Growing high altitude vegetables is difficult but not impossible. Mountain vegetable gardening is nothing like growing in the Midwest, Pacific Northwest, or even down South. Nope, high altitude vegetable gardening takes special know-how. So, what kinds of things does a gardener need to know before veggie gardening in the mountains?
Veggie Gardening in the Mountains
When high altitude vegetable gardening, the first thing is
to be realistic. Higher altitudes have cooler temperatures and a shorter growing
season that is often measured in weeks rather than months. Part of being
realistic is knowing there is no way you are going to grow warm weather eggplant.
Stick to the cool
weather veggies for your mountain vegetable garden.
Not only is the growing season shorter but more critters
than just you will be competing for those nutrient-rich vegetables. How you
protect your crop will mean the difference between feeding yourself and being
surrounded by chubby rabbits
and deer.
The weather in a veggie garden in the mountains is unpredictable during the growing season as well. You may encounter sudden July hailstorms or early August frosts. Too much rain, too little rain, record high temperatures, forest shaded locations — these all afflict high altitude vegetables.
Creating a Successful Mountain Vegetable Garden
There are some things you can do to ensure successful veggie
gardening in the mountains. First, check your area’s climate zone. This will
give you an idea regarding the length of the growing season. This is just a
somewhat idea, though, because mountainous regions are notorious for having
multiple microclimates,
which can affect you differently than someone only a couple of miles away.
Select an area in your landscape that receives the most sun, away from shading forest trees or cliffs. If you only have a north-facing area, growing vegetables is probably not in the cards for you. Choose seeds with the shortest day to maturity numbers. This includes things like most leafy greens and root veggies. Beets and turnip greens are also good choices for early-season greens. If you mulch them well and an early freeze hits, potatoes can be grown in your mountain garden.
Veggies like tomatoes,
squash,
peppers,
and green
beans are riskier choices. If you jumpstart the growing process by starting
the seeds indoors, you give them a better chance. Transplant them early if need
be into a cold
frame or in raised
beds. Protect these delicate transplants throughout the growing season.
Also, choose the shortest “days to harvest” when choosing high altitude
vegetables.
Vegetable gardens in mountainous areas do require more patience, knowledge, and adaptability than in the lowlands. Start seeds indoors, protect plants (especially at the start and end of the growing season), and select cultivars with short harvest dates and growing seasons. Be realistic about what can and cannot grow in a high altitude vegetable garden.
Lastly, keep a garden
journal and talk to any nearby neighbors who have had experience gardening
at high altitudes.
Growing high altitude vegetables is difficult but not impossible. Mountain vegetable gardening is nothing like growing in the Midwest, Pacific Northwest, or even down South. Nope, high altitude vegetable gardening takes special know-how. So, what kinds of things does a gardener need to know before veggie gardening in the mountains?
Veggie Gardening in the Mountains
When high altitude vegetable gardening, the first thing is
to be realistic. Higher altitudes have cooler temperatures and a shorter growing
season that is often measured in weeks rather than months. Part of being
realistic is knowing there is no way you are going to grow warm weather eggplant.
Stick to the cool
weather veggies for your mountain vegetable garden.
Not only is the growing season shorter but more critters
than just you will be competing for those nutrient-rich vegetables. How you
protect your crop will mean the difference between feeding yourself and being
surrounded by chubby rabbits
and deer.
The weather in a veggie garden in the mountains is unpredictable during the growing season as well. You may encounter sudden July hailstorms or early August frosts. Too much rain, too little rain, record high temperatures, forest shaded locations — these all afflict high altitude vegetables.
Creating a Successful Mountain Vegetable Garden
There are some things you can do to ensure successful veggie
gardening in the mountains. First, check your area’s climate zone. This will
give you an idea regarding the length of the growing season. This is just a
somewhat idea, though, because mountainous regions are notorious for having
multiple microclimates,
which can affect you differently than someone only a couple of miles away.
Select an area in your landscape that receives the most sun, away from shading forest trees or cliffs. If you only have a north-facing area, growing vegetables is probably not in the cards for you. Choose seeds with the shortest day to maturity numbers. This includes things like most leafy greens and root veggies. Beets and turnip greens are also good choices for early-season greens. If you mulch them well and an early freeze hits, potatoes can be grown in your mountain garden.
Veggies like tomatoes,
squash,
peppers,
and green
beans are riskier choices. If you jumpstart the growing process by starting
the seeds indoors, you give them a better chance. Transplant them early if need
be into a cold
frame or in raised
beds. Protect these delicate transplants throughout the growing season.
Also, choose the shortest “days to harvest” when choosing high altitude
vegetables.
Vegetable gardens in mountainous areas do require more patience, knowledge, and adaptability than in the lowlands. Start seeds indoors, protect plants (especially at the start and end of the growing season), and select cultivars with short harvest dates and growing seasons. Be realistic about what can and cannot grow in a high altitude vegetable garden.
Lastly, keep a garden
journal and talk to any nearby neighbors who have had experience gardening
at high altitudes.