Additions and activities at the Ute Learning Garden

Members of the Ute Indian Nation and Bureau of Land Management are building the ramada (shade structure) in anticipation of tomorrow’s powwow at the Ute Learning Garden at the Mesa County Fairgrounds. The ramada will eventually be covered with willow branches and seating will be built against the back side for those attending programs and workshops.



Ute Indian dancers, singers and drummers will perform at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. June 11. Clifford Duncan, Ute Indian Spiritual Elder is planning on being present and wearing his regalia for the 11 a.m. performance. Students in their regalia will perform a series of dances during both times accompanied by Ute Indian singers and drummers.

Ute students and elders put up the Nugan (the Ute name for teepee) this morning. You can see the frame of a small willow sweat lodge in the background.


Wickiups are temporary shelters used by hunting parties and Native Americans moving through this area. Hundreds of these shelter structures have been recorded by archaeologists in Colorado. They were covered with brush, mats, or hides, probably depending on the season or how long they were going to be used.

Alyssa Leavitt-Reynolds, archaeologist with the Bureau of Land Management and a number of Ute students discuss one of the cooking hearths. A number of different hearths have been built throughout the Learning Garden.

Meghan, seasonal archaeologist with the Bureau of Land Management, talks to a group of Ute students about the importance of plants in the ponderosa/aspen life zone.









Signs have been placed throughout the gardens to acquaint visitors to the various plants and activities of every day Ute Indian life.

These items and more will be discussed at the Ute Indian mini-powwow on Saturday, June 11, 2011. We are calling this a mini-powwow as Ute Indian students will be providing the entertainment. There is no charge to attend.

For information on a guided tour for a group, contact Susan Rose at 244-1841.

This project is a cooperative effort of the Ute Indian Nation, the Bureau of Land Management, Colorado State University, and Mesa County.

Ute PowWow this Saturday

Colorado State University Extension is hosting a mini-powwow this Saturday from 9:00 to 4:00 at the Ute Learning Garden on the Mesa County fairgrounds. Tours of the garden, which features plants used by the Utes, will be given through the day. You'll have the opportunity to visit the nugan (the Ute word for tipi), view the wickiups and cooking hearths, and see demonstrations of flint knapping and corn grinding.




Ute Indian Students at the 2010 CSU PowWow.

 At 11:00 and 2:00, there will be traditional Ute singing and dancing courtesy of members of the Ute Indian Nation. There is a silent auction of six works of art by Ute artists Kessley LaRose and Robert Colorow; proceeds go to support the Learning Garden.

Admission is free; donations are gratefully accepted. Please plan to join us for a fun and informative day!

Preventing Bird Damage in Peas

 Birds love peas. They eat the leaves and flower buds.

The leaves on this stem have been
stripped by birds.


If enough leaves are eaten or damaged the yield may be reduced. "Research has shown that 30 percent leaf loss prior to bloom stage will not result in reduced yield or quality. In addition, these plants can tolerate up to 15 percent leaf loss during bloom and pod-fill stages without significant drops in yield or quality."

Damage to the blossoms, however, will reduce yield.



This flower is fairly unscathed other than
some damage from thrips.





Note where a bird took a bite out of this flower.

Covering the row with insect barrier cloth keeps the birds away and doesn't hinder the yield very much.

Peas are self-pollinating so they don't need insects to carry pollen from one plant to another. That was why Mendel choose to do his genetics research using peas. Even when there is a neighboring row of peas it is highly unlikely pollen will be transferred from one row to the next. Bees and other insects, however, will increase pollination and yield.



Four different potato cultivars are in the fourground.



The insect barrier also reduces the temperature of the plants and their flowers enhancing the yield.  Most nurseries and garden centers carry insect barrier.  Pin the fabric to the ground with sod staples or use bricks or boards to hold it down. 

Fruit Tree Pest Update for Mesa and Delta Counties, western Colorado

The following information is provided by Dr. Ramesh Pokharel, Western Colorado Research Center, Orchard Mesa Station.

Mesa County:
Codling moth is active, and you need to protect your crops from this pest by pesticide applications. (Please remember not to repeat the same chemistry of pesticides more than twice).

Peach twig borer moth (PTB) was captured in our trap on May 25 at WCRC-OM site. June 15-18 is the recommended period for the first cover spray for this insect.

Western Cherry fruit fly (WCFF) should be flying in the area by now  and you need to spray your cherry to protect from WCFF.



Delta County
At Rogers Mesa, Delta County: Codling moth (CM) biofix occurred at about May 7. This is the right time to put your first cover spray for CM management.

At Rogers Mesa site, we have no record of other insects in our traps. However, you need to watch for PTB moths and western cherry fruit flies as this is the right time to observe these insects flying according to our DD model. If it is so, schedule your spray at around June 17-18 for PTB and June 5-6 for WCFF.

For more details on these fruit tree pests and sprays needed check out :
http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/garden/02800.html and
http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/garden/02804.html




For Cedaredge, the biofix for codling moth (CM) was projected at around May 17-18. Then the first cover spray for CM should be scheduled for June 5-6 if you are scheduling to spray at 150 DD days, and the spray date should be June 10-11 if you are spraying at 250 DD of biofix. PTB is expected to fly from June 8 then you need to schedule your first cover spray at around last week of June or early July. Western cherry fruit fly is expected to start flying from June 11, and the first cover spray should be done around June 13-14.