A bunch of new challenges and lessons for us to learn

**Denvergirlie** · 01-21-2010, 01:03 AM

So we are moving....

From Denver city center, nice friendly but a bit yuppish neighborhood. We are moving about 30 miles away into a heavy pine forest.

We are excited about the move, thrilled with the post card perfect setting, but lost on what to do first.

We need to order seeds, we have some seeds already from previous years, We've got to get those seeds started like last week. We willput in a garden, but have no idea where to put it yet, we have to hike around a bit to find a sunny patch. We will most likely not be able to run a garden hose to where ever the new garden will be. We are in a state that make rain harvesting illegal, but we could do something like that if it for garden use only, but then that's something to build, catchment system, water tanks, pump of some sort, etc.

We need to put up a clothes line, that can wait until it's firmly spring, but we must start ASAP on the garden, or be prepared to do only a few containers, this would be a huge scale back from our current garden in the city. We are on a tiny .08 acre here, but everything is grow boxes, other than the land the house sits on and a bit of space in back for a tiny porch and car parking space.

We've tended and amended the soil here for the past 5 years. We finally have good dark soil that is full of life, and now starting over again in new forest soil. We know nothing about growing in forest soil...

We would love to have chickens.. but doubt we have the time to get a coop and fencing up in time for spring chicks.

We've lived in this house for 8 years, we have a TON of stuff, we brew beer, craft all sort of different stuff, online side business with a bedroom full of inventory, etc, etc.
We will have all the space we could ever want in the new place, but now we've got to move it there.

We will have thru the end of Febraury to get out of this current rental, and already have started to move a few things up to the new place.
So we do have some time to transition over to the new place.

So just thought to chime in, know that I'll be hanging out here a bit more as I have a learning curve again.

Anyone know anything about gardening at 7200 in elevation? We can put up a greehouse, but that's just another thing to build and address that we really don't have the time to do right now.

**mauimagic** · 01-21-2010, 01:08 AM

I have no knowledge to share with you, but am sure interested in your journey. How far is it to drive to your new home?

**Denvergirlie** · 01-21-2010, 02:01 AM

Originally Posted by mauimagic

I have no knowledge to share with you, but am sure interested in your journey. How far is it to drive to your new home?

Door to door it's about 25 miles, which translates to a 45 minute drive with no major traffic/ weather conditions.

**Contrary Housewife** · 01-21-2010, 10:51 AM

Wow! You guys are going to be busy!

Pine needles make great mulch. You'll want to test your forest soil and see if it is acidic, and if it needs amendments. I hear pine trees can really suck up the nutrients in the area they are planted in (which is why nothing grows under them). Your soil should be nice and thick, though, if you're in untouched forest.

**my4littlebuffaloes** · 01-21-2010, 12:18 PM

Having lived in CO for 15 years, I don't think you need to have already started your seeds. Especially in the mountains, you can't safely plant until mid to end of May and I remember it snowing even in June. So, I guess I am thinking slow down a bit, get settled, survey the land and then get started. It sounds awesome though. If we could have lived in the mountains instead of Aurora we would have stayed there.