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Growing warm season vegetables
Beans, corn, cucumbers, melons, okra, eggplant, peppers, tomatoes,
pumpkin and squash are warm-season vegetables. Many of these Crops grow
under cool conditions, but won't produce fruit when night temperatures are
in the 50 degree Fahrenheit range. They need warm temperatures to grow and
mature. Once the fruit begins to form, it needs up to two months of
frost-free weather. Warm-season vegetables are not suited for high
elevation Gardens.
 Plant warm
season vegetables in rich Garden soil that gets plenty of sunlight and
drains well. Work the soil early in the spring, adding one and one-half
inches of organic material. Too much nitrogen promotes leaf growth but
delays flower and fruit production, so choose organic material
carefully.
To help warm the soil, cover rows with black plastic mulch early in the
season. Seeds can be planted through plastic mulch or directly in Garden
soil, depending on the local weather and recommendations for individual
vegetables. Check the seed packet for the number of days until maturity so
that there will be enough time for plants to grow before the first killing
frost.
Transplants are plants started indoors or in greenhouses to get an
early start on the growing season. Hardened transplants can be planted
through plastic mulch or directly in soil anytime after the last average
frost date. In Denver, the last frost is around May 10; in Fort Collins,
the average date of last frost is May 15; and in Grand Junction, planting
is safe on May 1. Colorado's climate is different each year so careful
attention to the current year's local weather conditions is extremely
important.
Protect seedlings from frost and cold air by using hot caps or other
insulation methods that use water to hold the sun's heat. This protection
can add up to two weeks to the Gardening season.
Keep plants watered but not too wet. Remove weeds quickly so they don't
compete with vegetable plants, and check plants regularly for insects and
disease.
Harvest warm-season vegetables as soon as they are ripe so the plants
will produce more Crops. Cucumbers, especially, will stop growing fruit
until the ripe cucumbers are removed.
As the season draws to a close, cover the plants on cold, frosty
nights. If a snow storm or hard freeze is predicted, harvest all
vegetables of a reasonable size.
For "Organic soil amendments" listen to message number 1604.
For more information, see the following Colorado State Extension fact sheet(s).
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