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Extend Your Growing Season!
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 Our growing season is pretty short but there are ways to add precious weeks to the beginning and end of the season. Season extenders can be relatively expensive, like a full-size, walk-in greenhouse, or they can be "free" items you already have on hand like sheets, blankets, or buckets.
My favorite season extenders are Wall-O-Water miniature greenhouses. They're reusable for many years, and even come with repair kits in case they spring a leak. They provide plant protection up to two months before the last spring frost. My tomatoes love these!
Another alternative is to build a cloche over each row. Cloches are miniature hoop houses made with a series of tubing hooped over a row every few feet, then plastic sheeting is placed over the hoops. This is an inexpensive way to give vegetables and annuals a head start.
Hot caps are dome-shaped, lightweight covers for individual plants. With a wax paper appearance, they are stackable for easy storage, and are inexpensive. Put a vent hole in the top of each cap so seedlings don't become overheated, or remove the cap on hot sunny days.
To learn more about these season extenders and others, click here. |
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You Don't Need a Green Thumb to Grow These Plants!
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 Our short growing season and harsh climate make it difficult for many plants to thrive in Wyoming. Are you looking for a flowering plant that's almost certain to flourish here? Take a look at three plants that don't require much water, need little or no fertilizer and can handle a variety of poor soils.
They include:
* The catmint family of plants, especially 'Walkers Low' catmint. This hybrid will bloom in sunny gardens all summer long with beautiful lavender flowers.
* Dark Knight Spirea, a shrub from Mongolia that begins to flower in late August through September with deep blue to purplish flowers. Note: don't plant this spirea in heavy clay soils. And it grows best in zones 5-9.
* And the old standby - irises. Irises come in an extraordinary array of colors from black to white and everything in-between.
Add beauty to your landscape with one or all of these easy-to-grow plants!
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How to Repot a Rootbound Plant
If you want your potted plants to thrive, they'll need the right
size pot. Kristen Schleiter shows you how to re-pot a
plant. This is a fun way to spend some gardening time while we
wait for spring! To watch this video, click here.
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Try These Vines
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One of the hardiest vines for our region is the valiant grape. The valiant grape is a vigorous grower and is a great specimen plant to grow up and over an arbor. No special care is needed for this vine, plus you get the added benefit of sun ripened grapes!
Another great vine is the native hop vine, a vigorous grower that produces dark green, heart-shaped leaves. It can tolerate partial shade very well and, as the name suggests, produces hops that can be used by home brewers.
A relatively new vine on the market is Kintzley's Ghost honeysuckle vine. As it matures in summer, the bracts or leaves shine with a bluish tint that resembles full moons.
So if you're considering vines this year, visit with your garden center about these and other varieties that may grow well in your area. |
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Drip Irrigation Systems
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An irrigation system is the best way to ensure adequate moisture for plants, shrubs and trees, while reducing evaporation and other water loss.
Drip irrigation involves using flexible tubing in and around plants. Emitters or miniature sprayers are inserted into the tubing where needed. Most hardware stores and garden centers carry a wide assortment of drip irrigation systems.
However, keep in mind that as trees and shrubs become older and bigger, the drip irrigation emitters probably will not provide enough water for them. At that point, you'll need to set up alternative ways to help your plants get all the water they need, perhaps with a slow-running garden hose placed under trees, or an open furrow ditch or other system for hedge rows.
For more information on drip irrigation systems, including design guidelines, click here.
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Thanks so much, and we'll see you next time!
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About Us:
We provide interesting and informative material for gardeners and want-to-be gardeners in the great state of Wyoming!
This Month's Topics:
Extend Your Growing Season!
You Don't Need a Green Thumb to Grow These Plants!
Vines
Month-By-Month Gardening in Wyoming
Never garden alone! The Month-By-Month series is the perfect companion to take the guesswork out of gardening. With this book, you'll know what to do each month to have gardening success all year. To order this book through Amazon.com, Click on the Link below:
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