Roots and Shoots

Well, the garden season is suddenly upon us. It's already June and our soil is finally dried out a bit from the rain and warmed up a bit from the snow.

However, since we live in the mountains, we know that the temperatures drop quickly due to fluctuating air currents and clear nights.

Gardeners often have a stash of old sheets and miscellaneous plastic to throw over our tender crops. But there's a product called Row Cover that is lightweight, allows sunlight and water through and reasonably durable. It gives up to four degrees of temperature protection.

For the past 10 years or so I've been using it with great success. It's not only good for an emergency protection when a frost is likely, but also makes a warmer climate for our heat loving crops.

There is a workshop being planned in early June in Lincoln to make mini hoophouses for covering portions of our gardens to protect the tender crops like tomatoes, peppers, green beans and squash.

We will use Row Cover and conduit piping to make the mini hoop houses. Supplies for a 4- foot x 10-foot hoop house will cost $15-20. There will be a limit of supplies for six hoop houses so please register ahead by calling Tammy Jordan.

Anyone is welcome, but please register ahead if you want to have supplies to build a hoop house that day.

*** Date to be announced for an early June event***