anyone have experience growing at the 9000 foot level or above ? I have to add at the location of this garden we have two seasons wet/dry and we're getting the wet now and we avg 180 inches between now and Nov. and getting all we can out of plastic covers.. just wanted to compare notes
Hi Altitude Gardening = High Latitude Gardening High Altitude gardening is pretty much the same as high latitude gardening. Successful growing will depend on appropiate plant selection, creation of micro climates for extended growing seasons or growing plants that are more frost tender than the location will usually tolerate, judicious use of mulches, use of cloches, hot houses, cold frames and hot compost to warm garden beds. Avoidance of gullies (draws in your vernacular) and frost traps, Permaculture techniques for frost mitigation will help a lot. Below are some useful links to relevant web sites relating to cold climate / high altitude gardening. You may wish to have a look through Youtube for cold climate ideas also. High Altitude Farming http://highaltitudegardening.blogspot.com/2006/08/vegetable-gardening-in-high-altitudes.html http://gardening.coloradohighaltitude.com/VegetableGardening/index.php http://www.coldclimategardening.com/2007/04/22/is-vegetable-gardening-in-the-rocky-mountains-possible/ http://www.seedstrust.com/joomla/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&page=shop.browse&category_id=296&Itemid=2http://www.highcountrygardens.com/library/view/article/78/ http://flagstafflandscape.com/?p=520 Cold Climate Permaculture http://permaculture.tv/cold-climate-permaculture-bill-mollison/ http://www.pricoldclimate.org/ http://permaculture.org.au/author/Mari%20Korhonen http://forums.permaculture.org.au/showthread.php?184-COLD-CLIMATE-Permaculture-Need-Advice-Regarding-Cold- Climate-Perma http://permaculturepathways.blogspot.com/2011/02/visit-to-food-forest.html
I tried at 8,000 feet and finally gave up. Early and late frosts killed me and the one year they didn't, the bugs feasted.