Spring is the time of year when many of us are planning a selection of plants to put in our yards and gardens. If this includes you, I want to share some important advice regarding plant selection.
Experienced Colorado gardeners know that our high, dry, intense and inconsistent climate presents unique challenges. Here in our area, we are classified as a newly updated USDA hardiness zone 6a. (I contend that we are still 5b, due to our extreme temperature swings and recent cold temperatures.) However, it is not only about checking for plant hardiness to match your zone. Many plants that are classified as 5b (or even colder) may still not survive in our climate due to other factors. For instance, they may be fine with our cold temperatures, but can they take our intense sun and summer heat? Are they moisture and humidity loving plants? If so, they will not thrive here, at least not without serious effort. Are you mindful that our soils are very alkaline, making acid-loving plants like blueberries exceptionally difficult to grow here? I often see local stores selling plants and trees that are out of touch with our climate.
Before purchasing plants for your garden, I highly recommend researching what will grow well in our high country climate. It’s hard to overemphasize how helpful this can be. With all that we have to contend with, we should start with plants that will handle our climate better than others. Essentially, this can be half the battle towards success.
Below, I have included some examples by category, but feel free to contact me with specific questions: evan@exactinventory.com. I enjoy connecting and giving advice.
• Fruit trees: Select varieties that are hardy to zone 5 or below and whose blooms are hardy and/or late, to maximize chances of pushing through potential late Spring freezes. Some Spring frosts may still nip buds and hinder fruit production, but this will at least help your odds. For apple varieties, I recommend Liberty, Enterprise, Freedom, and Sweet 16, as these are hardy and most importantly, fire blight resistant. (Fire blight has run rampant in our area, killing many trees.) For peach, Contender and Redhaven. For apricot, Montrose and Harcot. For cherry, Evans Bali and Nanking. For plums, stick with European and American varieties.
• Vegetable seeds: Look for varieties and cultivars that perform extra well in our climate. For example, Little Gem lettuce (more heat resistant) or Dark Star zucchini (more drought resistant).
• Ornamentals and botanicals: Look up xeriscaping, and plants recommended by PlantSelect.org or those offered by High Country Gardens. Just don’t forget to support your local nurseries by purchasing from them whenever possible!
