We answer your Colorado gardening questions for spring planting season (2023)

FAQs

When should I plant my garden in Colorado Springs? ›

Growers can begin planting seeds outdoors as early as March, for beets, broccoli, cabbage, and peas. Plant carrots, cauliflower, kale, lettuce, and spinach outdoors in April. Plant onions, peppers, and tomatoes in May. Beans, Brussels sprouts, corn, and cucumbers go in the ground in June, and squash in July.

Direct sow in ground cool season (hardy) crops such as arugula, lettuce, spinach, peas, and kale beginning mid-March through the end of April. Start warm season crops (tender) such as tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant indoors at the end of the month for transplant mid-late May.

In addition to the weather, spring is also an important time for planting because it allows for the timely maturation of crops. Most crops take a certain amount of time to mature, and planting them in the spring ensures that they will have enough time to reach maturity before the onset of winter.

Early Spring - As Soon as the Ground is Workable

Bareroot perennials, as long as they are dormant, can be planted now. Very cold tolerant annuals such as violas, primroses and pansies can be planted, they must be hardened-off in order to survive.

Once the frost has lifted and the soil is workable, start preparing your garden beds. In winter, soil tends to become compacted, so the first thing you want to do is loosen it back up by tilling or turning it. Using a tiller or a sharp spade, work the soil to a depth of 12 to 14 inches to loosen it up.

In late February to early March, start cabbages, kale, broccoli, cauliflower, onions, leeks, endive, escarole, fennel, lettuce, and artichokes indoors. In mid- to late March, direct sow peas, spinach, fava beans, and arugula outdoors. Start peppers, tomatoes, eggplant, Swiss chard, and tomatillos indoors.

For Colorado's climate, the best time to overseed is in April or September. During these times, temperatures are cooler and moisture can be more abundant. This results in better germination and improved vigor of the newly germinated seedling.

March is the perfect time to get those tomato and pepper seeds started indoors so they can be ready for an early spring planting! Also now is a great time to start planting cool weather vegetables that can withstand those last frost days of March and April.

Think it's too early to start working on your spring garden? It's definitely not because March is the perfect time to get those cool weather veggies that can handle cool, early spring weather in the ground. It's also a great time to sow a variety of seeds indoors so they'll be ready for early planting.

Add Organic Matter

Organic matter is the gardener's cure-all, no matter what your soil type. It will make heavy clay soils lighter and improve drainage, and it will help retain both moisture and nutrients in sandy soils. Simply put, organic matter of any kind is great news for your soil – and the plants you grow in it!

What are the best vegetables to grow in the spring? ›

Examples include lettuce, cabbage, kale, turnips, Brussels sprouts. Warm season vegetables can't survive in cold temperatures, so they are planted safely after the last frost date. These are your summer vegetables such as tomatoes, beans, the squash family, melons and peppers.

Best time of day to transplant is early in the morning, late in the afternoon or on a cloudy day. This will allow the plants to settle in out of direct sunlight.

Fall tends to produce more good planting days than Spring.

Another significant advantage during the Fall is that common garden pests and disease problems are less of a problem. Whether you are planting grasses, spring-blooming bulbs, perennials, trees or shrubs, they all will do great when planted in the Fall!

That is the long way of saying late spring typically runs from sometime in May through June. May is a busy time for planting, but we recommend you keep a keen eye on the weather and the frost protection at hand for those frost-sensitive veggies!

Preparing Garden Beds. A couple weeks prior to planting anything is the time to get your garden beds ready for the year of growth to come. Early spring is ideal timing to add soil nutrients, ensure the soil isn't compacted, and remove any stray weeds.

Whether you're new to gardening, or a seasoned pro, building better soil is the single most important thing you can do to improve your gardening success. And fall is the best time to do it!

The ideal soil temperatures for planting most plants, especially vegetables, is between 65-75 degrees. That means the safest time to plant in the spring is in mid-to-late May.

Warming soil is a major cue that wakes up plants, so mulch, which insulates the soil to keep it cooler longer, is a major protection. It also shelters slow-growing plants against cold spells. Leave mulch and other winter protections in place until nighttime low temperatures are consistently above freezing.

Kentucky bluegrass is your best bet in Colorado. One of the most tolerant grasses, Kentucky bluegrass spreads rapidly because of its rhizomes. This makes the turf more sturdy and resistant to damage.

Can you plant grass seed in March in Colorado? ›

In most parts of Colorado, cool-season grasses like Black Beauty can be seeded in March or April, as soon as temperatures begin to warm up. Along the Front Range and Western Slope of the Rocky Mountains, the optimal time to plant is early fall (mid-August to mid-September).

That being said the seeds do not need immense AMOUNTS of water just frequent applications of it. We recommend at least three times a day if possible but only for 4-5 minute increments. Heavy water applications could wash away seed and loose soil so take into account the grade of your lawn.

Planting too early in cooler temperatures can cause stunted growth, wilting, surface pitting, foliage necrosis and increased susceptibility to disease. Low soil temperatures can stunt plant growth and prevent root development.

Timing is very important when it comes to starting seeds indoors. That's because if you do it too early, you could end up with weak, leggy seedlings that won't survive the transition to the garden.

April is the best time to plant most of your vegetable seeds after your last frost for all zones. It's still not too late to plant tomatoes and peppers from seeds as well!

Seeds of early spring cool-season crops can be planted when the soil temperature is 40 degrees or above. This includes lettuce, peas, kale, radishes, arugula and spinach. When the soil reaches 50 degrees, plant seeds of leeks, onions, Swiss chard and turnips.

Mid-March is the best time to start many vegetables and annual flowers indoors for transplanting outside once the threat of frost has past.

The easier, healthier approach is to add compost or plant residues to the soil surface or to incorporate them into only the top few inches of soil. The soil biota will take care of breaking the material down into nutrients your plants can use, and moving the nutrients down into the soil where plant roots can find them.

What do you fertilize your garden with in the spring? ›

Granular or pellet fertilizers should be mixed two to four inches into the soil at the beginning of spring. Like flower gardens, this period sits in late March or early April, as the weather begins to consistently warm. Follow this same recommendation for compost or organic formulas.

Tomatoes are a warm-weather crop. They don't tolerate frosts, and they don't like cold “feet”. Warming up the soil prior to planting improves early root growth and gets the plants off to a better start. It's a tomato growing secret many gardeners don't always consider.

The easiest vegetables to grow from seed are those that require little intervention besides planting and watering. 'Many vegetables are easy to grow from seed,' says Turner. 'Lettuce, beans, cucumber, squash, radish, peas, pumpkins, arugula and okra would be what I'd consider the easiest.

Rotating the placement of plant families will keep the soil healthier, the plants healthier, and the diseases at bay (in theory). The standard rotation goes something like this: Salad (leaf) first, Tomatoes (fruit) next, carrots (roots) third and peas (legumes) after that.

The best time to water plants is in the morning or evening.

Morning watering is actually preferable to evening watering as the plant has time to dry before the sun goes down. At night, water tends to rest in the soil, around the roots, and on the foliage, which encourages rot, fungal growth, and insects.

In hot weather you need to water in the mornings when it is cooler. This will allow more water to reach the root system before it evaporates in the heat. There may be times when you cannot schedule watering in the morning. In this case, water the plants in the late evening before bed.

Early morning (5:00 to 9:00 am) is the best time to water the garden when using a sprinkler, garden hose, or any other device that wets the plant foliage. When watering is completed, the plant foliage dries quickly. The rapid drying of plant foliage helps guard against the development of fungal diseases.

Most perennials grow best in soil that is well drained with good fertility and a pH of 6.0 to 7.0. Adding organic matter to soil improves the fertility, texture, and water-holding capacity. Apply a two to three inch layer of mulch to conserve water, reduce the need to weed, and keep soil temperature cool.

The process of trimming back plants is the same for nearly all perennials. Begin by cutting the plant back to 3 to 5 inches above the soil line. Using a sharp pair of pruners or hedge trimmers, cut off all of the foliage and stems. Cut the plants down to within three to five inches of the soil line.

Should I fertilize newly planted perennials in the fall? ›

Fertilize perennials in the early fall for extended life. Fertilize trees and shrubs in the late fall to give them a boost before the winter.

In northern states mid-late April should be the earliest you consider cutting back perennials and clearing garden debris. Keep in mind that some bees don't emerge until late May, so the longer you can tolerate your “messy” garden the better.

By the meteorological calendar, spring will always start on 1 March; ending on 31 May. The seasons are defined as spring (March, April, May), summer (June, July, August), autumn (September, October, November) and winter (December, January, February).

Plant as soon as soil adequately dries in the spring. These crops may be planted as early as 2-4 weeks before the date of the average last spring frost. average last spring frost. Warm season vegetables prefer summer-like weather with temperatures between 70°F and 95°F.

Colorado Springs is in Zone 5 (4 in the western foothills and north toward Monument Hill). Trees rated for higher zones may not tolerate our climactic extremes.

Semi-hardy vegetables like beets, carrots, cauliflower, parsley, potatoes and Swiss chard can be planted two weeks before our average last spring frost. Wait to plant tender vegetables like peppers, tomatoes, beans, cucumbers, squash, zucchini, pumpkin and watermelon until mid-May.

Many fall-harvested crops should be planted in early August to give them enough time to mature. Always consult the seed packet to see how many days it takes until maturity, and count backward from your frost date to allow enough time.

A week of cool daytime temperatures (below 55ºF) will stunt plants, reducing yields. With these warm temperature requirements, planting time along the Colorado Front Range is typically late May.

The latest time to plant for most vegetables would be the second week in June with a short harvest time. If planting crops that mature within 50 days, you could plant those as late as the last week in June, but keep in mind the weather will be turning cooler, especially at night. Cool crops are best for late plantings.

What is the best tree to plant in Colorado Springs? ›

Evergreen: Colorado Blue Spruce

This Colorado native is a real winner as well. An extremely large tree, people often plant this tree not realizing just how big it will get, it can reach heights if anywhere from 50-80 feet and a spread of 25-35 feet.

Gardeners living in areas where the ground freezes often feel vegetables can only be planted during frost-free periods. However, some cold-hardy vegetables can be planted up to six weeks prior to the average last killing spring frost.

To add a little more precision to the zone designations, each zone is divided into 5 degree increments, "a" or "b." Colorado Springs is in Zone 5b. Black Forest is in Zone 5a. Teller County, like most of our mountain areas, is in Zone 4. But there are other important factors that affect our growing season.

Planting too early in cooler temperatures can cause stunted growth, wilting, surface pitting, foliage necrosis and increased susceptibility to disease. Low soil temperatures can stunt plant growth and prevent root development.

Early potatoes (summer potatoes) are planted in March and harvested in July or August. Late potatoes (winter potatoes) are planted in April or May and harvested between September and November (usually September 15 - October 12).

They come in all shapes, sizes, colors with various foliage textures and colors. With some planning you can have beautiful color from spring into fall with some winter interest. Perennials can be planted anytime that the threat of frost has passed and a month before the first hard frost in the fall.

Fall tends to produce more good planting days than Spring.

Another significant advantage during the Fall is that common garden pests and disease problems are less of a problem. Whether you are planting grasses, spring-blooming bulbs, perennials, trees or shrubs, they all will do great when planted in the Fall!

As the first light frosts begin to hit plants in mid to late fall, the foliage of perennial plants will begin to die back. Once this occurs, it is the ideal time to begin cutting plants back.

Cutting old and diseased foliage in the fall helps a perennial jump right into new growth come spring. But some plants need their foliage for protection over the winter and instead should be pruned in the spring.