Vegetables - What to plant when... (race, flood, rain)

[hollyt00]

Thankfully I was going to plant this weekend so my tomatoes and strawberries, poppies survived. Three windows, the siding on the south side of my house, and probably about two to three saplings... however...

[Phil P]

My experience is that the growing season is short, 3rd week-4th week of May is about the nonfreezing point, and be expecting slow growth due to cold nights and hot burns due to days over 100. Colorado springs is a tricky gardening spot.

[Marcy1210]

When we lived in Pinecliff, we had raised beds built into the rise in our backyard. Our house faced E/W, but a side yard under the dining room window faced south, and was a kind of microclimate with heat reflecting off the house. We planted tomatoes using Wall-O-Waters around the small plants until they flowered. Then we staked them, and they did really well. In our lower raised beds, cool crops like snow peas, broccoli, lettuces, carrots, radishes, green onions and garlic did really well, and in the upper beds, squash, cucumbers, pumpkins, cantaloupe, beans, corn, did fairly well. The beans did great, but it took a long time for the blossoms to form and it was touch and go if the fruit would form and ripen before the first cold snap. I think if you can cover those type of low growing crops on cool evenings, or at the end of the summer to prolong it, you'll do fine. But for us, the biggest problem was getting the veggies ripe and picked before the deer got them.

[Phil P]

planting along a house like Marcy does will increase your growing season a fair amount.

[beezle1]

I just planted some yellow pattypan squash, cocozelle squash (similar to zucchini), and some beans today. Once these ones start to peek through the ground, I will put up my hail screen and leave it there until they get too tall for it.

[Littlekw]

While last weeks hail pummelled my seedlings, my seeds hadn't sprouted yet. Good news, they survived! Radishes, carrots, beans, cukes, peas and zucchini are popping up like crazy.

Just curious, has anyone tried butternut squash? I'm tempted but haven't ever tried growing that particular type of squash.

[otowi]

Yeah it is a sweet squash, kind of like Acorn squash -

[Littlekw]

Originally Posted by otowi

Yeah it is a sweet squash, kind of like Acorn squash -

Oh, I love the flavor of it, that much I know. I just haven't ever tried growing it. I bought some seeds because I love the flavor of butternut squash, but I was wondering if it grows well in the Springs. I've never tried growing the variety so I'm not sure how well it will do. It has a longer time to mature than any squash I've planted so I know I need to get it in soon if I'm going to try, but I'm wondering if anyone has had success growing it in the Springs.

[beezle1]

Originally Posted by Littlekw

Just curious, has anyone tried butternut squash? I'm tempted but haven't ever tried growing that particular type of squash.

I have never tried growing them - I stick with the shorter to maturity type plants (around 50 days). I am curious if anyone has tried growing them too?

[otowi]

Butternuts are grown regularly in Colorado, but yes, you probably will be in a race against the fall season.