Colorado is a state rich in agriculture.
The state ranks first in the country for the production of proso millet and in the top ten in approximately 20 other commodities, including cattle and calves, winter wheat, market sheep and lambs, wool production, alfalfa, potatoes, onions, apples, peaches, grapes, and melons.
Colorado’s diverse climate and geography allow farmers to grow a wide variety of crops and livestock.
The state’s abundance of sunshine and water make it an ideal place for agriculture.
Plant Hardiness Zones for Colorado
Firstly, let us have a look at the US Plant Hardiness Zone Map.
Plant Hardiness Zone Map For Colorado
Climate
The state of Colorado has diverse climate types: tundra, subarctic, continental, humid subtropical, semi-arid, and cold desert in the various regions of the state.
It belongs to zone 3 to 7a. The average annual temperature for the state is 43.5 degrees Fahrenheit (F).
The maximum temperatures often reach 95°F or above during summers. While winter temperatures are generally between 0 and -15°F.
Precipitation
The annual average precipitation is about 17 inches. However, it varies throughout the state due to the state’s topographic differences.
Soil Type
The below map shows the ecoregions of the state.
Now, let us understand the table below to get more details.
Soil Order Of Colorado
| Soil / Sub Order | Location | Characteristics |
|---|---|---|
| Inceptisols/Cryepts | Rockies | 1. These are cold Inceptisols of high mountains or high altitudes. |
| Aridisols/Argids and Calcids | In the Wyoming basin, Colorado plateaus, Southern Rockies, and the high plains | 1. Argids have an argillic or natric horizon 2. While Ustalfs have a ustic soil moisture regime. |
| Alfisols/Cryalfs and Ustalfs | Cryalfs in the Southern Rockies while the Ustalfs are found in the southwestern tablelands | 1. Cryalfs are the cold Alfisols that occur mostly at high elevations. 2. While Ustalfs have a ustic soil moisture regime. |
| Entisols/Orthents and Psamments | Orthents in the Colorado plateaus and the southwestern tablelands and the Psamments are found in the high plains of the state. | 1. Orthents are commonly on the recent erosional surfaces 2. Whereas Psamments soils are sandy in all layers and are among the most productive rangeland soils in arid and semi-arid climates. |
| Mollisols/Ustolls, Aquolls, Cryols, and Xerolls | Ustolls are found in the high plains and some regions of the Colorado plateau, Aquolls in the northern part of the southern Rockies and the Arizona/New Mexico plateaus, Cryolls in the southern Rockies and the Colorado plateaus, and Xerolls in the Wyoming basin the high plain in small patches. | 1. Ustolls are the more or less freely drained Mollisols of sub-humid to semiarid climates. Drought is frequent in these soils. 2. Aquolls are the wet Mollisols. 3. Cryolls are the cool or cold, more or less freely drained Mollisols. 4. Xerolls are the more or less freely drained Mollisols of regions that have Mediterranean climates. They are dry in summer, but moisture moves through most of the soils in winter and is stored above the deep layers or above bedrock in normal years. |
