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Growing at altitude

How to grow crops successfully at high elevations

Updated over 2 years ago

The main considerations when gardening at altitude are cold temperatures, wind, and the short length of the growing season.

High winds can disrupt pollination by damaging blossom and making it hard for insects to fly, and can also result in damage to the stems, trunks and foliage. Using permeable windbreaks (which hold back the force of the wind while still allowing some air to pass through) such as hedges can help with this. New hedges may need to be protected by windbreak netting while they establish.

Gardening on a south-facing slope, without shading, is best to maximize sun exposure. Avoid growing in frost pockets that form at the bottom of a slope.

While some plants may be hardy enough to survive conditions at altitude, it’s important to choose varieties that require a short growing season. Consult your local garden center, or other gardeners in your area, to find out what grows best in your conditions. Seed suppliers often list days to maturity in their catalogs.

Cold frames, rows covers and hoop houses (polytunnels) can be used to good effect to protect crops from wind, snow, and cold temperatures. The curved shape of a hoop house makes it less susceptible to wind damage and snow loading than a standard glass greenhouse.

If you want to grow fruit trees, apples and pears are very hardy. Choose a variety that flowers late (to avoid frost killing the blossom) and sets fruit early, before the end of the growing season. Yields are likely to be less than if grown at lower altitudes. Hardy, summer-fruiting fruit bushes like raspberries and blackberries may be more successful than fruit trees.

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