PLANTS THAT THRIVE

at Round Mountain Organics (8,500 ft)

I have segregated the plants by root, leaf, flower or fruit crops since I use the Stella Natura calendar published by the Bio-Dynamic Farming and Gardening Association, Inc. to figure out when to plant what. The Stella Natura calendar can be ordered by calling (888) 561-7797.

*This is by no means a complete list of what will grow at high elevations!

Root crops: beets, carrots, diakon, garlic, leeks, onions, parsnips, potatoes, radishes, turnips

Leaf crops:

Herbs: arugula, catnip, chamomile, cilantro, cress, dill, fennel, lemon balm, mint, mustard greens, oregano, parsley, sage, thyme, winter savory

Salad greens: all varieties do great!

Cooking greens: broccoli raab, celery, chard, collards, kale, pac choi, spinach

Flower crops:

Vegetables: broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower

Annuals: asters, bachelor buttons, calendula, California poppy, German chamomile, cosmos, daisies (African and Zulu Prince), lavatera, lions ear, lobelia, marigold, nasturtium, sunflowers, sweet peas

Perennials: anise hyssop, black-eyed Susan, blue flax, Roman chamomile, coreopsis, crocus, daffodils, Shasta daisy, delphinium, echinacea, evening primrose, Johnny jump ups, pansy, penstamon, Iceland poppy, oriental poppy, pyrethrum, scabiosa, sea holly, veronica, yarrow

Fruit crops: raspberries, strawberries will survive outside

Most fruits do not get enough heat at high elevations to set fruit. I have had success with tomatoes, basil, zucchini and cucumbers in the greenhouse or cold frames. These tender crops cannot take our cold nights outside!

 Recipes for a Successful Garden

Starter Mix                                    Transplant Mix

1 part peat                                                        1 part peat

1 part vermiculite or perlite                                1 part soil

1 part compost or aged manure                         1 part sand

little bone meal                                      1/3 part compost or aged manure

little lime

Compost

3-foot cube made with straw bales or pallets

50% Brown = straw, dried leaves, sawdust, old hay

50% Green = kitchen and garden waste including vegetable scraps, science experiments from the fridge, citrus, egg shells, weeds… you can compost meat and fish but then your pile will smell like the dump in the spring when it thaws out (trust me I know from experience!) Don’t forget to add some manure every now and then.

The compost should be kept as moist as a sponge. Compost will not smell bad if it has finished decomposing!

Manure

Only use well aged manure that no longer smells like manure. Cow, sheep, llama and goat are best since these animals have  multiple stomachs and break down the weed seeds better. Chicken manure is very hot and only use after is has decomposed completely. Horse manure is ok, but make sure it’s 3-5 years old before putting on your garden!

Sheet Mulched Bed

6-8 inches straw (NOT hay!)

4 inches aged manure

1 inch compost

Layer this up 3 times and you’ll have a 2-foot high bed. The first year plant potatoes, garlic or any larger seedlings. Each year the bed will consolidate together and after about 4 or 5 years it will look like the loveliest black topsoil ever!

Yearly Amendments

Every year in the spring or fall add well-composted manure and compost to your beds. Your plants are only as healthy as the soil they grow in. Feed your soil and your produce will feed you full of all the essential nutrients.