Rainy Weather and Outdoor Gardens

The rainy season has arrived here in the foothills of Colorado, just west of Denver. It's welcome and needed, but it does present some composting challenges. This week we're talking about keeping your compost from getting too wet, when to plant outside in your garden, picking the healthiest plants to jumpstart your garden, and how it all comes out in the sifter. Have a great day!

During the rainy season, your compost pile can easily become waterlogged. If you notice a slimy texture, compacted materials, or a sour, ammonia-like smell, your compost is likely too wet. An overly saturated pile lacks the oxygen needed for beneficial microbes to thrive, slowing decomposition.

The immediate fix is to add more carbon-rich "brown" materials like dry leaves, shredded cardboard, or sawdust and turn the pile to introduce air.

For a more lasting solution, consider covering your compost. A cover is one of the best tools for managing moisture in wet weather. It not only prevents excess rain from soaking the pile but also helps retain heat, which accelerates the composting process. A covered pile also protects valuable nutrients from being washed away and can help deter pests seeking shelter.

You don’t need anything fancy. A simple tarp secured with bricks, a piece of scrap corrugated metal, or a basic wooden lid will work perfectly to keep your compost pile active through the rain.

After a long winter, the urge to get plants in the ground is strong. While the calendar offers a rough guide, successful planting depends more on observation than on a specific date.

Know Your Last Frost Date

The most important date for a gardener starting the season is the average last frost date. This is the point in spring when, on average, we are not expected to get another light freeze. For those of us in the foothills west of Denver, this typically falls between late May and early June.

Remember, this is an average, not a guarantee. Our elevation and variable mountain weather mean a surprise frost is always possible, so it's wise to keep an eye on the nightly forecast and have frost cloths or cloches ready to cover sensitive plants.

Check the Soil Temperature

Air temperature is only half the story. Seeds and roots need warm soil to thrive. Planting in cold, damp soil can lead to poor germination and root rot. A simple soil thermometer is an invaluable tool.

Cool-Season Crops: Plants like peas, lettuce, spinach, and kale can be planted when the soil temperature is consistently 40-50°F (4−10°C).

Warm-Season Crops: Tender plants like tomatoes, peppers, squash, and cucumbers need much warmer soil. Wait until the temperature is consistently 60°F (15°C) or warmer, ideally closer to 70°F (21°C) for heat-loving varieties. Adding a layer of finished compost to your beds can help the soil warm up more quickly in the spring.

Harden Off Your Seedlings

Plants started indoors have been sheltered. They need a gradual introduction to the intensity of our sun, wind, and temperature fluctuations. This process is called hardening off.

Over a week or two, bring your seedlings outside for increasingly longer periods. Start with just an hour or two in a sheltered spot with indirect sun. Slowly increase their exposure each day until they are ready to stay outside overnight before planting. If you have a greenhouse, they're great for hardening off plants. Just make sure to pay close attention to temperature swings, as young seedlings can deteriorate quickly with any extreme temperature variations.

If you still want a date to circle on the calendar...

My family's outdoor garden really starts on Father's Day weekend (June 15th). We may get a few things in the ground earlier, but getting to plant alongside my kids is a Father's Day tradition that I look forward to every year.

Giving your garden a strong start by transplanting healthy plants is a rewarding first step, whether you've nurtured seedlings indoors or are selecting them from a nursery. This is particularly true for those of us with shorter growing seasons, as we simply don't have enough time to direct sow seeds outdoors.

When you do find yourself at the nursery, take your time and observe the plants closely to make sure you're getting the best for your garden.

What to Look For (And What to Avoid):

Lush Leaves: Look for plants with vibrant, well-colored leaves. Pass on those with yellowing edges, brown spots, or any signs of pests (be sure to check the undersides of leaves).

Tip: Don't be shy about gently brushing the leaves to see if any pests fly off.

Sturdy Stems: Choose plants with strong, compact stems. "Leggy" plants, which have long, stretched-out stems, may have been stressed or not received enough light, and can be weaker.

Healthy Roots (If Visible): If you can, gently slide the plant out of its pot to inspect the roots. They should be whitish or light tan, look vigorous, and mostly fill the container. Avoid plants where roots are heavily circling the bottom of the pot; these are "root-bound" and might take longer to establish in your garden.

Tip: If a plant is a bit root-bound but otherwise healthy, you can gently tease apart the circling roots before planting to encourage them to spread.

Specifics for Different Plant Types:

Vegetables and Fruits: Select robust plants with even leaf development. Younger, well-proportioned plants often adapt more quickly to your garden than larger ones already bearing fruit. A plant that is already fruiting is putting a lot of energy into that fruit, and transplanting can add stress.

Tip: If you choose a plant with small fruits already, consider pinching off those first few fruits to allow the plant to focus its energy on root development after transplanting.

Flowers: Look for a good balance of buds and open blooms. This ensures you'll enjoy a longer flowering period. Healthy foliage is just as important for flowers as it is for vegetable plants. If your plant is lacking in leaves, your flowers will be limited in size and quantity.

Tip: Check the plant tag for information on mature size, light requirements, and water needs to ensure it’s a good fit for your garden space and conditions.

A little extra care now will set the stage for your best gardening season yet. Happy planting!

You’ve done everything right. You balanced your greens and browns, you kept the pile moist, and you turned it patiently. Now you’ve harvested your first batch of finished compost, but when you look at it, you feel a twinge of confusion. It’s dark and earthy, but it’s also… chunky. It looks nothing like the fine, uniform product you see in bags at the garden center.

This is a common moment for every new composter, but take it as a sign of success, not failure. You've created authentic, homemade compost.

The "picture-perfect" compost from a store gets its consistent, fine texture from a final, heavy-duty sifting process. Large, industrial screens remove every little twig, pit, and fibrous lump, leaving behind only the smallest particles. It’s a cosmetic step that creates a uniform look.

At home, the final step is a simple sift. Your goal is just to remove the largest, unfinished pieces—like a stubborn avocado pit or a piece of woody branch. These can go right back into your active compost pile to continue their journey.

What remains is ready for your garden. This less-sifted compost is full of nutrients and beneficial microorganisms. Those smaller chunks that made it through your screen will be broken down further by the earthworms, fungi, and bacteria in your garden soil. This process provides a slow-release of nutrients and continuously improves your soil structure over time. The high organic content also improves moisture retention, reducing the amount of water required.

Could you sift your compost repeatedly through finer screens to make it look like the store-bought version? Absolutely. But for most of us, a quick sift to remove the big stuff is more than enough.

So embrace your lumpy, bumpy, beautifully imperfect compost. It’s a sign that you’ve created something real and alive, and your garden will thrive on it.

We believe everyone has the power to make a positive impact on our environment, right from their own backyard. That's why we provide free, accessible resources to help you succeed in composting.

From detailed guides on building your first bin to troubleshooting an existing pile, our goal is to empower you. Our online community forum is a space to connect with fellow composters, share successes, and learn together. These resources are created to support your journey.

Your support keeps this community thriving and our resources free. A donation today directly helps us create more guides, plan future workshops, and expand our reach to help even more people start composting.

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Thank you and have an amazing rest of your day!

- The team at Purple Bucket Compost