Happy 2013 to all of the Rocky Mtn. gardeners.

Now that the stress of the holidays, etc. is just about over, it's time to start thinking - GARDENS! We had early blight on most of the tomatoes in 2012, but they struggled through the summer and produced less than normal, but enough to share with friends. The cukes, beans, and beets did well,though.

Guess it's time to choose which varieties will be started and when. Don't want to jump the gun with seed starting - maybe the middle of March for tomatoes instead of the beginning. I still have LOTS of learning to do EVERY day. When does everyone else start their tomatoes and/or hot/sweet peppers?

I was hoping to learn from all of you who are used to gardening here... I just moved from Zone 7 in OR to Zone 5A in MT... hopefully my gardening will go well here

I have started the peppers and will get the tomatoes this week. My situation allows me to get them going inside and then put into a room in my barn once they are in 4" pots. It has tons of sun and doesn't freeze at night, so growth is about half. They are just right to get into the garden with walls of water mid April (6" tall with really good root growth). It serves as my hardening off, too.

Last year was my best to date for peppers with this method. Tomatoes grew good, even set some fruit. But was not a gang buster year.

Now the cucumbers, sour cherries and pole beans did have a great year!

Bonnie, your 'barn' method sounds like a great way to grow your plants. Wish I had a barn! What else are you planning on growing this year? Do you grow sweet peppers or hot ones?

Best of luck with your growing season. Hopefully we won't have too much of a drought this year. I love the snow! (for this reason)

Peppers are mostly sweet but am trying Fooled You. My plans for the year are not adding much new.

The topic of the three sisters on Over the Fence has been fun to follow. My version of this is just two sisters. Sweet OP corn planted in 2' circles with 8 plants and butternut squash planted in the one foot space between circles. I have used this for years and am quite pleased with yield. I plant all the corn at once so for a few weeks we have lots to eat and then freeze the rest. Much easier than trying to extend the season with planting at different times or planting different kinds. Just what works for us.

Circles? Circles in the garden...with your corn?? Well that's just plain crazy talk now. Everyone knows corn should be planted in rows, straight rows.

I might try this approach is I was ever going to plant squash again. But I am not so, it's rows for me!!

Got to love crazy talk, especially when the wind is blowing at 40 miles an hour. When I planted in straight rows, the one ear per 16' row just didn't make it worth planting. Clearly not for everyone but worth a try in our neck of the woods where it is arid, windy and summer nights are 40-50 degrees. Last year we got just over 10" of rain for the WHOLE YEAR and frost dates were late May to late September.

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When does everyone else start their tomatoes and/or hot/sweet peppers?

I always said 6 weeks before planting out day was soon enough for tomatoes. Add a week for peppers.

Finally got most seedlings transplanted and under the lights for a good month or more, except for the eggplants, which I just did today. Feels good to have almost everything under the lights.

Am experimenting with adding very weak liquid kelp and even weaker 'Serenade' to the water to see if the plants might be less susceptible to that dreaded blight if they're introduced to that concoction early. So far, so OK.

Anyone ever try anything like this?