High Elevation Gardening Web Log "Blog"

Master Gardeners working at Olivia White Hospice Home resolve to finally get the drip system up and running in 2007 so we can spend less time watering, decrease the water bills and save some of that precious water.

-- Loni

We had such a problem with grasshoppers this year that I bought nine tiny guinea fowl chicks. They started out in the garage in boxes but were soon moved to an outside cage. This proved to be too much temptation for the neighborhood cat so we built them a real house with a raised floor, windows vents, roof and more, spending quite a bit on materials. Our guineas spend the day outside but getting them back into their exquisite house at night was a chore. The grasshoppers? They are gone. Maybe the guineas ate them all, maybe not. But now the guineas are eating my iris. The only saving grace is that they are also harvesting the cheat grass that has already sprouted. We're only out about $1200 to date. What a bargain. Know anyone who eats guinea fowl?

-- Bea

Galen and I had a lovely garden this year. I think it had a lot to do with more efficient water use. We used about the same amount, but watered longer and less frequently. Galen really worked on our compost and that was much more successful as well.

-- Andrea

This year I didn't have to eat my Brussel sprouts because the aphids got them first. Aphid covered Brussel sprouts are a little too natural for my taste. Next year, I'll spray early and often with insecticidal soap and try to get the aphids under control.

-- Tom

My Quonset hut style greenhouse is great. Most of my lettuce even survived the latest fall cold spell. I'm still harvesting all the kale, chard, radishes, broccoli and lettuce we can eat but not enough for the neighbors, right now. My garlic, carrots, oregano, and peppermint are doing fine. I picked up some bags of leaves and placed them around the outside of the cinder block foundation for insulation. That really seems to help. I had the kids shovel some snow and put it in a couple of my rain barrels that are getting low to hold us over until we get some abundant precipitation.

-- Rebecca

I vow never to buy more bulbs than I can plant in one lifetime -- let alone one fall. (However, the ones I don't get in the ground do make great Christmas gifts for fellow gardeners.) And, always get the bulbs in the ground before the ground freezes -- this prevents major temper tantrums and the consequent throwing of shovels, trowels, etc.

-- Terra

I live out in Doney Park and have had problems with wind. I had good luck this year growing squash and zucchini next to willow hurdles that I used as screens. I'm not sure how they will hold up with our winters though. I bought the hurdles from Plow & Hearth: www.plowhearth.com.

-- Carolyn

Garden more, work less."

-- Terra

The grasshoppers this past year were the worst that I have ever seen. I had to put my tomatoes under rain and light permeable wraps for the entire season as they were being chewed so heavily! Thanks to that trick, I am still reaping the rewards of those fruits picked green and wrapped in newspaper until red!

-- Tisha

I wish everyone a very Happy New Year and a very productive gardening season in 2007.

-- Hattie

By Hattie Braun
The author is the Master Gardener Program Coordinator for Coconino Cooperative Extension. For more information, call 774--1868, Ext. 17 or visit our Web site: highelevationgardening.arizona.edu.