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Rocky Mountain Gardening
stevesdigits

Okay, Seeds and Seed Order Planning?

5 months ago
last modified: 5 months ago

Okay, Coloradans. There has been 2 months for a vacation from GW, those seed orders had better be going out soon!


We have had the warmest Winter ever so far, in the time that I have been in this neck of the PNW. Sometimes, I have to think of it as the NorthWest because of the weather, "June Gloom," and that sort of thing. Last year, it was our usual below zero F Winter but it was remarkable that it hit those temperatures without snow cover at this elevation – not good. This Winter, I haven't bothered to use the snow shovels once (!) and we still haven't hit single digitS'. REMARKABLE. Perhaps, we are headed that way in late January but it looks like one of the very few Winters out of the 50+ that I have lived here with no sub-zeros.


BTW, I started out on GW years ago in the PNW forum but there were essentially no gardeners east of the Cascades. Shucks, I was gardening between ranges of the Rockies and the growing seasons were almost nothing like Puget Sound and Portland areas. So, I turned up on this forum.


I need to go through current seed stocks and see what is there, what is too old and what should be ordered. And, what heirlooms will need to be grown to replenish/refresh seed stocks. Garden downsizing in 2024 really changed my seed buying. It looks like a first time order from True Leaf but their buying of Kitazawa was bound to make that happen.


A beautiful picture of a Colorado mountain meadow popped up recently on the internet for me and I was wondering if I had been to Silverthorne. (Strange name, that.) No, apparently my month-long travels to the state, while avoiding Denver etc. didn't quite include that community. I remember making a choice as to how I would turn south off the interstate to pass through Leadville on my way south. Never travelled further east on I70 and didn't go north of it. That was probably a mistake ... Anyway, I spent 1 month in Colorado and only once did I stay a second night in any one place. Started to go off towards Kansas but only made it to Rocky Ford/La Junta – too dang hot on that day! For some reason, I visited Gunnison 3 times while making my loops. Pagosa Springs and Durango forests felt so much like "home" here on the WA/ID border that I was comfortable returning from that trip. Still, Colorado has some wonderful uniqueness that make it special.

Steve (And, yes, I know that Wyoming, Montana and Canadian gardeners have frequented this forum and should be here ;o).

Featured Answer
  • 5 months ago

    Thanks for the reminder Digit! I need to check my supply of Black Krim tomato seeds and order more if low. I think I am good on lots of other veggies - the local farm store I go to had a huge supply of a variety of brand packaged seeds and has been running a deal where you get free ones for every $5 spent. There were a few times I could pick as many as 15 or so packets! I didn't go that far but did get quite a few :)


    I've been to Pagosa and Gunnison and really enjoyed both. I do miss the mountains since I moved to Kansas. But at least Eastern KS has lots of greenery and lakes!


    Gardengrl - you are so right about everywhere having it's challenges! Ours here is the rocky soil. We live in a wooded area and there is lots of organic matter which does aid the fertility of the soil. But our garden just didn't do as well as we liked this past summer so had the soil analyzed, and we did add recommended amendments from the result info. That's been in the soil since last Nov. so we'll probably run another analysis in early spring to see if things have improved before planting anything.

    Comments (7)

    • 5 months ago

      Haha, well now we're in the "Polar Vortex." So much for the warm winter! Going down into the negatives tonight...


      I have always done my seed order on Thanksgiving weekend. My favorite site does a Black Friday 15% off sale. Then I put the packets in a gift bag under the tree, a gift from Santa for the family. This year it's rather more than usual due to a flooding incident out in the garage where I do my seed-starting. All my squash, tomato and pepper seeds got wet and needed to be replaced. In addition I was out of rutabaga and beet, and I'm going to grow Daikon radish for the first time, solely because I've gotten the knack of growing Napa cabbage and am now making my own Kimchi! My carrot, kale, collard seeds all survived unscathed.


      Onion and potato starts also ordered in December. And three new fruit trees: Apple, pear, and fig.


      Over the years I am doing more seed-saving. Beans (black and snap), corn (flour), lettuces, have all been pretty successful. Been growing a little wheat and barley, saving seed from that too.


      I wonder where in Silverthorne that meadow was. I think of it as pretty much wall-to-wall ski condos! Pagosa and Durango are gorgeous, glad you were able to visit there. Next time you come check out Salida (where I have my "big" garden, smaller one in Denver). Agree Colorado gardening presents unique challenges, but doesn't everywhere?

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    • 5 months ago

      I had forgotten about your move to Kansas.


      You have been so good about continuing to comment here over the years.


      How long has it been now since you passed through Rocky Ford heading east, @mstywoods ?


      It's hard to believe that I could be so well organized as to make a seed order by Thanksgiving!


      How 'bout that @gardengrl66 ?!?

    • 5 months ago

      Well the November seed order keeps me going in an otherwise slow month, garden-wise. (Besides I can't resist the Black Friday discount!) . By October everything is harvested and I put the garlic in the ground. Order the seeds in November, receive in December - I also draw out the next year's plan for what I'm planting in which beds, then I just have to wait out January...I start my cold-weather seeds (cole crops, leeks) indoors on Feb 1st. Which is probably sooner than necessary but I just can never wait to get started!


      How is everyone handling the cold? 5 degrees in Denver, -1 in Salida...what's it like in ID and KS?

    • 5 months ago
      last modified: 5 months ago

      Living within 100 miles of this location for over 50 years, I have never experienced such a warm Winter.


      It's sunrise Tuesday morning and 17⁰. The Weather Service seems to have given up on the possibility that we will have single digitS' this week.


      I hope it doesn't mean that we will be having a scorching Hot Summer!

    • 5 months ago
      last modified: 5 months ago


      A first time ordering from True Leaf Market but, I felt that it wasn't much choice since they now have Kitazawa Seed. There were some things that I wanted from Kitazawa but, you can see, there were a few things from the other part of their growing conglomerate – Mountain Valley Seeds.


      Today, another seed order went out!


      Steve

    • 5 months ago

      Finally got my Black Krim seeds ordered. Think I'm good on the other plants. After amending the soil we laid out landscape cloth, permeable, to help control the weeds (using straw last year wasn't as effective as I'd like). So now starting to envision where things will go so will know where to cut through the fabric.


      A few weeks ago it was so cold here and icy! Normally the stuff melts after a few days but it hung around way too long! But we've had enough above freezing temps and into the 40's and 50's that it is all gone - yay! And yesterday and today have been in the low 60's!! So nice to get outside and enjoy the sun and warmth :) We will dip back down to normal temps for this time of year starting tonight though.


      @digit We didn't make it down towards Rocky Ford area as we just headed on the straight, and a bit boring, I-70 route all the way here.

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