14d • Garden Pulse (Weekly)
Warm-season planting
Hey Garden Club
As we get closer to last frost here on the Front Range, this is your reminder:
Don’t rush warm-season crops. Let the soil warm up first.
These are great to direct sow after frost: beans, cucumbers, squash, corn, watermelon, okra, sunflowers, pumpkins, basil
But the real key isn’t the calendar… it’s soil temperature.
Most of these want 60–70°F soil to actually germinate and thrive. Planting too early = slow growth, rot, or just nothing happening.
Simple move: 👉 Grab a cheap soil thermometer and check before planting
And this season, I want to introduce a shift in how we think about water-wise gardening:
Instead of mulching with materials… start mulching with plants.
Dense planting creates living cover:
• shades the soil
• reduces evaporation
• protects soil life
• increases resilience
Think of your garden less as rows… and more as a plant community.
This is the direction we’ll be exploring at this season—designing beds that hold moisture not just with inputs, but with life.
What are some of your favorite warm-season crops to grow?
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Warm-season planting
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