Edible Landscaping with Charlie Nardozzi :: National Gardening Association
Light. The word is so common we often don’t think about what it is. For green plants, light is the engine that drives growth. Sunlight is the best light for that growth, but almost since the invention of electricity, scientists and gardeners have used artificial light to grow and study plants. Artificial light has the great advantage of being controllable. Whereas natural light might be too intense (bright sun) or weak (heavy clouds) to provide the ideal light for delicate seedlings, you can fine-tune the intensity and duration of artificial light.
Due to the elevation and 300 days of sunlight, the Colorado Springs real estate area gets a lot of light. Which is great, unless you’re a plant that needs steady, low levels of light. Have you ever planted a vegetable garden in May, and by June the plants are completed baked? There are two reasons for this: 1. The plants didn’t receive enough water, and 2. The plants were in too much sunlight. Finding the right plant for the right location can be tricky, especially when your home is located close to the mountains. Many vegetables need steady light but Colorado Springs light is generally too intense for the plants to be exposed all day. Another challenge we face is that our days are shorter due to the mountains. If your home is located along the foot hills, chances are you’re yard won’t receive enough time in the sun.
But there’s an easy fix and the National Gardening Association is happy to provide some pointers for adding some artificial light to your gardening space. Greenhouses are a great way to enjoy a vegetable garden and not have to worry about light. Artificial lighting will do the trick, and can often provide much better produce than natural Colorado light. So if you’re thinking about spring and fresh veggies, check out this article and see what you can do to improve your harvest this year.
