Grow Your Own Food. Grow to Give.
CSU has been dedicated to helping Coloradans grow for 150 years. This is your year to join us and grow for your family and others. We’re dedicated to your success in the garden and hope these resources serve you well.
Have gardening questions? Contact your local CSU Extension office and Master Gardeners.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQs) | FOOD DONATION INFO
Free Vegetable Guide
Downloadable, printable resource for backyard growers in Colorado. The Colorado Vegetable Guide is a 85-page resource with crop-by-crop information for all regions of the state.
>> Coming soon in Spanish!
Información en Español
Getting Started
WHEN TO PLANT | INTRO TO VEGGIES | FREEZE & FROST
- WEBINAR: Intro to Vegetable Gardening in Colorado (1:15:42)
- Frost and Freeze– Planttalk #2048
- Last spring frosts – Planttalk #2018
- Spring frosts & snows– Planttalk 2013
- Frost Protection and Extending the Growing Season – CMG GardenNotes #722
- When should you plant in your area?
- #741, Climate Summary: Boulder and Longmont
- #742, Climate Summary: Castle Rock, Littleton and Parker
- #743, Climate Summary: Colorado Springs
- #744, Climate Summary: Dillon
- #745, Climate Summary: Eagle and Glenwood Springs
- #746, Climate Summary: Fort Collins, Greeley and Estes Park
- #757, Climate Summary: Gilpin
- #747, Climate Summary: Gunnison
- #748, Climate Summary: Northeast Colorado
- #749, Climate Summary: Northwest Colorado
- #750, Climate Summary: Southwest Colorado
- #751, Climate Summary: Pueblo
- #752, Climate Summary: Salida and Buena Vista
- #753, Climate Summary: Norwood and Telluride
- #754, Climate Summary: San Luis Valley
- #755, Climate Summary: Canon City
- #756, Climate Summary and Planting Dates: Tri River Area
Site Planning & Prep
WHERE TO PLANT | GARDEN STYLES | WATER & SOIL
- VIDEO: Site Considerations for Vegetable Garden (7:33)
- VIDEO: Extending the Season: Floating Row Covers (2:56)
- VIDEO: Step-by-Step: Build a Raised-Bed Hoop Cover (17:36)
- VIDEO: Block-Style Planting (11:15)
- VIDEO: Setting up Drip Irrigation (18:02)
- VIDEO: Garden Tools (15:07)
- WEBINAR: What to Plant Now in Colorado (1 hour)
- Planning a Vegetable Garden – Planttalk #1811
- Vegetable Site Tips – Planttalk #1819
- Early Vegetable Planting & Soil Preparation – Planttalk # 1843
- Vegetable Planting Guide – CMG GardenNotes #720
- Vegetable garden: Soil Management and Fertilization
- Choosing a Soil Amendment
Seed Starting
SEEDING INDOORS | TRANSPLANTING | SAVING SEED
- VIDEO: Starting Seeds: Getting Started (15:25)
- VIDEO: Starting Seeds: Planting Inside & Outside, Scheduling (15:00)
- VIDEO: Starting Seeds: Transplanting & Saving Seed (14:46)
- Growing Plants from Seed – Fact Sheet #7.409 En Espanol
- Starting Plants Indoors – Planttalk #1034
- Soil temperatures, frosts and planting dates – Planttalk #1626
- Seeding Vegetables – Planttalk #1814
- Seed starting woes (Abiotic afflictions in the spring garden) – Planttalk # 1853
- Seed tape for the easy vegetable garden – Planttalk # 1854
- Starting Vegetable Seeds Indoors – Planttalk #1840
- Growing Onions from Seed – Planttalk #1808
Early Season & High-Altitude
SOIL TEMPS | LEAFY GREENS | COLE CROPS & POTATOES
- VIDEO: Soil Temperatures for Planting(5:58)
- VIDEO: Planting a Salad – Direct Seeding Radishes, Spinach & Lettuce (11:01)
- VIDEO: Direct-Planting Peas (2:25)
- VIDEO: Planting Cole Crops (16:49)
- VIDEO: Planting Potatoes (3:19)
- VIDEO: Update on Potatoes (2:52)
- VIDEO: Planting & Growing Potatoes (16:36)
- VIDEO: Planting Radish, Beet & Carrot Seeds and Asparagus Roots (4:43)
Leafy Greens
- Cool Season Leaf Varieties – Planttalk #1804
- Cultural Tips for Leaf Vegetables – Planttalk #1820
- Kale – Planttalk #1821
- Spicy Greens – Planttalk #1815
- Collards – Planttalk #1823
- Health Benefits and Safe Handling of Salad Greens – Fact Sheet #9.373
Other Vegetables
- Potatoes in the Home Garden – Fact Sheet #7.617
- Root Vegetables – Planttalk #1813
- Growing Cool Season Vegetables – Planttalk #1806
- Early Vegetable Planting & Soil Preparation – Planttalk # 1843
After Last-Frost Planting
TOMATOES | PEPPERS | BEANS | TRANSPLANTING & PLANTING
Tomatoes:
- VIDEO: How to Plant a Tomato (3:38)
- VIDEO: Getting Started with Tomatoes (18:08)
- VIDEO: Selecting Tomatoes (3:47)
- VIDEO: Growing Tomatoes in Colorado (18:08)
- VIDEO: Tomato Problems (5:31)
- WEBINAR: Tomato Tips and Tricks (53:41)
Other Crops:
- VIDEO: Planting & Growing Peppers (10:42)
- VIDEO: Growing Beans in Colorado (10:12)
- VIDEO: Growing Raspberries & Blackberries in Colorado (4:26)
- VIDEO: Thinning Onions (2:43)
Transplanting
- Buying and Hardening Transplants – Planttalk #1802
- Transplanting into the Garden – Planttalk #1818
Tomatoes
- Tomatoes for Home Gardens – Planttalk #1817
- Tomato Varieties for Colorado
- Tomatoes & Heat Concerns – Planttalk #1834
- Common Tomato Problems – Planttalk #1834
Insects & Pests
IDENTIFYING INSECTS | POLLINATORS | INSECTS BY NAME
- COURSE: Guess Who Came to Dinner? Part One: Chewing Insects (46 mins)
- COURSE: Guess Who Came to Dinner? Part One: Chewing Insects (46 mins)
- COURSE: Guess Who Came to Dinner? Part Two: Insects/Mites That Suck Fluids (51 mins)
- COURSE: Gardening for Insects or Not! Part 1: Butterflies, Moths, Natural Enemies/Bio-Controls (52 mins)
- COURSE: Gardening for Insects or Not! Part 2: Bees (52 mins)
- WEBINAR: Pollinators in the Vegetable Garden (44 mins)
- Flea Beetles
- Squash Bug
- Potato/Tomato Psyllid
- Japanese Beetle
- European Earwig
- Hornworms and Hummingbird Moths
Environmental Hurdles
WIND | SUN & HEAT | HAIL
- VIDEO: Managing WIND in Your Vegetable Garden (10:23)
- VIDEO: Managing SUN & HEAT in Your Vegetable Garden (6:15)
- VIDEO: Managing HAIL in Your Vegetable Garden (7:28)
Weed Management
WEED ID | MANAGEMENT | WEEDS BY NAME
- VIDEO: Dandelion and Henbit (1:15)
- VIDEO: Bindweed (0:56)
- VIDEO: Canada Thistle (0:40)
- Useful Weed ID Resources
- Vegetable Garden Weed Management
- Natural Herbicides for Landscape Weed Management
Harvesting
RHUBARB | LEAFY GREENS
- VIDEO: Harvesting Rhubarb (2:04)
- Harvesting Leafy Vegetables – Planttalk #1810
- Health Benefits and Safe Handling of Salad Greens – Fact Sheet #9.373
Container Gardening
HERBS | TOMATOES | OTHER VEGGIES
- VIDEO: Herb Gardening (9:09)
- VIDEO: Growing Tomatoes in Buckets (7:25) | Handout: How to Grow Tomatoes in Buckets
- Container Vegetable Varieties – Planttalk #1838
- Vegetable Gardening in Containers – CMG GardenNotes #724
Raised Bed Gardening
BASICS | BLOCK STYLE & ROWS | SAMPLE GUIDE
- VIDEO: Growing with Raised Beds (14:15)
- Block Style Layout in Raised Bed Vegetable Gardens – CMG GardenNotes #713
- Raised Bed gardening – Planttalk #1845
- Raised Bed vs. Rows – Planttalk #1812
- Raised Vegetable Bed – Planttalk #1839
- Sample Planting Guide for Raised-Bed Garden – CMG GardenNotes #721
- Treated Lumber in Gardening – Planttalk #2030
Mountain Gardening
BASICS | HIGH ELEVATION CONSIDERATIONS
- VIDEO: Vegetable Gardening in the Mountains (49:35)
- Colorado Mountain Gardening Basics – Fact Sheet #7.244
- Vegetable Gardening in the Mountains – Fact Sheet #7.248
Frost Protection & Season Extension
FLOATING ROW COVERS | HOOP COVERS | FROST & FREEZE
- VIDEO: Extending the Season: Floating Row Covers (2:56)
- VIDEO: Step-by-Step: Build a Raised-Bed Hoop Cover (17:36)
- Low-Tunnels – CoHorts Blog
- Frost and Freeze– Planttalk #2048
- Last spring frosts – Planttalk #2018
- Spring frosts & snows– Planttalk 2013
- Frost Protection and Extending the Growing Season – CMG GardenNotes #722
Water & Mulch
DRIP IRRIGATION | MULCH TYPES | WATERING VEGGIES
- VIDEO: How to Set-up Drip Irrigation (18:02)
- VIDEO: Mulches for the Vegetable Garden (10:59)
- Drip Irrigation for Home Gardeners
- Operating and Maintaining a Home Irrigation System
- Mulches for the Vegetable Garden – CMG GardenNotes #715
- When to Mulch Vegetables – Planttalk #1850
- Irrigating the Vegetable Garden – CMG GardenNotes #714
- Water Conservation in the Vegetable Garden – CMG GardenNotes #716
- Watering Vegetables – Planttalk #1824
Greenhouse Growing
HOBBY GREENHOUSE | BUILDING | WHITEFLY
- Hobby Greenhouse Gardening – CMG GardenNotes #723
- Greenhouse Plans – Blueprints
- Hobby Greenhouse: Types – Planttalk #1313
- Hobby Greenhouse: Heating & Cooling – Planttalk #1312
- Hobby Greenhouse: Coverings – Planttalk#1311
- Hobby Greenhouse: Construction & Foundation – Planttalk #1310
- Hobby Greenhouse: Benches, Shading, Supplies – Planttalk #1309
- Greenhouse Whitefly – Planttalk #1448
Looking for more resources?
> LOOKING FOR RESEARCH ON A SPECIFIC CROP? Check out CSU’s Specialty Crop Website.
