Hello. I have several trees 15 -20 years old that I have watered well over the years but have rarely fertilized. From my MG and some horticulture training, I'm thinking that my clay soil should be providing most or all of what they need, and have been searching for resources to clarify. Can you point me to something that will help me understand if I should be fertilizing my trees? They include pine, spruce, junipers, oak, serviceberry, ash, crabapple, ornamental pear, hawthorne, and a variegated maple, which is doing surprisingly well. Thanks very much for any assistance.

Hello,

I live in zone 6b, and am trying to plant native Colorado plants both edible and inedible on my property. This year I would like to focus on a privacy hedge where my property runs along a highway. My pasture has about a 10-15 foot drop and then is along the shoulder of the highway. I am hoping to plant something to allow us some privacy, security and prevent erosion, as this drop is not reinforced in anyway. The plants that I have been looking at are Silver Buffaloberry, Curl-Leaf Mahogany and Alderleaf Mahogany. I am unsure the differences, if any between the mahogany varieties. I am drawn more towards the mahogany because they can be more evergreen,  and would like to still have some privacy in the winter time as well as their drought tolerance. My pasture also has our septic leech filled and buried infrastructure for our geothermal heating. These plants will be planted 10-20 feet away from that infrastructure but I do need to be mindful of root growth. 

What I would desire most in a privacy hedge is: 8+ feet high, something that grows in thick (both for privacy and security), drought resistant ideally not needing additional water after being established, deer resistant or will survive being nibbled, and soil stabilization/erosion control. If any of my ideas would be better than the others or if you could recommend something else it would be so greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Hello! 

I am a novice gardener and this spring will be my 4th time starting a garden. I'd like to get more serious in actually providing food/herbs for my family. I'm interested mainly in herbs, carrots, corn, tomatoes, and pumpkins but would eventually like to do garlic, potatoes, broccoli, and onions. I'd like to start things from seeds because I know it's more cost effective but I have no idea where to begin. I'd love all the tips you could give me about growing in Northern Colorado. Also, I've heard about people growing Luffa plants for natural sponges. Is that possible in our climate? I'd also love tips on grasshopper control as well as best types of fertilizer. As you can see, I don't know much and I would love as much help as possible. Thank you so very much! 

I have a new Nesco electric pressure canner.  I was only 1 minute into the 10 minutes preheat time (before the valve is moved to airtight) when I saw that steam was coming out of the front of the canner indicating that the seal was not properly installed.  I cancelled the cycle, opened the canner and fixed the seal.  I immediately restarted the process from the very beginning.  My question is ... while I was doing this I heard a couple of the jar lids pop.  Should I have opened the jars and and broken the seal before I reprocessed?

Thank you. 

Is it safe to water trees just before a hard freeze?