About Our Garden
|
Location: |
Rural Boulder County (Leyner) Colorado: N40º 03' 19" W105º 05' 51" |
|
Elevation |
5017 feet above sea level |
|
Zones: |
USDA Zone 5 (-10º F to -20º F) / Sunset Western Garden Zone #1 |
| Growing Season: | About 115 frost free days from late May to Mid September. |
|
Rainfall: |
The average rainfall in this area is about 13 inches per year. Most of the water comes from mountain snowmelt. We use low-volume drip irrigation through out the garden. |
| Soil: | Our native soil is alkaline and full of rocks and boulders, we have well drained soil, but a high water table. We supplement the garden beds with large amounts organic material from compost. |
| Challenges: | The high mountain (thin and dry) air creates very large
temperature extremes. During the spring months daytime temps often
rise and fall as much as 40º to
50º (F) in a single day. The
difference between record low temps and record high temps for a
single day is often 100º F. This also
means we can have a very early warm spell that gets all the plants
going well in early spring, followed by a late hard freeze.
The end of the growing season is also unpredictable and the first
frost can sometimes be as much as several weeks early or a month or
more late. Winds are also a major challenge. We frequently get straight line winds (Chinook) that exceed 50 MPH. We have clocked wind speeds over 70 MPH, which can be very damaging to the garden. Hail: Late spring or summer storms often bring hail. When it hits the garden with any force, it can strip all the leaves in just a few minutes from the plants. Like anywhere we also struggle with bugs and weeds! |