Thank you for calling Dial-a-Garden. This message was recorded on Tuesday, March 18, 2008.

Native Plant Master training is being provided in the Tri River Area this year. Native Plant Master courses are field classes that take place on three consecutive Friday or Saturday mornings in open space parks or public lands. The courses cover forty to fifty native plants and noxious weeds over the three sessions, with emphasis on learning plant family characteristics, keying, and botanical names. Ecological relationships and human uses are also covered. We are offering a course on the Colorado National Monument on April 26 and May 3 and 10, one on the Black Canyon of the Gunnison (north rim) on June 6, 13, and 20, and two on Grand Mesa, Fridays July 11, 18, and 25, or Saturdays 12, 19, and 26. The cost is $100.00 for each three session course, with a reduced fee of $50.00 for those who commit to educating 20 others with information learned in the course. To become a Certified Native Plant Master, you will need to complete three different courses, but this does not need to be done all in one year. You’ll also need to commit to and make the required educational contacts. More information on the program is available at http://www.coopext.colostate.edu/jefferson/natural/native.htm and you’ll find a link to the Tri River Area application there as well. It is also available on our website at http://westernslopegardening.org Our application deadline is April 1, and space is very limited, so interested persons should apply right away. Feel free to contact me at susan.rose@colostate.edu or 244-1841 for more information.

The early spring weeds are coming on fast now. In the Grand Valley, blue mustard (Chorispora tenella) is already beginning to bloom, and the winter annual grasses downy brome ( Bromus tectorum, also commonly called cheatgrass) and annual wheatgrass (Eremopyrum triticeum) are fooling us into thinking they are pleasant green plants. They will seed and dry down a little later in the spring. Even the kochia (Kochia scoparia) is coming up now. With annual weeds, the goal is to prevent more seeds from being produced, so the time to go after these annoying pests is now. Annual weeds can be managed manually by cutting the root an inch or two below the surface; you don’t need to get the whole root. With the baby kochia, a light hoeing should take care of them at this stage. You could also spray for these weeds on a dry, calm day. Plants take up chemicals best when they are actively growing, and these weeds certainly qualify.

Calls have been coming in concerning frost dates. It should be stressed that these figures are averages, not predictions. In Grand Junction, the date for the last average killing frost (28 degrees F.) is April 11. In Delta, the date is April 27 and in Montrose, April 25. The average last 32 degree dates are two to three weeks later. Information for more towns around the Tri River Area may be found at www.coopext.colostate.edu/TRA/PLANTS/climate.html or give us a call at 244-1836.

The cool season vegetables may be planted now, except in the highest elevations. These include peas, lettuce, spinach, broccoli, cabbage, and several others. These plants will do better in the cooler parts of the year, and tend to bolt in the heat. For a listing of vegetables and the approximate times to plant them, please visit our website at http://westernslopevegetables.org or give us a call at 244-1836 and we’ll be glad to mail you a copy.

Please don’t prune your roses yet. Pruning stimulates growth, and premature growth is susceptible to damage from late frosts. In the case of our hybrid roses, if the new growth dies they may not be able to produce any more. Wait at least until early April; better yet, come to the free rose pruning workshop at Lincoln Park on Wednesday, April 9, beginning at 9:00 a.m. and practice on these roses before tackling your own.

Master Gardeners are beginning to work in our Mesa County office now; you can reach us at 244-1836. We’ll be available in mid-April in our Delta and Montrose offices; meanwhile, we invite all of you to give us a call in the Mesa County office with your yard and garden questions. We’ll be glad to help!

Thank you for calling Dial-a-Garden. This message will be updated next week; have a great week!

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Curt Swift CSU Extension Tri River Area Horticultural Agent