Growing a vegetable garden in the mountains

Rugged terrain, unpredictable weather, harsh, snowy winters... mountain areas seem inhospitable for vegetable gardens! But gardeners have more than one trick up their sleeve and have managed to tame the mountains! Special climatic conditions The mountain climate concerns the Alps, the Pyrenees, the Jura, the Vosges and the Massif Central. Climatic conditions vary greatly depending on the altitude and the massif concerned. It is estimated that the air cools by an average of 0.6°C every 100 meters! It's not easy for plants to adapt in such conditions! Add to this the long, very cold winters. Temperatures can reach record lows! Snowfall is frequent but will not damage crops. On the contrary, snow is a very good thermal insulator! It is also very rich in minerals and will act as a natural fertilizer. Frost episodes, on the other hand, are greatly dreaded by gardeners who fear seeing their crops destroyed by these climatic incidents. In summer, temperatures are mild but often accompanied by violent thunderstorms at the end of the day that risk damaging plants. Limestone, clay..., mountain soils are very varied! Most are shallow. The low temperatures of these environments limit biological activity, soil formation and their evolution. The soils are generally described as poor, acidic and fragile. The higher the altitude, the more their fertility decreases. The alternating periods of freezing and thawing alter the structure of the soils. Already destabilized, the land is further threatened by the action of wind, snowmelt and rain, which carry fertile particles down below. Growing in the mountains Orient crops: a north to south orientation will give the plants longer exposure to the sun and allow them to benefit from more heat. Create a microclimate: The action of the wind in the mountains is not negligible. It lowers the temperature around crops by several degrees. By planting hedges or building low walls, you will protect your plants from this cold blast. Protect crops: The growing season is particularly short in the mountains; by installing cloches, plastic tunnels, etc., you will protect the foliage from damage caused by frost. These devices are all the more interesting because they will save you a few weeks to enjoy your vegetables. They will collect the heat of the day and act like mini-greenhouses! This will force the plants in the spring and delay the arrival of cold weather in the fall. Mulch! Mulching will limit erosion. In winter, it will protect the root system from the cold, and in summer, it will be a very effective way to retain moisture and limit watering. Especially since irrigation in the mountains is not easy! Finally, mulching will help reduce the temperature differences between day and night, to which plants are sensitive. Manage slopes: For steeper terrain, creating terraces will limit soil degradation through erosion. You can also consider raising your crops. Plots will warm up more quickly in the spring. Organic matter: Mountain soil is poor and fragile; adding organic matter will improve its structure and fertility. Work with green manures: Manually or mechanically, working the soil in the mountains is very demanding. Sow green manures instead! They will work for you! They will improve the structure and fertility of the cultivated land. You can sow phacelia and white mustard in the spring, which will grow fairly quickly. Sow early! The best way to have early plants in mountainous areas despite the long winters is to start sowing indoors! What to sow or plant in the mountains? In the mountains, the choice of plants must be strategic! Since the growing season is short, it is best to favor hardy, early, or short-cycle varieties. In this case, you will have to avoid eggplants, watermelons, and melons, which require a lot of heat and take a long time to develop. Perennial vegetables are very resistant to cold: spinach and leeks, rhubarb, Daubenton cabbage, and mountain cabbage. Leafy and root vegetables develop rather quickly and adapt easily to altitude. Red-heart Colmar carrots will withstand early cold weather, even the first snowfall. Parsnips, turnips, radishes, and Crapaudine beets have short growing cycles. 'Bleu de Solaise' leeks and 'St Victor' winter leeks are not afraid of the cold. Native to the mountainous areas of Peru, potatoes are relatively fast-growing crops that are suited to mountain soils. 'Aliénor', 'Amandine', 'Rouge de Grenaille', 'Dolwen', 'Bonnote de Noirmoutier' and 'Miss blush' are early varieties. Early varieties of beans and cabbages, Asian cabbages, spinach, chard, lettuces such as 'Merveille des 4 saisons', and 'Moroccan cressonnette' can be sown directly in the garden after the beginning of May. Chicories are also very hardy! You will have to wait until May and sufficiently high temperatures for squash and other cucurbits. You can also plant old tubers such as Jerusalem artichokes, sunflowers, horseradish, and ground pears, providing mulching in late autumn to extend the perennial.