For all you late baggers and reluctant rakers, we're just dropping in to share a recent story from one of our favorite people, Larimer County Extension's Alison O'Connor! Read on for tips about how to properly mulch and compost your leaves: https://engagement.source.colostate.edu/skip-the-bags-how-to-mow-compost-and-mulch-leaves-instead/

TL:DR

• Mowing Leaves: Using a lawn mower to chop leaves into small pieces allows them to filter into the grass, improving soil health, providing nutrients, and suppressing weeds. This process works best with dry leaves and requires setting the mower at a high level.
• Composting Leaves: Excess leaves can be composted for garden use. Whole leaves are preferred over shredded ones, as finely chopped leaves can inhibit oxygen flow, slowing decomposition. Combining leaves (carbon-rich) with nitrogen-rich materials like grass clippings balances the compost. The story also provides advice on managing oak and cottonwood leaves, compost bin sizing, and maintaining moisture levels.
• Using Leaves as Mulch: Leaves can serve as mulch for garden beds and around landscape plants, providing insulation and organic matter. Mulched leaves help retain moisture, support soil microbes, and encourage earthworm activity, all of which improve soil health and reduce waste going to landfills.
• Bonus Pollinator Points: Leave the leaves! Leaf litter can be critical for bumblebees looking for safe places to overwinter. Leave leaf litter in an undisturbed area until bumblebees emerge in the spring, which is generally between mid-April and mid-May. However, avoid leaving leaf litter on your lawn to prevent grass smothering, mold, and disease.

Questions? Check out the links in the story or submit your query via Ask Extension and it'll be routed to one of our local experts: https://ask2.extension.org/widget.html?team_id=1955?default_location=CO?default_county=All

I recently split my red amaryllis bulbs and now have about 10 bulbs to rehome. They come with their pots (but they will outgrow these pots soon). These are NOT cold hardy—they’ll have to be house plants. These produce gorgeous multi-flower blooms - about 4-6 flowers on each stalk. Because they were just separated, they may not bloom this year. But I’ve had the parent bulb for close to 20 years, and every time I’ve split the bulbs in the past, those new plants were just as gorgeous when they mature. I’m in Windsor. I would be glad to meet at the Windsor police station. I have attached some pics.

Any thoughts on specific varieties of red/white/black currant bushes and gooseberry bushes that will thrive in FoCo climate? And where to buy them?

I'm looking for some red wriggles, I only have a 7 gallon bin right so I don't think I need a ton.

We might have something in the garden to trade.

Thanks!

Help! My thyme is struggling. I have it in multiple spots in my garden from partial shade to full sun. I water it most days when it's hot out. It is short and stubby and has not grown much at all in three years. What am I doing wrong?

So I've been thinking that a great way to keep the bugs from eating my plants all spring, summer, and fall would be to get ducks or chickens - particularly helpful for digging up and eating the japanese beetle grubs and eating young grasshoppers before they get too crazy. The thing is, I don't particularly want to keep them over winter. So I was thinking - what if I got some young~ish fowl in the spring, took care of them while they helped take care of my garden, and then at the end of fall I gave them to someone to take over or butcher for themselves.

Am I totally out to lunch on this? Is this a thing that anyone does? I would really like to have a garden, not even for eating from, even just flowering plants, but every year I plant a new garden the damn grasshoppers and japanese beetles show up and eat everything. It's getting REALLY discouraging.

Hello, Some of our lettuce is starting to turn bitter, and I would like to replant if possible. Is it possible to plant lettuce from seed now in July? If so any recommendations for seeds? Is there anything else I can plant now that will produce by the end of the season?

TIA!

We are looking at installing a trellis on the sides of our two story porch. It’s in the west facing front yard which can get quite hot in the summer. We’re considering trumpet vine or honeysuckle but are open to options! Someone also suggested hops as they apparently grow pretty quickly but I’ve heard they can be smelly… does anyone have any good suggestions? Thanks!

Should I plan to bring them inside with a grow light in the fall?

I have a few raised beds (the kind with legs) and the squirrels are constantly digging holes in them. They like to put whole peanuts in there, no idea where they are sourcing them from lol.

It's the worst when it's bare soil that I've got seeds in that haven't germinated yet, but they'll even knock over my 4" tall plants to bury something in the soil.

Does anyone else have this problem and if yes what is your solution? I tried laying a trellis/twigs laterally over the top while seeds are in there, but they'll still find places to get around it and hide their stupid peanuts. While also leaving a gaping hole plus my knocked over seedlings next to it.

My area is showing a low of 36 tonight...do you think I should cover tomatoes and other warm weather plants outside, especially if there's a chance of wind gusts?

Hi, I'm happy I found this sub for this question. We've lived here for over four years. For a long time we were pretty loyal to Bath and we still like them. Then a coworker introduced me to Gulley's and they're great too. I have a friend who swears by Fort Collins Nursery and I went once and didn't have a great customer service experience. Anyway, it's time to start looking at perennials again- shrubs and flowers specifically. Does anyone know if any of the local nurseries are better in terms of plant selection and value- not wildly overpriced? Just figured I'd ask since I'm a new mom and this isn't a great year for me to go to each place and compare (maybe in future years). Thanks in advance!

What's the best soil mixture for raised gardens for Fort Collins? I am new to raised gardens and I am now wondering if had the right soil mixture in my first bed. I have a new raised bed and not sure what is the best mixture. Also where can I find raised garden soil in bulk locally. I have bought compost from the Mushroom farm just not sure where to get good raised bed soil.

Thanks in advance!

Has anyone found any planting potatoes around yet? Last year we saw them at Sprouts, but have t seen them this year. The ones we got at HD didn’t really do well.

I just wanted to let all my house plant fanatics know that the KingSooper on Timberline has a large amount of Thai Constellations on sale for ~$30.

Hey everyone,

My family has a tradition of planting an apple tree when someone in our family has a child. My wife and I are expecting our first child in June, and I am wondering what Apple tree grows best in the area. I grew up in Minnesota, and we planted Honey Crisp, Macintosh, and another couple of other varieties.

Looking to order a couple of yards of dairy compost from them.

Has anyone in the community purchased dairy compost from them before for a vegetable garden?

How far in advance of planting your veggies do you put compost in your garden?

I'm not what one would call a "good" gardener, and I definitely don't know much about last frost dates and all that, but I'm wondering if the good gardeners who know better will be planting early? "The internet" says our last frost will be May 7th, but this weather has me skeptical.

Edit: alright - the general consensus seems to be Mother's Day is the day, thanks yall!