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mthawki

Woodland Park

mthawki
16 years ago

We're pondering moving back to the COS area, Woodland Park specifically and the elevation of WP scares me from a gardening point of view. Is anybody familiar with what grows there very well, length of growing season, etc. I'm guessing that growing veggies will pretty much be out without the help of a greenhouse.

Thank you in advance!

Comments (8)

  • emagineer
    16 years ago

    There are tons of gardeners in WP and a number of nurseries around the area. Diggin in the Dirt is one of the best, privately owned, it is located by the golf course. She has the best of plants and is a wonderful gal to talk to about what grows. All of her plants bought grew well. The soil will be different in different areas of town, but true to any town.

    Veg. gardens do grow and you can have tomatoes, squash, etc. One friend just started from seeds in the ground, hers grew fine. A greenhouse would make all a longer season and safe from the weather they had this spring.

    You'll find garden clubs and classes available too. Check out the Community Center/Chamber and library when you visit next or go to their websites. They list most of the info there.

  • mthawki
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    Sounds like almost anything is still possible at 8500' then! Thank you for the info.

  • digit
    16 years ago

    Mthawki, NOAA information on frost-free dates for Colorado can be found at the site linked below. Woodland Park isn't on the list but Buena Vista shows a 109 day frost-free period, if that helps. I notice Bailey is on the list.

    I'm not familiar enuf with Colorado to know comparable communities but you can search thru the Comparative Data for the Western States and probably get a better understanding of what changes a move would bring.

    Also, going to weather.com and entering "Woodland Park, CO" then looking at "averages" would give you some temperatures and precipitation numbers. Clicking the little drop-down menu where it says "monthly averages" will allow you to click "compare locations." So, you could take a quick look at Woodland Park and where you are now.

    I notice that Buena Vista is a little warmer and Bailey is a little cooler than Woodland Park by doing the quick clicks.

    digitS'

    Here is a link that might be useful: Spring/Fall Minimum Temperature Thresholds

  • digit
    16 years ago

    This RMG GW thread may interest you, Mthawki.

    Here is a link that might be useful: GW - Gardening at 9,000 feet!

  • emagineer
    16 years ago

    Gads Digit, you just resurrected a thread I was active on 3 years ago. Told you guys I was hanging around here without saying too much. What I wrote on the thread is more of a repeat of my little paragraph above and some things forgotten.

    One of the points I do remember in the Garden class was for every 1,000 feet above Denver, seeds/plants are put in the ground a week later. Mother's Day being the magic date, this meant June 1 for Woodland Park. I found the temps to hover reliably 10 degrees less than COS.

    Your weather info though is another bit of brain fodder for me to spend educational hours on. There is more to this and something I have wondered about beyond what may be important. But, reality is that a couple of blocks in my area can make a significant difference in growth, bloom, etc. An example is the Cherry trees which were blooming at my house, but 4 block away they bloomed 2 weeks later. Think blocks lined with cherry trees, not just one or two.

    With Woodland Park (even though it is called the City Above the Clouds) sun exposure is not as long as it's surrounding areas. Forget the temps, the town sits in a bowl (unless you are up on the highest rim) and both sunrise and sunset are later. No, you can't use the sun rise/set times, they have nothing to do with the "bowl" situation. This not only changes the length of sun time, but also lengthens the amount of time lower temps hang around. Plus, drive 2 miles out from the middle of town and you are either in deep forest or wind swept prairies/high desert, but still in WP.

    So, how important is learning about weather or how close can one get to understanding the environmental changes which affect our gardens? So close, yet so far away, when it comes to growth/bloom periods. And yes, snow, sleet, wind, hail too.

    My question probably needs a separate thread. Invaded your's Mt.Hawk.

  • digit
    16 years ago

    Hightude gardening article, with some folks in Teller County:

    Here is a link that might be useful: Hightude gardening

  • kotullas_msn_com
    12 years ago

    Diggin' in the Dirt has been my mentor and friend for the 10 years we've been up here. Tina is creative and her plants are super tolerant, even in the hail storm we had last July. She is the best gardening spot in town-probably because she loves what she does and her prices, like her plants are gentle on the pocket book!

  • jclepine
    12 years ago

    Thanks for the link to that article and the good things said about Tina and Digging in the Dirt. I'll have to make a stop there even though it is a bit of a drive it is still a similar altitude to where I live.

    Mthawki, I grow tomatoes at 8250 but I keep them in five gallon or larger black pots and bring them inside when the weather is difficult. I also use a sheet when the weather is not too difficult. I just cover them up at night if it is cold. Sadly, I check the weather often because, no matter how hot it is during the day, we can have near freezing or freezing temps at night.

    My tomato plan is this: If the weather says it will get down to 41, I put the sheet over the tomatoes. If it says it will get down to 38, I bring them inside.

    This year, my friend four houses down the street is trying walls of water as she had bad tomato luck the last two years. I hope that works well!

    I hope you come back and ask lots of questions here, we love questions!

    Oh, and, Welcome!

    Jennifer