for Colorado native plants as they prefer a ‘leaner,’ less organic soil. Find info on propagating our regional natives here and in CSU’s fact sheet 7.242.
• Coarse sand to cover seeds after planting assists seeds in staying lodged in planting medium and allows light to reach them.
• Group containers, flats, etc. and cover with wire screen, anchored with bricks or rocks, for squirrel protection.
• Label pots to avoid forgetting what seeds were planted where. Pencil on plastic tags really does work best.

January 17th was 38℉ & partly cloudy, a cold breeze bringing in a big snow, I wanted my seeds to benefit from the predicted precip. Photo: Lori Williams

Location

• A level, shaded area for containers to endure winter undisturbed. Shade is essential during sunny, warm days so pots don’t overheat and dry out. Keep containers level so seeds don’t float or splash out during heavy precipitation.

Ethical Seeds

The Wild Seed Project stresses collecting and using seeds native to your location. Collecting native seed from public lands and in the wild (in Maine, Colorado, and most of the nation) is typically a huge no-no (AKA unethical) so how do we collect seeds ethically? 

• Seed from our own gardens are the easiest to collect. 
• The friendly approach of asking ‘May I gather a few seeds from your XYZ perennial? I’d love to try to grow it.’  
• Seed swaps are another excellent resource and a request on social media can produce great results. 
• Wild Seed Project and other ethical seed providers offer native seeds for purchase. 

Buy seeds suitable to your growing conditions, of course, and be familiar with what those plant seeds look like. As a newbie gardener, I planted dried Echinacea flower petals twice thinking they were seeds. 

My Project

While I did not have native seeds for my backyard experiment, I did have ethically collected seeds from non-natives. I planted three flats with Echinacea and lavender seeds from my garden and seeds from a divine lupine that was a volunteer in a friend’s yard. On January 17th I placed my pots in deep shade against the house with bricks holding the screen cover in place. That evening 6.5” of snow fell and temps stayed cold for weeks afterward. 

Snow covered since January 17^th, it took the snow on my flats until the end of February to finally melt. Photo: Lori Williams

Outdoor winter propagation is challenging for the impatient gardener (me) but my long game of possibly growing some perennials of my own from seed has me hopeful. With more Colorado snow and cold ahead, my flats remain undisturbed in the shade. I resisted the urge to water them during the last several weeks of no moisture – and then we had a welcome icy rain turning into snow – YES! 

As my flats have yet to show any noticeable growth, I am watching for signs of success during our longer days accompanied by the sun beaming from higher in the sky. 

Starting Seeds Indoors for Your Vegetable & Flower Garden

By Molly Gaines, CSU Extension-Denver Master Gardener since 2019

I became obsessed a few years ago with growing luffa sponges (Luffa aegyptiaca). I remember my grandpa growing them in Iowa, proudly tending the massive vines with long green squash, harvesting them by the bushel, peeling and drying them. But I’ve never seen luffa seedlings in Colorado, so I found my seeds online through a specialty seed website and started them inside. Luffas’ long growing season isn’t very conducive to our Colorado climate. If sown directly into the garden, they’d never mature before the fall frost.

Reasons to Start Seeds Indoors

Plants that grow best from a seedling, versus direct sowing, are the best candidates for starting inside. Focus on plants that require a longer grow time until harvest, such as heat-loving varieties. Starting seeds indoors also allows for more variety beyond what you can find in gardening centers. It also allows for more control over the early growth stages.

Cost savings is another benefit to starting seeds inside. Once you’ve invested in some supplies, it’s more economical than buying seedlings at a nursery.

Luffas require at least a 90- to 120-day growing period, so these plants are best started indoors in Colorado. Photo by Molly Gaines

Timing & Desired Plantings

Plant seeds indoors 4-8 weeks before the last spring frost date (see Growing Plants From Seed), generally considered May 5 in Denver. Review the back of seed for time to harvest. If a tomato variety requires 90 days to harvest, start the seeds inside by early April to begin harvesting in July.

Keep in mind, not all varieties tolerate being grown inside and then transplanted. Carrots, for example, do best sown directly into the garden bed.

I mostly stick to starting seeds for heat-loving vegetables and herbs that take longer to mature — cucumbers, tomatoes, some herbs and squash. As mentioned before, I also consider what varieties I can find at CO garden centers vs. varieties available only if I start the seeds myself.

Happy, thriving seedlings. Photo by Molly Gaines

Seed-Starting Supplies & Tips for Growing

Consider these supplies and growing tips:

1. Seedling containers, pots and/or trays and clear, plastic covers. I like the plastic trays with individual cells or small compostable pots. A quick Google search will also show many DIY options. Covering trays with an elevated plastic lid during germination is very helpful. Use the lid only when your trays are not in the sun or under light to avoid overheating.
2. Lighting. I plant my seedlings near a sunny window. But an overhead light, on for 12 hours a day, is best for strong, vs. leggy, seedlings. Lighting should be adjustable, always hanging about 2-inches above the plants.
3. Seed-starting mix. Usually a blend of perlite, vermiculite and peat moss/coir vs. actual soil; it needs to be loose and fluffy. When planting, poke seeds into the mix at a 1/4-inch depth.
4. Labels. Label seedlings so you can remember what was potted where.
5. Water. Keep a cup and/or spray bottle near your seedlings for spraying during germination and watering. Seeds and seedlings must be kept damp.
6. Heat. A seedling heat mat speeds sprouting. The growing medium should stay between 70-80 degrees Fahrenheit.
7. Fan. Good airflow helps prevent disease. It also helps create stronger stems.

I like this type of seed-starting medium that expand with water. Photo by Molly Gaines

Feed and Repot

You can fertilize, as needed, once the first set of true leaves on seedlings emerge. Use a diluted solution. Mix according to the fertilizer label then dilute by 1/2 or a 1/4. Don’t overdo it. If your seedlings look healthy, fertilizer isn’t necessary.

Harden Off Before Transplanting Outside

Gradually introduce seedlings to the outdoors. “Harden off” your seedlings, taking them outside and bringing them back inside for 5-7 days, each day leaving them out longer. Place trays or pots in a shady spot. Keep them well-watered.

Speaking of transplanting outside, next time I grow luffas I’ll either start them inside sooner, or plant them outside earlier. While I had a lot of fun tending to my luffas, particularly seeing the gorgeous big yellow flowers blossom (the bees love luffa flowers!), many of the gourds didn’t fully ripen. The ones that did made fabulous holiday gifts, and I loved telling people the story behind them.

My luffas, my pride and joys! Photos by Molly Gaines

Additional Seed-Starting References and Resources:

Seed Starting webinar (2022), CSU Extension, Larimer County

Starting Seeds Indoors

Vegetable Planting Guide

Colorado Gardening Calendar for January 2023

By Linda McDonnell, CSU Extension – Denver Master Gardener since 2013

January is typically a restful period for gardeners – a  time to pour over seed company websites or catalogs, review last year’s successes or blunders, set goals for the upcoming season, and investigate new gardening topics. But even though we may be ‘armchair gardening’, it is important to keep a watchful eye for issues that crop up in the landscape. Don’t forget to occasionally stroll through the garden, especially after storms, to inspect trees and plants. Take care of any issues as soon as you’re able to avoid complications later.

It’s a cold and snowy start to the new year!

Let’s take a look at recommendations for the month.

Trees and Shrubs

• We’re huge proponents of winter watering, but thanks to a sloppy, moisture-rich late December snowstorm, watering may not be needed in January. This could begin to change later in the month though, so monitor conditions with special attention to new plantings. Four weeks without sizeable moisture is the signal to drag the hoses out.

• Regularly examine trees and shrubs for snapped limbs and bark damage due to snow loads or heavy winds. This post offers tips on preventive maintenance and dealing with damage.

• Winter is an ideal time to have large deciduous trees pruned professionally. The City Forester maintains this list of licensed contractors; pointers for hiring a tree care company can be found here.

• De-icing salts used on nearby sidewalks can cause leaf scorch on evergreen broadleaf shrubs, brown needles on conifers, and damage to turf roots. Use with care.

Manhattan Euonymus (Euonymus kiautschovicus) is a broadleaf evergreen shrub prone to leaf scorch Photo: Linda McDonnell

Perennials

• Add additional mulch around perennials that are heaving or lifting up from the soil. Heaving is caused by repeated freezing and thawing, often occurs in newly planted perennials with young root systems, and can indicate compacted soil. Left unattended, it can damage or kill plants. Come spring, organic matter may be needed to improve drainage. According to the University of Iowa, shasta daisy, (Leucanthemum spp.) and coral bells (Heuchera spp.) are particularly prone to heaving.

Pixabay.com

Seeds

• Take stock of your seed stash – the prior season’s seeds may still be viable. CSU’s fact sheet on storing veggie and flower seeds has a helpful chart on seed longevity.

• While it is still a bit early to start seeds indoors, it’s not too soon to replenish seeds and supplies at a local garden center or online. Or set up a seed swap with your gardening buddies.

• If you’re new to seed starting or want a refresher, check out this blog post for a thorough tutorial so you are ready to go when it’s time.

Denver’s Recycling and Compost Programs

• Denver’s ‘green cart’ compost program rolls out citywide this month. Meat and produce scraps, coffee filters, and greasy pizza boxes, in addition to garden waste, are just a few of the tossable items. If you already participate in the program, be sure to encourage green cart newbies to give it a try.

• Have old, unused, or unwanted pesticides or herbicides hanging around? Here’s info on Denver’s program for the safe disposal of many hazardous materials  A nominal fee applies.

 Learning Opportunities

• Managing Squirrels in the Landscape on January 11th from 12-1 pm is the first in CSU’s series of virtual garden workshops. For a list of all presentations and to register, visit https://csuhort.blogspot.com/p/csu-extension-spring-gardening-webinars.html.

• The Colorado Garden & Home Show returns to the Colorado Convention Center February 4-12^th.  In addition to workshops, extensive plant displays, and vendor information, Colorado Master Gardeners will be present to answer gardening questions. Tickets available now.

• Audubon Rockies and Cheyenne-High Plains Audubon Society hosts the Landscaping for Water Realities on the High Plains conference on February 4^th.  Virtual attendance is free. Program and registration info here.

• Email garden and plant questions with descriptive photos to Denver Master Gardeners at the Denver Botanic Gardens gardeninghelp@botanicgardens.org.

• CSU’s Extension website is always available to provide science-based gardening information. It’s a good one to bookmark.

Denver Master Gardeners Look Back at the Growing Season – Part 1

Compiled by Linda McDonnell, Denver Master Gardener since 2013

It’s time to take stock of the gardening year – the ups, downs, and lessons learned. In this two-part series, eleven Denver Master Gardeners share the highs, hiccups, and take-aways from the season. Let’s see what they’ve been up to!

A NEW ROCK GARDEN Steve Aegerter, Denver Master Gardener since 1999

• 

  Photo by Steve Aegerter

If you attended the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the American Rock Garden Society’s 2021 Spring tour, you had the opportunity to visit Steve’s new rock garden, which was planted only a month before the June event. Steve explained that “Plants were either grown from seed or obtained through Denver Botanic Gardens, Colorado Native Plant Society, or the local American Rock Garden Society.”

The garden contains fourteen low-water plants including  ‘Butterfly Yellow’ mullein (Verbascum roripifolia), Freemont’s evening primrose (Oenothera macrocarpa freemontii), and a unique pale yellow upright bellflower, Campanula thyrsoides.

Steve is pleased with the garden’s progress and looks forward to it thriving on little to no supplemental water soon.

PILL BUG INVASION Felicia Brower, Denver Master Gardener since 2020

• 

  Photo by Felicia Brower

Heartbreak is waking up early to check on your plants, only to find them withered and discover that their stems have been destroyed. The majority of my cucumbers, squash, and beans were decimated no matter how many times I tried to replant them. I had three varieties of cucumbers, six varieties of squash, and five varieties of beans. All but two varieties of beans were killed. Out of the two beans that survived, half of the black-eyed peas were eaten but my Zuni Gold beans, a regional bean cultivated in the Southwest over many generations, were left untouched.

Moisture and too much organic matter in my raised beds lead to this explosive pill bug population. I’m working on amending that now, and next year I’ll take pest control seriously early on.

PICTURE PERFECT ‘RED ACRE’ CABBAGE Latasha Dunston, Denver Master Gardener since 2020

• 

  Photo by Latasha Dunston

Seed grown ‘Red Acre’ cabbage (Brassica oleracea) was a highlight of Latasha’s West Washington Park community garden. An earlier attempt to grow this plant didn’t work, but this year, the results were stellar. “I kept the base leaves and root in place when I harvested, and the plant produced four new heads!” She’s hoping for more in a fall harvest, too.

ADD THIS ONION TO YOUR “MUST GROW” LIST Jill Fielder, Denver Master Gardener since 2013

• 

  Pixabay.com

This season, Jill’s best new find was bunching onions also known as spring or Welch onions (Allium fistulosum).

Jill reports that these flavorful gems can be planted when the weather is still chilly and harvested at any point during the growing season. Early on, use like tender scallions. Later, use the greens for stir fries and the bulbs as you would any small onion. Seed in a full row so you have plenty to harvest as the season progresses. Eat the entire tasty plant. There’s even a French Purple variety that offers rich beautiful color for snipping into salads or sprinkling over bubbly enchiladas. Didn’t plant enough the first part of the season, so planted more mid-summer. All were delish!

DAHLIA ADVENTURE & DREADED TWO-SPOTTED SPIDER MITES Cindy Hanna, Denver Master Gardener since 2010

• 

  Photo by Cindy Hanna

Last fall I was given a treasure trove of dahlia bulbs that had been dug out of a bed in Park Hill. I was told to, ‘clean them off, split as needed leaving a bud on each piece, make sure they are dry, and store in a bin of perlite in a dark room until Spring. In Spring when they begin to sprout, plant according to varied directions online.’ High maintenance. They were slow to sprout and bloom but, wow, worth the work and wait!

When it comes to pests, I’m a bit of a live-and-let-live gardener. So, when my Master Gardener friend who is an avid plant and bug expert visited, I feared the worst. She identified two-spotted spider mites in my vegetable beds. If there had only been two, I could have ignored them. But there were thousands living on the underside of the yellowed foliage, sapping the energy and beauty from my cucumbers and beans.

RAVE REVIEWS FOR “GARDEN IN A BOX” Lynn Ireland, Denver Master Gardener since 2020

• 

  Photo by Lynn Ireland

Rather than starting from scratch, Lynn decided to add pollinator-friendly plants to her established gardens. A highlight of her project was “Garden in a Box”, a collection of low-water plants, purchased through Resource Central in Boulder, which also comes with planting directions and design tips.

Several water districts offer “Garden in a Box” programs, some with rebate offers. Lynn suggests “It’s the perfect way for a novice gardener to begin or add to their gardens.”

Stand-out plants in the garden expansion included Agastache, Aster, Sea Kale, Mexican Sunflower, and Pitcher Salvia. “According to the hummingbirds, native bees, and Japanese Beetles, these two gardens have been bountiful all summer. I’m already excited for next season!”

Watch for more garden recaps next week…

Indoor Seed Starting for Beginning Gardeners

By Jessica Harvey
CSU Extension-Denver Master Gardener since 2020

^{Pepper plant starts with both cotyledons and first set of true leaves visible. Photo provided by Jessica Harvey.}

We’ve all fallen prey to the allure of seed catalogs during the winter, with their bright photos and promises of plants to come. So what do you do after your seeds arrive?

Before you do anything, consider how much space you have to grow. The expression “your eyes are bigger than your stomach” can also be applied to buying seeds and finding places to plant them. After you’ve narrowed your planting choices, it’s time to get started.

Begin by deciding which flowers and veggies should be started indoors in early spring and which are better suited to direct sowing into your garden. Check seed packets for seed starting information or use a seed-starting guide.

You can grow in just about any type of container, whether it’s a leftover egg carton or a grow kit. The important thing is that it’s clean and free of potential fungi or bacteria. If you’re reusing trays, be sure to clean and rinse several times before using so there’s no residual disinfectant or soap.

Grow kits generally come with a bottom tray, cell tray and a dome. The cell tray will have slits or holes to allow water to be soaked up from the bottom tray. If you aren’t using a kit, you’ll need to create your own that fits the containers you’ll be using. A three-part system will be important as you get started to help bring those seeds out of dormancy.

• 

  Domed seed starting trays by Jessica Harvey

There are number of inexpensive soil-less media options to choose from. If you want to use a soil-based starter just be sure it’s loose, fine in texture and has good drainage. Seeds need to be kept moist, but not sitting in water.

Once you have your containers ready and filled with your seed starting media, place a couple of seeds in each cell. Best practice is to make a small indent with your finger on the top of your media and lightly cover the seeds as you go. Always check seed packets for planting depth to keep from planting too deeply.

Record as you go. Draw a grid and write in each variety/plant to avoid playing a guessing game later. Note the date as well. If you know when you started, you can gauge when to start these same types of seeds again in future years based on your experience.

Mist or lightly spray the mixture atop your seeds, again moist but not wet. Don’t apply a stream of water or seeds will wash out of the cell. Add a thin layer of water to the under tray to start soaking up into the media. Keep water in that tray throughout the growing process. When your seedlings start to grow and send out roots, they will grow towards it.

Put the three-part system together and create a moist, humid environment to wake your seeds from their dormancy, then wait. Your seedlings will appreciate the humid environment under the dome.

Most seeds also like bottom heat as they get started, especially tomatoes and peppers. You can use a heat mat, but you can also place your container on an appliance or area that stays warm. Keep containers warm until seeds begin to sprout, then move them or turn off the heat mat. If you leave your seedlings exposed to that extra warmth for too long you run the risk of them stretching or getting leggy.

Once seedlings emerge, move them into the light and remove the dome cover. They may still enjoy that humid environment, but you don’t want them to start pushing against the dome. As they continue to grow, you’ll notice a first set of leaves called cotyledon. Don’t be fooled, the cotyledons are false leaves! They help seedlings start to photosynthesize, but they aren’t the true leaves of your plant. The cotyledons will eventually die as the actual leaves start to grow.

• 

  Cotyledons versus first set of true leaves of a catnip plant start. Photo provided by Jessica Harvey.

You can begin transplanting these plants into individual containers and soil-based media once the first true leaves develop. While transplanting, thin out the seedlings to give them room to grow without crowding. Depending on the seeds, you may have over sown and that cell may now be overrun. That’s okay! Just be sure not to let all those seedlings outcompete one another.

Resources:

• PlantTalk 1840 – Starting Vegetable Seeds Indoors
• CMG GardenNotes 719: Vegetable Garden Hints

Meet the Garden Squad—Gardening Help at the Denver Botanic Gardens

Meet the Garden Squad is a way to get better acquainted with some of our CSU Extension Master Gardener volunteers.

Meet the Gardening Help Volunteers

The CSU Extension Master Gardeners usually pick up the gardening helpline at the Denver Botanic Gardens or answer questions when people walk-in the door. Even though buildings at DBG are closed for now, gardeners can still get their gardening questions answered by Gardening Help from Colorado Master Gardeners at Denver Botanic Gardens, only remotely.

The interest in gardening has soared ever since people have had to hunker down at home and find ways to keep busy. First-time gardeners will likely have questions on how to get started, what to plant now, what can grow in containers, and much more.

Even gardeners with some experience have questions, too. All gardening questions can be emailed to gardeninghelp@botanicgardens.org and a CMG, working remotely, will reply by email.

Gardening Help volunteers include: Back row, left to right: Jan Fahs, Jan Davis, Ken Zwenger, Mark Zammuto, Gordon Carruth, Fran Hogan
Middle row: Lynne Conroy, Harriet Palmer Willis, Kathleen Schroeder, Leona Berger, Cindy Hanna, Mary Adams, Nancy Downs
Kneeling: Dee Becker, Charlotte Aycrigg, Jan Moran
Not pictured: Mary Carnegie, Linda Hanna, Maggie Haskett, April Montgomery, Ann Moore, Kathy Roth, Amy White

Gardening Help is a project of the CSU Extension-Denver Master Gardeners at the DBG. Volunteers provide reliable and research-based information to thousands of home gardeners each year.

Volunteers commit to at least one year in the role, with a minimum of six shifts spread across the year. The commitment starts early in the year with an orientation and training from Nancy Downs, project coordinator.

Many volunteers are GH regulars and they return to the project every year. In addition to being an active CMG, they have to satisfy DBG volunteer requirements, too. That means they’re a member of the DBG and enrolled there as a volunteer.

Some of the key characteristics of GH volunteers are good research, plant identification and diagnostic skills. Because the project is located at DBG, volunteers need to keep on top of what’s blooming at the DBG by season, so they can answer common questions that might pop up.

Photo provided by Nancy Downs

Text by Jodi Torpey
Master Gardener volunteer since 2005

No More Buds? Turn to Earbuds.

By this time in the year, I’m at the point of good riddance! with the weeds and careful tending (shout out to this cold spell for sealing the deal). Pretty much everything is done and put to bed. I then spend the next two weeks really dialing into my houseplant game before I get bored and start Spring dreaming. My Fall break from the garden is short-lived so I start listening to old episodes of now-defunct podcast series and dream with new ones.  Here are a few of my favs:

Gardenerd Tip of The Week

Gardenerd.com is the ultimate resource for garden nerds. We provide organic gardening information whenever you need it, helping you turn land, public space, and containers into a more satisfying and productive garden that is capable of producing better-tasting and healthier food.

https://gardenerd.com/

My thoughts: The host lives in LA, so this one is great for winter listening as we get chillier, I love hearing about the warmth of Southern California and what’s coming into season. Interviews with other experts and educators in the horticulture field discussing plants, but also cultivating grains, discussing bees, and seeds. Each episode ends with the guest’s own tips, many of which are news to me and have been incorporated into my own practices. 

On the Ledge

I’m Jane Perrone, and I’ve been growing houseplants since I was a child, caring for cacti in my bedroom and growing a grapefruit from seed; filling a fishtank full of fittonias and bringing African violets back from the dead.

https://www.janeperrone.com/on-the-ledge

Houseplants, if new to the podcast start here for an overview, and guidance.

Jane is a freelance journalist and presenter on gardening topics. Her podcast has a ton of tips for beginners, and more advanced info for longtime houseplant lovers, as well as interviews with other plant experts. The website is also useful to explore the content of an episode if you aren’t able to listen. I could spend an entire morning traveling in and out of the archives. 

My thoughts: As the growing season comes to a close, my indoors watering schedule starts wobbling between what the plants need and my summer habits of watering too many times per week–welcome back,  fungus gnats! Here’s an entire episode on them

Plant Daddy Podcast

We aim to create a listener community around houseplants, to learn things, teach things, share conversations with experts, professionals in the horticulture industry, and amateur hobbyists like ourselves. We also want to bring the conversation beyond plants, since anybody with leaf babies has a multitude of intersectional identities. We, ourselves, are a couple gay guys living in Seattle, Washington, with a passion for gardening and houseplants. A lot of our friends are the same, though each of us has a different connection, interest, and set of skills in this hobby, demonstrating a small amount of the diversity we want to highlight among plant enthusiasts.

https://plantdaddypodcast.com/

My thoughts: Plants are visual, podcasts are auditory- episodic overviews with links to viewable content available on their website. Are you also seeing Staghorn Ferns everywhere? They have an entire episode (photos included!) on the fern and how to properly mount it for that vegan taxiderm look. Matthew and Stephen are self-identified hobbyists with a passion for plants all the way down to the Latin–it’s impressive.

Epic Gardening

The Epic Gardening podcast…where your gardening questions are answered daily! The goal of this podcast is to give you a little boost of gardening wisdom in under 10 minutes a day. I cover a wide range of topics, from pest prevention, to hydroponics, to plant care guides…as long as it has something to do with gardening, I’ll talk about it on the show!

https://www.epicgardening.com/

My thoughts: The Netflix-episode-when-you-just-don’t-feel-like-a-movie kind of podcast. Addresses the best varietals, composting, soil pH, and troubleshooting some common issues in the garden. With daily episodes archived back to December 2018, there is a quickly digested thought for some of your own curiosities. The website is also a wealth of knowledge. 

Eatweeds Podcast: For People Who Love Plants

Eatweeds: An audio journey through the wonderful wild world of plants. Episodes cover modern and ancient ways wild plants have been used in human culture as food, medicine and utilitarian uses.

http://eatweeds.libsyn.com/

My thoughts: most recent episode (and appropriately timed!)  On edible acorns. My fav topics include foraging and wild yeast fermentation; and when I really start missing the Pacific Northwest, The Wild and Wonderful World of Fungi sends me back to a misty forest wander politely decorated by les champignons. Posting of this pod is sporadic–only 25 episodes since 2014.

You Bet Your Garden

(no longer on air, but archives available)

 

You Bet Your Garden® was a weekly radio show and podcast produced at WHYY through September, 2018. The show’s archive is available online. It was a weekly syndicated radio show, with lots of call-ins. This weekly call-in program offers ‘fiercely organic’ advice to gardeners far and wide.

https://www.wlvt.org/television/you-bet-your-garden/

My thoughts: Host, Mike McGrath, spends much of the show taking calls and troubleshooting, reminiscent of another public radio behemoth with Click and Clack, the Tappet brothers. McGrath incorporates a lifetime of organic gardening tips with humor. McGrath features one tip to find a local “rent a goat place” (no joke) to get goats to eat the most troublesome weeds to a concerned caller considering setting much of her yard on fire.

Cultivating Place: Conversations on Natural History and the Human Impulse to Garden

Jennifer Jewell, the founder of Jewellgarden and Cultivating Place, achieves this mission through her writing, photographs, exhibits about and advocacy for gardens & natural history and through her weekly public radio program and podcast Cultivating Place: Conversations on Natural History and the Human Impulse to Garden, on gardens as integral to our natural and cultural literacy.

https://www.cultivatingplace.com/

My thoughts: sort of like On Being, but for gardening.

A fav episode:

If you aren’t so sure about this podcast thing, and just want a place to start, start here.

Do you really need a brain to sense the world around you? To remember? Or even learn? Well, it depends on who you ask. Jad and Robert, they are split on this one. Today, Robert drags Jad along on a parade for the surprising feats of brainless plants. Along with a home-inspection duo, a science writer, and some enterprising scientists at Princeton University, we dig into the work of evolutionary ecologist Monica Gagliano, who turns our brain-centered worldview on its head through a series of clever experiments that show plants doing things we never would’ve imagined. Can Robert get Jad to join the march?

https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/radiolab/articles/smarty-plants

Meet the Garden Squad

Meet the Garden Squad is a new blog feature and a way to get better acquainted with some of our CSU Extension Master Gardener volunteers.

Maureen Horton has volunteered with CSU Extension as a Master Gardener since 1999. (Photo credit: Maureen Horton)

Meet Maureen Horton

The first CSU Master Gardener Plant Sale was a small community event on a Saturday in May. Only a few hands planted seeds for the 1400 plants available that year.

Over the last 14 years, the fundraiser for Denver Master Gardeners has grown to include 25 pairs of volunteer hands planting and tending more than 7,200 fruit and vegetable plants. The sale dates are May 18 and 19 this year.

While many things about the sale have changed, there’s something that’s remained the same: the work of Master Gardener Maureen Horton. She’s volunteered every year of the sale since the very beginning. She’s taken on the important task of coordinating all the planting in the City Park Greenhouse for the plant sale.

“I love filling the pots, planting the seeds, nurturing them and watching them grow,” she said. “It’s almost like a mother thing, nurturing them and then they go away, like your children.”

Maureen Horton (left) and a team of Master Gardener volunteers get to work in the City Park Greenhouse. (Photo credit: Merrill Kingsbury)

Maureen joined the Master Gardener program around 1999, but she’s been interested in nurturing plants since she was 5 or 6 years old. Her earliest gardening memories are of walking with her grandmother and uncle to tend the family garden plot in New Hampshire.

She recalls her grandma explaining the shoveling and watering to her, as well as harvesting lettuce and “lots and lots of potatoes.”

Now her Denver garden includes xeric plants, roses and her favorite ‘Purple Cherokee’ and ‘San Marzano’ tomatoes, among others.

Maureen’s approach to her own garden is all about nurturing, too. “Once I plant it, I nurture it to its maturity with care and the proper nutrients to grow the healthiest plant possible. It’s all about loving the soil and earth.”

She must really love the soil to commit to leading the greenhouse planting effort over six months each year, from November to sale day in May.

“We start in November and go through all the seeds we didn’t use the year before,” she explained. “We’re cost conscious and want to use all the seeds we can.”

Then the what-to-grow lists are compiled. One list includes the most popular plants from the previous sale. There’s another list of plants that are researched to find new, reliable varieties to add to the sale. Because of the heat and extreme weather from last summer, heat-tolerant tomatoes were researched for this year.

That list includes favorites like ‘Yellow Pear’, ‘Red Brandywine’, ‘Burbank Slicing’, ‘Costoluto Genovese’, ‘Great White’, ‘Green Giant’, ‘Marble Stripe’ and ‘Purple Calabash’.

In addition, two new heirloom marriage tomatoes are now growing for the sale: ‘Cherokee Carbon’ and ‘Genuwine’. Heirloom marriage tomatoes are hybrids that cross two heirloom varieties to produce a tomato with the best qualities of each heirloom, plus the disease resistance and improved yields of a hybrid tomato.

Chile pepper research also figured into the list for this year’s sale. Of 23 pepper varieties, 21 are from New Mexico State University’s Chile Pepper Institute in Las Cruces.

“We’ve really babied those peppers,” Maureen said. “We’re introducing 18 new varieties of chile peppers to the sale.”

One of the new varieties is ‘NuMex Trick or Treat’. This pepper looks like a habanero and has all of the flavor of one, but with none of the heat. Another unusual pepper is ‘NuMex Twilight’ chile, an edible ornamental with peppers that mature in color from purple to yellow, then orange to red.

Once the seed order is placed, Maureen figures how many total flats of seeds to plant and the number of flats for each variety. Much of that is determined by how many benches the greenhouse allocates to the Master Gardeners for the sale.

In exchange for the space in the greenhouse and the use of a couple of their machines, the greenhouse also benefits from the help of Master Gardener volunteers.

Once the call for volunteers goes out, “people come running. It may be 40 degrees outside, but it’s 72 degrees in the greenhouse,” Maureen said. “It’s wonderful in there.”

While the planting is serious business, there’s always time for a few laughs. “We love it. There’s a lot of camaraderie and there’s a passion for it. Everyone works hard during their three hours to meet the goal of planting 40 flats.”

Once planting is complete, there’s twice weekly maintenance needed right up to the time the plants leave the greenhouse headed for the sale.

Last year the plant sale raised $36,000 to support Master Gardener programs in the community. More than half of that total came from selling the plants grown in the greenhouse.

It’s easy to imagine a high level of stress goes with the responsibility of nurturing more than 7,000 plants for the biggest fundraising event of the year.

“From doing it all these years, there’s not much stress,” said Maureen. “You have to roll with the punches. The only stress is if a flat of seeds doesn’t come up.”

By Jodi Torpey
Master Gardener volunteer since 2005

How Long Will Seeds Last?

Do you have a stash of old seed packets tucked away with your gardening gear, thrown on a shelf in the garage or mingling with this-and-that in a drawer? I bet you do. Do they hold the promise of healthy plants or are they past their prime?

Seed packets have a sell-by date, but depending on the seed type and the storage, they can be viable far longer.

According to Colorado State University, flower and vegetable seeds can be stored at room temperature for a year without significant loss of germination. Given optimal dry and cool conditions, some seeds can be viable for up to ten years. Colorado’s semi-arid climate is advantageous for seed saving as moisture shortens seed’s shelf life. This CSU publication contains details on seed saving, the longevity of common plant seeds and germination rates.

If you want to know if your past season’s seeds are worth planting, you can easily find out by doing a germination test. Count out 10, 20, or 30 seeds and spread them on several layers of moistened paper towels. Carefully roll them in the paper so the seeds stay separated. Place the roll in a plastic bag and store in a warm spot without direct sunlight, such as the top of the refrigerator.

Check your seeds for signs of sprouting after 2-3 days and daily after that for about two weeks, keeping the towels moist. After that time, divide the number of sprouted seeds by the number you started with and you have the germination rate. You’ll likely find that the rate is reduced, but the seed is still useful if you plant more seed than you need, using the germination rate as a planting guide.

If few seeds sprout, they are too old and not worth saving. By doing the test, you’ll avoid being disappointed by poorly performing plants in the garden.

February is a great time to take stock of your seed stash and purchase what you need for the year. And if you have some still-good seed you don’t want, consider sharing them with a gardening friend or donating them to a school or community garden.

Image: Pixabay.com

Written by: Linda McDonnell, Denver County Master Gardener

Starting Seeds Indoors

It’s only January, but seed catalogs are arriving in the mail and gardeners are dreaming of summer. One way to get a head start on your vegetable garden is to start your own seeds indoors. It is relatively inexpensive to create your own seed-starting set up. In the long run you will save money because seeds are cheaper to buy than plants. If you want to take it a step further, you can save even more money by saving seeds from your favorite plants to start next year.

One of the great benefits of starting your own plants indoors is the amazing variety of seeds available at garden centers and in catalogs.  It’s great fun on a cold, snowy day to browse seed catalogs and find new and interesting varieties of your favorite vegetables to start for your garden.

Each type of seed has its own germination and growing requirements, but most seeds need to be started 6 -8 weeks before they will be planted in the ground.  To get seeds to germinate, you will need adequate light and soil temperatures above 70 degrees.  A warm sunny window may be adequate, but to ensure good germination and sturdy plants some extra help is often required. Cool soil temperatures and too little light will result in poor germination and spindly, weak plants.

To provide good light, use two four-foot florescent shop light fixtures suspended close

Shop light suspended from chain.

over the seedlings. The key to using florescent shop lights is to have one cool white and one warm white tube in each light fixture.  The combination provides the proper light spectrum for growing plants. Keep the lights on for 16 hours a day using a simple light timer. To avoid leggy, weak plants, keep the lights very close to the tops of the plants. This can be accomplished by hanging the lights from chains that you can adjust up or down.

To get the seeds to germinate you will need a warm, moist (not wet) environment. To ensure the proper environment for germination, use peat pots placed in seed starting trays with clear plastic covers.

Seed tray and clear cover

The plastic covers keep the peat pots warm and moist until germination. Use a seed starting soil mix in the peat pots. Regular potting soil and soil from your garden are too heavy for starting seeds. Most seeds need soil temperatures of 70 degrees or above to germinate. To ensure adequate soil warmth, use heat mats under your seed starting trays.

Heat mat for starting seeds.

Once the seeds have germinated and are growing, the heat mats and clear covers should be removed. The trays, covers, pots, starting mix and mats are all available at local garden centers.

Partial set up showing one light fixture.

Two four-foot shop light fixtures placed side by side fit perfectly over two standard 10.5” x 21” seed starting trays set end to end. Each tray holds 32 – 2.5” peat pots.

As the seedlings grow, raise the lights little by little to keep them just above the plants. Water just enough to keep the peat pots moist, but not soggy. The pots should not be sitting in standing water. Too much water will lead to poor germination and weak plants. You can also use a spray bottle to mist the plants to add moisture.  Once the plants are growing and develop true leaves, a weak solution of a Miracle-Gro type fertilizer will promote strong plants. Put two or three seeds in each peat pot to make sure at least one plant germinates per pot. As the plants grow,

Trays under lights after germination.

keep the strongest plant in each pot and thin by snipping the weaker seedlings near soil level.  Always snip, don’t pull. Pulling out the weaker plants can disturb the roots of the remaining strong seedling.

Happy plants.

About two weeks before you plan on putting the plants in the ground, start hardening off the plants by placing them outside for part of the day. Start off slowly! The leaves will be tender and susceptible to damage from too much sun or wind.  Start with a few hours in dappled shade on a mild day. The daytime temperatures should be above 55 degrees. Day by day, the plants will become stronger and can be left out longer and in more direct sun. Do not leave them out overnight if the temperature will dip below 50. Peats pots are small and can dry out very fast.  Make sure the plants have adequate water while hardening off. One way to avoid plants drying out while they are hardening off is to transplant the seedlings from peat pots to 4 ½ inch or one gallon pots with regular potting soil. The plants really take off with the extra room and the larger pots are not as prone to drying out.

After two weeks or so, your hardy plants are ready to go into your garden.

For more information check out these publications from CSU Extension:

Plantalk 1034: Starting Seeds Indoors

Fact Sheet 7.409: Growing Plants from Seed

Fact Sheet 7.602: Saving Seed

Written by Mark Zammuto, a Denver County Master Gardener