Teller County Master Gardeners

16/05/2026

Tomorrow at Mountain Naturals on Highway 67 North and Red Feather Lane, we’ll host our annual potato giveaway! We’ll offer four varieties, two of each kind starting at 10 AM ending when we run out! We hope to see you there! 

05/05/2026

Is my soil acidic? We live among Pine and Spruce, so many assume our soil is acidic. The needles fall and are acidic but according to CSU “the needles may be acidic but they're slow to break down”. In general Colorado soils are alkali, and the water we irrigate with is high in salts and calcium ions (“hard water”). That's why we have the white rings accumulate on plant pots and saucers.
Many things can affect soil composition including minerals and pH, like organic matter (what kind, etc). There are pH tests you can buy, or you can use the ol’ vinegar vs baking soda tests (easy to find on Google). Or you can confirm the composition of your soil salinity and pH by sending your soil to a reputable lab (which may tell you more than you need to know!) CSU offers soil tests (starting around $20). https://agsci.colostate.edu/soiltestinglab/

Other learning links:
https://extension.colostate.edu/resource/soil-ph/
https://extension.colostate.edu/resource/soil-tests/

Some gardeners are just bold and tenacious enough to just plant a garden without a test! If it dies, they either plant twice as many or stop growing that type of plant. If it dies, they know they can't blame the acid of the evergreens!

04/05/2026

According to the Colorado State University (CSU) Extension and Colorado Master Gardener program, the best strategy for distributing compost is to incorporate it into the top 6 to 8 inches of soil to prevent shallow rooting.

Because Colorado soils are often heavy clay or compacted, simply leaving compost on the surface or mixing it shallowly can lead to poor plant vigor.

Application Rates by Site

New Vegetable/Flower Gardens: Apply a 3–4 inch layer of compost before tilling it to a depth of 8–12 inches.

Existing Gardens (Annual): Apply a thinner layer of 0.25 to 1 inch and work it into the top 8–12 inches.

New Lawns: Spread 1–2 inches of compost and incorporate into the top 6 inches of soil before seeding or sodding.

Established Lawns: Use a light top-dressing of 0.25 to 0.5 inches (approximately 1 cubic foot per 25 square feet).

⚠️ Critical Best Practices for Colorado Salt Management: Many commercial composts in Colorado (especially those with manure or biosolids) have high salt content. If the salt level is unknown, limit application to 1 inch or less. Avoid "Chunks": Thoroughly mix compost into the soil profile; leaving large chunks can interfere with water movement and root growth.

Soil Testing: Aim for a total soil organic matter (OM) content of 4–5%. Once you reach this level, reduce or stop annual applications to avoid excessive phosphorus or salt buildup.

Mineralization Timing: For agricultural or large-scale use, apply compost in the fall. This allows organic nitrogen time to mineralize and become available for spring crops.

Nitrogen Watch: Compost is a soil conditioner, not a primary fertilizer. In low-OM soils (

30/04/2026

If your looking to build a greenhouse (small or large) to extend your growing, consider this:
Use wire hardware cloth to seal off unwanted rodents (voles/mice) from underground or unprotected corners.
Provide adequate ventilation because 1. heat will build up on sunny days and 2. fresh air prevents diseases. Include a fan and/or roll up walls (netting or screening is advised to protect against grasshoppers, deer, etc)
The structure can be pre-bought or built to fit what you need: wood, metal, or PVC piping. Old swing sets can be used! Metal can melt plastic, but swimming noodles can be wrapped around the metal to protect the plastic.
The covering can be heavy duty plastic or polycarbonate sheets. Some plastics are warranted for years, but not against hail. Structurally, polycarbonate holds up, even in hail, but overtime it should be replaced.
Creating an insulative double layer (one layer on the outside of the frame, one on the inside) helps keep heat in during cold spells and reduces UV ray pe*******on.
You might consider shade cloth since Colorado sun is intense and most garden vegetables are not native.
Knowing the temperatures inside the greenhouse is key. If it gets too cold (especially at night), peppers or tomatoes may die. If it gets too hot by day, broccoli and lettuce may go to seed before harvest. A min/max or high/low thermometer can record temperatures without you- but check temperatures before and plant accordingly!
If you’re planting in the ground or raised beds, you can use amended garden soil, otherwise use lightweight potting soil for containers. You can’t roto-till containers.

CSU Extension offers more info at:

https://extension.colostate.edu/resource/frost-protection-and-extending-the-growing-season/

https://extension.colostate.edu/resource/growing-vegetables-in-a-hobby-greenhouse/

28/04/2026

Big thank you to Joan Nusbaum for bringing life to soil for us! It’s a rather dull topic, unless you’re Joan! If you missed her class, here’s some links that can help you understand some of what she covered.

https://extension.colostate.edu/resource/introduction-to-soils/

https://extension.colostate.edu/resource/from-dirt-to-soil/

https://extension.colostate.edu/resource/the-living-soil/

27/04/2026

We wrap up our classes with the exciting topic of dirt, tomorrow, April 27! It’s not just what you can grow in your soil, but is your soil growing! If you can attend, you will be delightfully entertained by El Paso County Master Gardener, Joan Nusbaum, who brings the topic alive on so many levels!
If you can, please join us at 5:30pm at the Community Partnership Family Resource Center, 701 Gold Hills Pl., Woodland Park. You can either pre-register or pay at the door, $10.

24/04/2026

Whether you’re a gardener, naturalist, or conservationist, these self-led courses help you create eco-friendly landscapes.

Image Description: A butterfly flying through flowers. Text reads, "Native Plants Training, Online Program". There is a logo for Colorado State University.

24/04/2026

We had a great question from a gardener new to the area about finding native plants. Fortunately, a lot more people and businesses are seeing the value of the natives: culturally they’re suited for the immediate climate and they attract native and migrating wildlife (birds, bugs, mammals, etc).
It’s helpful to know the natives growing in your area before trying to add more.
To identify what’s near, you can use your phone (Google lens or the iPhone leaf), or local ID handbooks with pictures.
Also it’s good to know USDA Plant Hardiness map declares we’re in zones 5a-4a (average minimum temperature of -20 to -25°) and Teller County qualifies as “wetland, montane and alpine” so it depends where you are standing. One area can have many niches- the creeks have aquatic natives, north slopes have shade and south slopes are usually dry and sunny. “Most” all of it is over 7,000ft elevation- which helps when you’re trying to integrate plants into your landscape.
Here’s a few links that might help:
https://extension.colostate.edu/resource/native-herbaceous-perennials-for-colorado-landscapes/

https://extension.colostate.edu/resource/native-shrubs-for-colorado-landscapes/

Here’s some local resources for specific seeds or seed blends.
https://avseeds.com
https://pawneebuttesseed.com

23/04/2026

23/04/2026

We’d like to give Derick Lowstuter, of Colorado Forestry, a big Thank You for sharing his wealth of knowledge at our class this last Monday. It’s a bit tricky creating a landscape in the mountains, so your information was invaluable.

If you weren’t able to attend, here’s some links for a better understanding of how to go about selecting /planting trees, FireWise consideration and some of the insects to look for:

SELECTING AND PLANTING TREES
https://extension.colostate.edu/resource/trees-and-shrubs-for-mountain-areas/

https://extension.colostate.edu/resource/the-science-of-planting-trees/

https://extension.colostate.edu/resource/tree-placement-right-plant-right-place/

FIREWISE LANDSCAPING
https://extension.colostate.edu/resource/fire-resistant-landscaping/

https://extension.colostate.edu/resource/firewise-plant-materials/

INSECTS OF PINE/SPRUCE
https://extension.colostate.edu/resource/douglas-fir-tussock-moths/

https://extension.colostate.edu/resource/cooley-spruce-galls/

https://extension.colostate.edu/resource/ips-beetles/

https://extension.colostate.edu/resource/mountain-pine-beetle/