Harlequins Gardens

Boulder's specialist in well-adapted plants

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YUCCA EXTRACT: Ordinary magic for drought stress and water and nutrient absorption

Sledge Hammer

Yucca glauca is our local native yucca. The common name is Soapweed, because native Americans used the roots to make soap. Harlequin’s Gardens has been using an extract of Yucca schidigera, Mojave Yucca, in our plant production for 30 years. Yucca roots are high in saponins which are plant chemicals that are both water and fat soluble. In nature, the saponins enhance nutrient absorption and serve as antifeedants to reduce pest damage.

The yucca product that we carry for our customers has the terrible name ‘Sledgehammer’, because it breaks down salts from high fertilizer use. We offer it for its natural function to release the surface tension of water which greatly helps water absorption into the soil and into the roots and through the cell walls of plants. These effects are particularly useful in helping seeds to germinate and helping drought-stressed plants absorb water and more quickly recover from dehydration.

The label says that Sledgehammer is just yucca. Use it at two teaspoons per gallon of water in normal watering.

We routinely use yucca extract as an emulsifier and ‘sticking’ agent whenever we are applying any kind of spray to plant foliage. This includes foliar feeding, horticultural oil sprays for pest management, or liquid kelp spray for toughening the leaf cuticle to block disease spores.

Mikl figured that if yucca helps with water absorption, then it could help with dehydration that comes with working outside and forgetting to drink water, so he takes one yucca capsule (made by NOW) a day. Yucca has the added benefit of improving nutrient absorption and reducing joint pain. It is said to improve digestion and support gut health.

 

 

 

 

Feed your Vegetables so they can Feed You!

Age Old Bloom

This spring, you probably incorporated some organic fertilizer into the soil for your garden, particularly if you are growing vegetables or annual leafy herbs. For optimal yields, many of these plants will benefit from additional fertilizer applications through the summer. This can be done with side-dressings of granular fertilizers like Age Old ‘Grow’ (for foliar crops) or ‘Bloom’ (for fruiting crops). But for faster results, we recommend liquid organic fertilizers, because they can be quickly absorbed by plant roots and foliage. Tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, squashes, pumpkins, melons, and corn are considered either moderate or heavy feeders, and we recommend using either Age Old liquid ‘Bloom’ or Neptune’s ‘Rose & Vegetable’. This can be applied to the soil every two weeks or applied to all surfaces of the leaves for foliar feeding (apply to foliage in cloudy weather or just after sundown). Kale, Collard Greens, Broccoli, Cauliflower, and Cabbage are ‘brassicas’ that are considered heavy feeders, along with Bulbing Fennel, Swiss Chard and Basil. These foliage crops appreciate supplemental summer feeding to maintain their supply of nitrogen, which can be easily supplied every two weeks by Age Old liquid ‘Grow’ or Neptune’s Harvest Fish & Seaweed’.

Compost Tea Featuring Local TerraForma Compost Ready this Weekend!

Brewing Compost Tea

You can think of compost tea as vitamins for plants; they are a great overall plant health booster. In turn, healthy plants are better able to resist pests and diseases. Our customers have told us that our compost tea has very clearly strengthened and improved the growth of their plants. Benefits associated with compost tea include:

Improves soil health. If soil is nutrient-rich, the need for fertilizer is minimized.

Improves water retention. This reduces the need for frequent watering.

Improves soil structure. The biological components in a soil are what create its structure. For
good soil structure, all organism groups in the food web – bacteria, fungi, protozoa, nematodes
and micro arthropods – need to be present. By using compost tea you are adding this large
spectrum of beneficial microbes.

Stimulates plant root growth. Deeper roots retain moisture better and help reduce runoff.

Fall Sale 2022 Final Week!

In tandem with the close of October, our 2022 Fall Sale will end this Sunday at 5pm. Before then, be sure to take advantage of our Fall Sale Discounts, which can help you achieve your end-of-season gardening goals with plants and soil products that are 30% off!  (Sale exceptions listed below.)

 

 

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Fall Sale in Full Swing!

This is such a nice time of the year to putter in the garden! It’s also a good opportunity to look ahead and amend your planting beds and lawn for Spring 2023.  Our Fall Sale Discounts can help you achieve your end-of-season gardening goals with plants and soil products that are 30% off!  (Sale exceptions listed below.)

 

 

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Very Special Products to benefit Your Soil Life and Your Plant Life

It all starts with the Soil, and we have some very special products to benefit your Soil Life and Your Plant Life!

All of these are sold pre-packaged, and we bag many of them ourselves in refundable, reusable plastic bags. Our Compost Tea is sold in refundable, reusable 1-gallon jugs, or you can bring your own.[Read More]

Gardening Tools

Plants are, of course, the main thing every gardener wants in their garden. But to garden, one also needs some tools, and the quality of those tools makes a BIG difference in the comfort, ease, and speed of getting those garden chores done. Durability, reliability, precision, and ergonomic design don’t generally come cheap. A quality handsaw or pole-saw, a pair of pruning shears, loppers or hedge-trimmers will, with a little maintenance, last a lifetime.

We love our hori-hori knives, and we have our favorite, nearly indestructible trowels for you this year.

Did someone you love just plant a home orchard? A berry patch? A new landscape? They’re going to need some good tools, and we’ve got them!

Japanese Knife-Weeder (Hori Hori)

Reviewed by former HG staffer Deb:

“This is the best all-around tool ever! Whenever I go out into the garden with no particular task in mind (other than peace of mind putzing) I grab this tool. It can dig, saw into fat roots, slice into bindweed roots with the pointed tip, it’s wonderful. I have a sheath for it which slides nicely onto a regular belt or garden-tool belt. I love using it for planting bulbs as I can make a deep, small hole. If I could only have one tool forever, I would choose this one.”

Spring Weather Protection Tools 

We know Mother Nature teases Coloradans with delightful warm weather days in between snow and cold spells, and while they give us hope for the warm spring days ahead, this is a pattern that will continue through March, and into April.

If you’re eager to get your garden started here are tools that you can gather now, which will help your plants succeed during the turbulent early spring transition period.  [Read More]

Simple Ways we can Respect our Soil

Keep it Covered: Exposed soil is vulnerable to water loss, microbial die-off, erosion and degradation. Use mulch or cover crops to protect it.

Amend Responsibly: Improve soil quality by adding compost or decomposed organic matter, rather than relying solely on chemical fertilizers.

Minimize Disturbance (No-Till): Avoid unnecessary tilling or digging, which disrupts the soil microbiome and structure.

Avoid Compaction: Never walk on, drive on, or store items on garden beds. Compacted soil prevents air and water from reaching plant roots.

Harlequin’s has all your soil needs so that you can maintain and increase your soil’s health and potential.

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Prepare your garden for a Cold Weekend!

Just as we were beginning to think that Spring was here to stay, a brief return to a winter that never was! It is always wise to prepare for a potential cold snap in the Front Range!  According to BoulderCast weather,  a strong cold front arrives Friday; a colder Canadian trough with potential for accumulating wet snow at ALL elevations.

A Friday night freeze is likely, with lows in the 20s for the Plains and teens in the Foothills. Another freeze may occur Saturday night.  Since it is still early in the season, you have have not planted many tender plants yet, but Harlequin’s has both the protocol and the tools that you need to protect your plantings.  From in-stock row covers to time-tested strategies, Harlequin’s can help.

 

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Cold Snap Alert!

We were just getting comfy and confident in the progressing spring weather, when Mother Nature reminds us that She is in control!

According to the NOAA extended forecast for Boulder, CO, there is a Hazardous Weather Outlook for northeast and north central Colorado later this week. Our weather is expected to shift beginning Thursday night into Friday when a cooler and wetter pattern moves in. Night temperatures Thursday are forecast to drop to about 40˚F, and day temperatures will hover in the low 50s. Friday and Saturday could bring even lower temperatures, with highs of only 45 and lows of 33, possibly accompanied by strong winds, rain, snow and/or H_ _L! It appears that this weather pattern could continue through Sunday / Monday. Temperatures in your garden will depend on your elevation and exposure, and could drop below freezing.

What this means for your plant care, especially tender vegetables, and annuals, is that it’s time to prepare to bundle them up later in the week before the cold snap arrives. Here’s how you can best do so. [Read More]

Solar Caps – A Cozy Sweater for your Veggies!

Unexpected cold snaps can still occur even after the last average frost date (around May 9).  Just as we need to add another layer of clothing during cold snaps, our warm-season veggie starts also need additional insulation as the spring season and soil slowly begin to warm up.  This layering can come in several forms, each with their own advantages and applications: low-tech overturned plant pots, row cover anchored over wire or plastic pipe frame (as illustrated in the “Hardening-Off” portion of this article), and Solar Caps. 

Because of their versatility and re-usability, Solar Caps have been one of our favorite garden tools for over a decade. [Read More]

Snow and Soil!

Wow!  That was an impressive snowstorm, even if it did arrive several days later than predicted. We know how hard many of us have had to work to clear paths through it.  And we hope everyone stayed safe, warm, healthy, and well-fed throughout. Colorado has been experiencing a long-term regional drought, so this addition to our mountain snowpack couldn’t be more welcome. Just think what a difference all this snow can make for Colorado’s farmers, many of whom have seen their ditch water allotments disappear in early July for the past several years.

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Shrub and Tree Recovery Fertilizers and Mineral Supplements

AGE OLD ORGANICS DRY BLENDS

Grow Formula: 8-4-1.  a naturally based, high nitrogen blend of nutrients, including 1% calcium, which are slowly converted by soil microbes into plant available forms. Grow Formula is an excellent nutrient addition to potting mixes or soils and can be used as a top dressing on existing gardens and lawns.

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Solar Cap Step-by-Step Demo

We love Solar Caps, and so do our tomato starts! Solar Caps consist of a sturdy welded galvanized steel wire frame that lasts for years, over which you drape the water-filled plastic bag that comes with the kit.  By positioning the Solar Cap where your tomato (or other warm-season veggies) will be planted, in 5-7 days your soil will be warm enough for planting (55+ F).  Following planting, Solar Caps form a personal greenhouse for your veggies, which improves growth throughout the season and won’t tip over or collapse. They protect plants from drastic spring temperature fluctuations and from nightly cooling. We leave the Solar caps on our tomatoes though the season, enlarging the opening in the top from a small slit at first to a fully open circle when plants have put on height and weather is consistently warm. We’ve had great success using them for many years and regularly plant our tomatoes by April 15!

Follow Eve as she sets-up her own Solar Cap:

1-Place the wire cage on the desired spot, pressing the legs firmly into the soil so the bottom ring sits on the soil surface.  [Read More]

Managing Grasshoppers without Poisons

Nolo Bait is not a poison. It is a parasite that only affects grasshoppers and Mormon Crickets. It will not harm people, pets, wildlife or beneficial insects. It is most effective on small grasshoppers. In 3-4 weeks up to 50% of the grasshopper population will die. In addition, their eggs will be infected for the following season, and because grasshoppers are cannibalistic, they spread the disease. Put out shallow trays of the bran bait in small quantities. Wind, rain and contact with soil organisms can reduce bait available to grasshoppers.

Ducks, chickens, turkeys and guinea fowl can significantly reduce grasshopper populations. They must be fenced and put inside a safe structure every night to protect them from predators. They will also eat some plants, like vegetables.[Read More]

Pyrethrum Insecticides: Are they Safe?

Pyrethrum is one of the best known botanical insecticides, effective against a wide variety of insect pests and generally considered safe to use. Is it really safe? To answer any question about pyrethrum it must first be explained that what is referred to as “pyrethrum” can be many different products. There is pyrethrum, the raw flowers; pyrethrins,the extracts from the flowers; and pyrethroids, synthetic pyrethrum. In addition many other insecticides and enhancers are often added to formulations which are called “pyrethrum”.[Read More]