Got The Scoop On Your Dirt?

Good soil and good seeds make a garden grow

 Experienced gardeners know that the quality of veggies you get out of the ground is directly related to what you put in it.

Use seed tape for uniform spacing.


Everything that happens down in that dirt is what makes plants grow--or not! So starting from the ground up, get the real scoop on your soil--and then the seeds.

Check your dirt
If you don't know the kind of soil you have, your growing efforts may not bring the best results. Having low organic matter in the range of less than 1 per cent is typical in Colorado. So to get soil to the desired range of 3 to 5 per cent organic matter, you will most likely need to amend the soil.

Before adding amendments, however, get a soil test to learn what you really need to add. A soil test (available from Colorado State University for much less than $50) gives important information about the PH of the soil, salt content, amount of organic matter and the content of several minerals like nitrogen.

The CSU soil test kit tells how to submit your soil sample. Results arrive in a few weeks and you don't have to be a scientist to understand them. When you know what your soil needs, you can go about adding it.

Sort out the seeds
Planting old seeds that don't germinate can cost you two to three weeks of outdoor growing time before you know the seeds have failed and you need to replant. That's time you don't want to lose in Colorado's growing season. Check expiration dates on seed bags from past seasons and toss expired seeds.

Can you use seeds harvested from last year's garden? The next generation of seeds from hybridized plants is generally less reliable than the fresh seeds you can buy. Also, as plants cross-pollinate with other garden plants, the mixed-up results land in the seeds--and the next season's plants. Consequently, this year's veggies may look a lot different than last year's.

Seed planting tips
Plant seeds in garden rows that run east to west. The east/west orientation gives the sunniest advantage for your crop and more even plant growth.


Use seed tape to speed up planting and get uniform spacing. You can find these seeds in bags similar to loose seeds at garden centers. Seeds come pre-attached to a paper tape so all you have to do is run the tape down the row and cover it with soil. Within a few days, the tape disintegrates and the seeds germinate.


Plant seeds for your early season crop of cool season veggies--like spinach, lettuce, carrots--before the end of April.

Tip of the Week reprinted courtesy of Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado (ALCC) of which Foothills Landscape Maintenance, LLC is a member. ALCC is the only only professional organization for Colorado's landscape contracting industry statewide. Tip of the Week is copyrighted by Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado and may be forwarded or copied by its members provided proper credit is given to ALCC

Heading out this weekend?

Weather this week reminds us that we're at the jumping off point for another glorious season outdoors. We're deciding what to plant-more veggies, splashier annuals, more perennials for longer lived color.


Before we get busy and just go plant something, we need to pull back. Think big picture.

What do you want your landscape, your balcony, your front porch, your patio, your curb appeal to do for YOU? Where does your landscape meet your life and how can you make it better?

If your outdoor space is where you want to live (or want to live more) in the warm months, do everything you can to make it friendly for you, your family, your guests.

• Do you need an expanded lawn area for little soccer players to kick the ball around?
• Has the dog worn trails across the grass that need to be remedied?
• Would an outdoor food prep area make entertaining easier?
• If you added some color and greenery to your patio, would that draw you outdoors more?
• Could a real fire pit create a gathering place for the teenagers you'd like to keep closer to home?

Answering these questions is all about having a plan and in the landscaping world, we call that plan a landscape design. The design relates to how we want to live in our landscape in a very pragmatic way. It incorporates the details that make the pet happy, cater to the kids, create privacy and drive the outdoor ambiance we want to enjoy.

On the practical side, a new design can be a problem-solver. Creating the big picture perspective for your space (even a very small one) will also point out problem areas that could be solved. Screening off the AC unit or solving a drainage problem by the downspouts isn't as much fun as adding a fire pit. But solving those problems along the way will help your state of mind and safeguard your property.

This weekend, if you're out planting carrot seeds or pushing petunias into pots, get a fresh take on how you want your landscape to meet up with your life.




Tip of the Week reprinted courtesy of Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado (ALCC) of which Foothills Landscape Maintenance, LLC is a member. ALCC is the only only professional organization for Colorado's landscape contracting industry statewide. Tip of the Week is copyrighted by Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado and may be forwarded or copied by its members provided proper credit is given to ALCC