I have a few things started. Alaska peas, snow peas, green arrow peas, sugar snap peas, collards and then there's the overwintered spinach, lettuce and garlic. Also there's a variety of things started in the coldframe.

I need to get out and start turning over some of the cover crops so I can start the carrots, radishes and other spring greens.

Greg

Hi Taylor,

I planted peas and onions a couple of days ago. There are also several wintersown containers of lettuce, broccoli, and cauliflower sprouts that need to get planted out, as soon as I can find the time. Next week I'll plant carrots and radishes. That's about the extent of my early season garden.

The other Bonnie : )

Oh, I think I have some peas out there too! I also have some broccoli and cauliflower (and a few others) that are ready to be transplanted but I'm in Roaring Fork Valley right now and can't until I get back.

What is a coldframe?

Hey, Taylor, you are near me right now! I'm ~ 20 miles west of Glenwood Springs. What brings you up this way?

My family lives in the RFV and I grew up here. Just recently moved to Denver in the last year or two. I still do some work and help my daddio out whenever I can manage.

Just about to head back to Denver today if I can swing it and then I come back again Wednesday. Oh the joys of driving the passes...

I've already harvested radishes and the cabbage is done, as is most of the spinach. The big coldframe is coming down this weekend to make way for the budadas. Peas and onions up, shallots and carrots going out this weekend. Grow light turning off mid-week and at the same time the melons and flowers for the kid starting then.

Dan

My spinach is coming on like gang busters right now. Extras will be going out to the neighbors soon.

Hi Fellow gardeners. I live in Sheridan, WY. I am in my 3rd year with raised beds. My fall plantings of spinach and garlic are up and happy and I have salad greens, onions, potatoes and kholrabi in the ground. My question is, what kind of cover crops people are using? My frost free growing season is about 104 days and I try to maximize that and harvest right up to frost (and after) and don't want to pull stuff up to plant a cover crop. My other concern is how long it will take for the cover crop to decompose after I turn it in. Thanks in advance for some info.

Winter rye works pretty well as a cover crop here in zone 5 but it does take some work to turn it over in spring. There's also field/winter peas, hairy vetch or oilseed radish that work well as cold season cover crops.

I've had some luck with the smaller varieties of Fava beans - they're frost tolerant and fix nitrogen. I've a similar short season, running from early June until early Sept. But....

To do this, you need to frantically clear out the summer crops, all the huge tomato vines, beans, peppers, squash, etc. For me, that is measured in cubic yards of heavy stuff. At the same time, its frantic food preservation time, so lots of canning with all the stuff just harvested. As well as all the other stuff that needs to be done with kids in school, etc. So a few weeks go by, and then its too late to make much difference.

So I've concluded its relatively easier to go the compost route for soil improvement.