Michelle Ray Cox

Last year I killed a lot of plants. Tomatoes, squash, watermelon. The deaths were legion. I’d put a plant in the ground, water it well and find it dead the next morning. No joke. It is so very dry out here, with no humidity, that those plants would die overnight. Sometimes they would make it a few days, but I killed a lot of plants.
The plants were put in on Blossom Festival weekend, which translates to early May. I learned the hard way last year that you don’t plant until after Blossom Festival because it can still freaking snow on your new baby plants. In May. Snow kills them just like lack of water does. Paula told me about the Blossom Festival timing after I’d killed a couple of dozen plants by freezing them to death.
Welcome to Southern Colorado.
This year, we are going about it differently. Steve built some raised beds, we lined the bottom with landscape material to keep out the weeds, placed metal mesh on the bottom to keep out gophers and moles, and then we wound soaker hoses throughout. Good garden/potting soil on top and we were good to go.
Tomatoes, cantaloupe, butternut squash, peppers and celery are in the ground and doing well. I haven’t lost a plant yet and it’s been two weeks. Fingers crossed.
Keely has planted marigolds in the beds. I handed her some carrot seeds and we discussed where to plant them.
“I guess this means you are going to want me to start eating healthy now.”
Smart girl she is.