What to Plant in Colorado in April
In April, most of Colorado is still weeks away from safe planting for tender crops.
Gardening in Colorado
Everything we have worked out for Colorado: what to plant and when, which varieties finish in time, the pests that actually turn up here, and the jobs that pay off month by month. We also cover the rest of the property, from lawns and soil to home care and energy, because a garden rarely stops at the vegetable bed.
The numbers first, because everything else follows from them. Measured at the weather station in Denver, the last spring freeze runs May 1 to May 11 and the first fall freeze runs September 30 to October 12, USDA zones 3b-7b, 3,401 growing degree days in the year.
Garlic does well: 30.4 weeks below 40 °F, comfortably past the six it needs to form a proper head.
Elsewhere on the property in Colorado: the pests that turn up here.
Figures from NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals. A state is not one climate: elevation, a large lake or the coast can move these dates by two weeks either way, so check your own county with the extension service before you spend money.
Growing Peppers in Colorado: Fruit Set, Heat and Timing
Colorado peppers face pressure from both directions: heat that can shut down pollination on the plains, and cool nights that do the same thing in valleys…
Pepper Varieties That Ripen in a Colorado Season
Colorado’s growing window rewards peppers that flower before the hottest stretch of July and August hits, and that finish setting fruit within a few…
When Does the Heating Season Start in Colorado?
Heating demand in Colorado starts building in September, when the average mean temperature at Denver International Airport drops below 65°F for the first…
Watering Through a Dry Spell in Colorado
Colorado’s dry spell isn’t really a spell at all: it’s most of the growing season.
Watering Pots and Containers in Colorado
Colorado’s summer sky delivers far less water than most gardens need, and the state’s heat pushes that gap even wider.
Forcing Spring Bulbs Indoors in Colorado
Denver’s coldest month averages an 18.4°F low overnight, according to NOAA’s 1991-2020 Climate Normals.
Growing Spring Bulbs in Containers in Colorado
Denver’s coldest month averages a nightly low of 18.4°F, according to NOAA’s Climate Normals for 1991-2020.
The Colorado Apple Calendar, Stage by Stage
A stage-by-stage guide to timing apple pruning, bloom, and harvest around Denver’s frost dates, and how mountain and western slope sites differ.
Growing Potatoes in Colorado: Dates, Varieties and Summer Heat
Yes, potatoes grow well on Colorado’s Front Range if you plant early and treat the season as spring-to-midsummer rather than a full summer run.