Here are some good choices for vegetables to grow in high altitude:
Cool-season vegetables
- Lettuce & salad greens – butterhead, romaine, arugula, corn salad (fall planting is perfect)
- Spinach – grows well early spring and fall
- Kale & Swiss chard – tolerate frost; kale even tastes sweeter after a light frost
- Radishes – super fast, good for spring and fall
- Carrots – choose short varieties; sweeten after frost
- Beets – grow roots and greens; frost-tolerant
- Peas – sugar snap or snow peas do well in cooler temps
- Cabbage family – broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts (start indoors early)
Warm-season vegetables (need shorter-season varieties)
- Bush beans – quick-growing, easy for beginners good choices are Blue Lake Superior or Desperado
- Tomatoes – look for “short-season” or determinate varieties such as Fourth of July
- Zucchini & summer squash – fast growers, pick early good choice is Sure Pick
- Cucumbers –good choices are Party Time or Sweet Success
Tips for high-altitude gardening
- Start seeds indoors early (mid-to-late March for spring crops)
- Use row covers to protect against late frosts
- Mulch to keep soil warmer and retain moisture
- Consider raised beds or containers—they warm faster
- Watch for strong sun: some tender leaves may need light shading