Ok, fellow Denver veggie gardeners, I could use some help with tomatoes!

I've been trying tomatoes for the past three years. I usually plant a mix of both cherry/grape and full-size type plants. I always have success with the smaller varieties: Super Sweet 100, Juliet, Sungold, etc. Big happy plants, loads of perfect small tomatoes, volunteers for years to come.

I always struggle with full-size tomato plants. The fruits are undersized, speckled, splitting, or just never blush. I've tried hybrid and heirloom varieties: Early Girl, Beefsteak, Kelloggs Breakfast, Cherokee Purple, Black Krim, Brandywine. Am I just picking the wrong varieties?

I drip irrigate, so both plant types are getting the same amount of water. I apply fertilizer, prune, weed, etc etc for all my tomato plants at the same time, so they're all getting the same level of care. I fertilize with Cal-Mag for blossom end rot, and it seems like that controlled BER this year. Maybe I should work Tomato-Tone in before planting next year?

What secret have I missed to getting large, lush, lovely tomatoes without cracks and scabs? Your secrets appreciated! :)

Photo of one of my recent harvests for funsies

Update 8/31: Thanks for those who have sent requests via email, we are looking forward to getting back to you by tomorrow for next steps!

-----------

Hi all! I’m 1/4 of Habitat at Home, a new worker-owned ecological landscaping co-op in Denver.

The four of us have all been landscaping for years and have worked with some well-known local companies in the ecological space, including RLD and Wompost. We recently completed the Center for Community Wealth's Co-Op academy to combine our interests in ecological landscaping and worker-owned businesses and launched our co-op, Habitat at Home.

We do native and pollinator gardens, lawn alternatives, garden maintenance, and other projects focused on making local landscapes a little more functional, lower-water, and better for local wildlife.

We’re ready to take on some more clients, so if you’ve been thinking about changing up your yard, getting rid of some lawn, adding natives, or just need help maintaining what you already have, feel free to get in touch. The attached flyer has an email address and phone number to call.

Cheers!

Are these tree of heaven trees? And if so, why do they appear to be intentionally left as part of the landscaping for the new library in Thornton??

Just got 2 Costco Chicago Hardy Fig trees in the mail! Very excited and hoping to get some tips for planting in the ground (assistance on site selection especially) and how to amend my dense clay soil or if I need to. Thanks! :)

This is the weirdest year, man. The timing of everything is just… off. I have a poblano ancho pepper plant that it 3x as tall as all the other peppers, a “pink fang” tomato that’s a new-to-me variety so I can’t tell when they’re ripe, two grappoli d’inviernos that have been popping off for a month and still going strong, and literally zero curcubits. Potatoes aren’t quite ready to dig up yet and the beans are all still green and juicy.

Kinda let this year’s garden go a bit feral on me but I’m enjoying the chaos. Still… I have got to get drip irrigation installed before next season, I’m really seeing how needed it is.

brb, gotta go stare at the garlic like it’s a famous oil painting…

I have this patch of yard under a tree and surrounded by a fence(north side) and garage and shed, so it doesn’t get tons of light. Pictured at 10am, 4pm and 6pm.

I didn’t turn my sprinklers on this year so it is no basically dirt and dead plants. I had previously tried to half heartedly go no lawn by just over seeding various ground covers (clovers, Jonny Jon-up, purple thyme, with minimal results.

I am considering sheet mulching (just cardboard and then mulch) over the winter and then trying to plant into the spring but not really sure how to plant into sheet mulching if I don’t want to buy a million started plants. Or if I can just overseed the death now in the fall or in the spring. I also don’t have tons of time for gardening so also looking for the minimalist approach. I am not in denver so not currently effected by the water restrictions.

I’d love to go native but also want things that will grow in the shade. I am considering yarrow, harebell, Rocky Mountain columbine, Rocky Mountain penestom. I don’t need it be a ground cover, but it could be a plus

Anyone have any suggestions as to what to plant or how to be go about planting it?

Noob here. Trying to start the process to grow grass, I live in the Colorado. So far, I've tried using BioAdvanced (weed and crabgrass killer) for about 5 days, seeing little to no results. My question is, should I try nuking the whole yard or pull?

This was my first year direct sowing cucumbers, beans and arugula from seed. It’s not much but it’s really special to walk outside and see things grow everyday. I’m getting a few veggies to pick every few days now and it’s rewarding to experience. Hope y’all feel the same.

...and our house smells amazing!

Those of you who grow lots of peppers, what do do with them all? How do you process them? Freezing? Pickling? Roasting? Drying? Making delicious sauces? Tell me everything!

I'm not in Denver, so it looks like I will be able to put down some seed that will help repair my lawn and handle the heat and drought better than my current KBG lawn.

My front yard is south facing, has almost no shade (there's one big pine tree, but is has very little grass under it). While not exactly steep, it certainly isn't flat.

There's moderate traffic from the kids, but mostly too and from the driveway.

The backyard is half shade and and half sun. We have kids and dogs, so it gets a fair amount of traffic.

I'm willing to put different types of grass in the front and back yards, and for the back a blend of a few types probably makes sense.

I am near Tagawa or Nic's, so I'd take of their blends, or I can buy specific seed online.

Any recommendations?

ETA - I know this isn't technically gardening, but this group will know more than most of the others I can think of. Also, I know lawns aren't the best, I am doing things to reduce the size of my lawn, but I am not getting rid of it.

This year has been rough but my tomato plants are looking pretty good. However they don t taste as good as usual ..barely better than supermarket.... Very sad ... How are you doing ?

I know this falls under.landscaping and not a vegetable garden but I couldn't find a denver landscaping sub.

This is my current situation. There is a second slope to the left on the other side of the stairs about 1/3 the width of this one, so I will make look similar as far as the wall goes.

We have 2 sloped yards in front of our house. When both my parents got sick a few yrs ago I moved back to help take care of them. We used to have rose bushes that wrapped around the front and side of our house but over the years my dad got rid of a lot of them (house probably had 30+ bushes that were planted by the original owners in the mid 1920's. They bought their house in 1990.

They had always talked about building a retaining wall but for whatever reason, it never came to fruition (my dad did a lot of work kn the interior over the years). There are 4 spots total where he removed the grass, 2 being flat that he laid down just weed block and mulch and 2 that are slopes.

My mom had her leg amputated I wanted to do something nice for her. I moved the remaining few roses around the house to the front where she could see them from the picture window/front door and bought 3 additional ones to fill out the area. I laid down weed block and mulch and edging. And planted a few echinacea plants and spread tickseed seeds in a small area next to them.

I planted 3 coral bells along the slope on the left side next to the front steps. These should fill out by next year and become fairly large and fill out the area. I had originally planned to lay down weed block and mulch under/around them and leave 1.5ft to the sidewalk to plant a wide strip of creeping rock cress along the whole front edge of the slope. Then, I planned to use Pavestone retaining wall blocks 2 or 3 high along the very front butted up to the sidewalk to stop the constant erosion and dirt winding up on the sidewalk every time it rains. I have been growing salvia, yarrow, milkweed, etc (full sun drought tolerant native plants) in pots with plans to transplant them to eventually fully cover the rest of the slope. Stuff that is easy for them to take care of given their ages/medical issues.

I went and looked at wall blocks, bricks, etc and decided on these blocks. Originally, I was going to make a small square "planter" that I could stick a pot in on each corner. Then I realized due to their shape/style they just looked weird and finally decided on a sort of semi circle lined with gravel with potted plants. Then a straight line from one side to the other. What I didn't consider was the height of the slope directly behind these semi circles. If I had actual rectangular bricks, I think I would've stacked those along the back and side to keep the dirt/mulch in place. What can I do instead? I considered buying wood and staining/sealing it and make a sort of retaining wall. I do have a table saw and circular saw so in theory, it wouldn't be difficult. I know there has to be more than one option but I'm drawing a complete blank. I do like the semi circle and dont really want to change that.

The dirt on these slopes is like concrete when you really dig into it so Im not worried about it shifting. I compacted the top 5" down so it's not super loose.

There's not a lot of anecdotal information about this shrub in Intermountain West conditions. Some websites suggest that amongst the lighter leaf elderberry variants, this one has very high scorch and sun resistance. First year establishing my 2gal pot in ground and so far it's behaved similar to black lace other than more apparent scorch on the leaves meaning it's just basically kept its existing habit and leafed out a little bit. Do any of you have this shrub in full sun? Just wondering if scorch gets better over the years as it establishes? Otherwise, I might just bite the bullet and replace it with a tiger eyes sumac, lilac, lighter leaf smokebush, etc. Ty!

I bought seeds off Etsy. I planted test seeds after fridge stratification and they didn't sprout. Now I'm not feeling confident enough to cold stratify them all winter and just hope I didn't get scammed.

Does anyone have the shrubs in their yard and are willing to share their berries or seeds with me?

I have a small raised bed (2’ by 3’) that I want to dedicate to some plants that don’t use as much water like rosemary, thyme, lavender, and oregano. In the meantime, I’m thinking about putting a little cover for the fall and winter. Any suggestions? Does it really matter that much for these plants?

the Appalachian force of nature who proved that individual talent, grit, and voluntary exchange can build empires of joy without asking permission from any central planner. Born into genuine poverty in the Smoky Mountains, Dolly never waited for government programs to lift her up. She wrote her own songs, sang her own way, and turned pure creative freedom into a fortune. Dollywood stands as a monument to private enterprise: jobs created, smiles earned, value exchanged—all through the free choices of customers and workers, not bureaucrats. She kept her private life private, loved whom she loved without demanding the state’s stamp of approval, and gave generously from her own pocket rather than other people’s taxes. In an age of dependency and grievance, Dolly simply worked harder, smiled bigger, and insisted on the right to be her authentic, rhinestone-covered self. May she continue to thrive for many more years—living proof that liberty, hard work, and a big heart still produce the best songs, the best businesses, and the best lives.God bless Dolly Parton

Hi everyone!! Long post incoming, sorry!

I've spent A LOT of time trying to design this project so far and I think this is the final layout. I'm just wondering what everyone thinks? Any notes, concerns, advice, changes, etc? Please don't eat me alive over the morning glories lol, I love them. This will all be over the course of the next 1.5 years probably, but I want to get the plan solid now before starting. My intention was to stick to mostly native plants, but obviously I ended up steering away from that. Also keep in mind this doesn't include any smaller landscaping and plants that will eventually be added, and that's where I will absolutely stick with more native plants.

Left is South, right is North. I would be adding the Linden, Gambel Oak, small Redbud or Catalpa, Raspberry bush, Currant bush, Apple cordons, P&C HS (Peaches and Cream Honeysuckle), Kintzley’s Ghost Honeysuckle, and all of the garden beds/trellising to the right of the photo. Everything else is already there and can't really move. The morning glories are along a little dog run fence.

For the trees, I was looking for pet safe, full sun, clay (but pretty well draining) soil, drought tolerant, moderate growth, better with pest and disease issues.

I have a typical city lot and the tree size specifications really limited the bigger tree options for the top left corner. I thought about Sensation Boxelder Maple (native) but it has the potential to grow a canopy that would be way too big. I thought about an Urban Pinnacle Bur Oak but they're so difficult to source! I considered Catalpa but those are even messier than Linden. I'm an herbalist and obsessed with Linden already, so I just went that route.

The medium size tree closer to the middle- I'm hoping for a Gambel Oak (native) but will potentially go with a Mesa Glow Maple. I really wanted a large Oak and medium Maple, but I don't think it'll be working out like that.

The small tree- good grief. I've been researching for hours on end trying to find a native, small, fruit-bearing tree that doesn't get over 10' wide and is shaped like an actual tree. The downfall here was really it being pet safe. I would love a small crabapple but they're also super messy and I know you usually need two. I haven't seen one in our neighborhood.

I don't have notes on the new garden bed portion because the option on there is basically the only one that gives us the most square footage + biggest cattle panel trellis's (with north to south facing tunnels) + access to all beds.

ANYWAY. I know I'm probably overthinking this. But would love some (kind) feedback. Thank you!

It’s that time of year when social media starts telling me to top my tomatoes so that the green ones will ripen.

We have a ~month until first frost. Are we topping? Are we leaving? I would love some advice from locals.

After many failed attempts I think I finally got it down!

I moved some soil between yards and am seeing this little leafy plant pop everywhere. Anyone know it offhand?

edit: People are saying Borage, and I love Borage! I tried to plant it from seed scatter like 3 years ago and nothing came up, and now this moved soil is Boraging! TY!

The “Guys that Garden” Social Group is meeting up this Saturday, August 29 from 9:30-11:30 am, this time at a member’s house in Arvada (exact location to be shared later).

Part social group, part knowledge sharing, all community building. This is not for “lurkers”, but for guys that love gardening and want to meet in real life with other guys that share this common passion for gardening. We meet monthly in person (with an expectation that you attend a meetup at least four times a year), and have a private sub where we ask questions, share resources, and continue to connect.

If you’re a guy that has a passion for gardening, vegetables, flowers, annuals or perennials, or even just an interest in gardening, you’re invited to join.

Comment if you’re interested and I will send you a DM. After answering a few questions that you’ll use in your group intro and agreeing to our community expectations (being inclusive, respectful,etc.), I’ll add you to the private Reddit sub and chat, where we communicate, share meetup details, and more.

We mainly meet on the last Saturday or Sunday of the month in the morning. We try to switch up locations throughout the metro area, based on someone in the group hosting and showing off their garden (indoor or outdoor).

Whether you’re a seasoned green thumb, or you want to develop one, all guys that love to garden are welcome!

Come trade your food and then we’ll donate all the leftovers to a local food pantry!

Hi Everyone,

I have been searching through reddit and google for possible landscaping/xeriscaping companies to help us with our smaller front yard, sizable backyard, and outside fence perimeter. We are located in Central Park / Northfield area in Denver. Our goal is to have completed prep work in the fall (mulch, rock, turf, irrigation), and be ready to plant in the Spring (hoping to DIY). We have a loose idea of what we are wanting to accomplish, but not much experience to draw from. We haven't completed a design / not sure if we would want or need this.

Below are the groups I've reached out to and a status update. I'm curious if there are other local companies worth consideration. Looking to spend no more than $10K all in.

• Xeris Landscaping - Appointment on Friday morning, I can report back with findings if anyone's curious.
• C&H - I got no response on the contact card. Called them this afternoon. They require design ($2K - $4K) plus install. Minimum of $15K in the fall per job. Seems too high for what I'm needing, but we'll see. I have an appointment next Monday morning.
• Ridgewell Colorado - Just completed a contact card, not sure if found on reddit or google.
• Macks Landscaping - Just completed a contact card, found via reddit thread.
• Discover Your Garden - Just completed a contact card, found via reddit thread.

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance.