Essential High Elevation Gardening Tip to Increase Yield

Living at high elevations (like Colorado) creates a lot of challenges around gardening. Blame it on the high altitude or extreme temperatures, you're sure to run into the problem of dwarfed plants when having a garden here. (Remember those tiny trees at the top of mountain hikes?) Check out my cheap gardening solution to help increase your yield!
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[@amygullett6933]

So happy to have found this channel. I live at 10,600ft. elevation. Just started my garden and am planning to get a greenhouse. Can't wait to learn from everyone.

[@ColoradoMountainLiving]

Good luck! What perfect timing. Our greenhouse build will be happening all summer, so I'm sure we will all learn a lot.

[@herbertsusmann986]

We used to run a greenhouse business and they make shade cloth that is available in a varieties of sun blocking percentage. It is really heavy duty and would provide a more permanent shade solution if mounted on wood posts or some kind of wood frame. We used to use 50% shade cloth for some of our plants that couldn't take full sun.

[@ColoradoMountainLiving]

Yes it would have to be mounted securely- that’s what I’ve figured out. The kind I got ripped easily.

[@ml.5377]

We have a garden at almost 10,000 feet above sea level in the Andes. Raschel shade netting does not work but I had some geomesh which is a little bit more rigid than what you have and I initially put it to keep the birds away, but the spinach, lettuce, herbs and other plants under it are enormous...

[@ColoradoMountainLiving]

Oh wow! I think some type of shade cloth is mandatory for high altitudes.

[@homemakersheart3614]

I live in Southern Colorado. I learned from a gal in Colorado Springs about the French chenelle system. I love it! It's a lacing type system over the floating row or shade cloth and slides easy so you can work in it.

[@ColoradoMountainLiving]

Thanks for sharing!!

[@adrianbew9641]

Your beds need plenty of organic matter applied in the autumn, many food plants are heavy feeders of nutrients and can deplete small areas quickly it also helps retain moisture in the soil . You have around you lots of potential organic matter, grass, leaves etc. The grass contains lots of nitrogen in its early green stage and if cut and put into a compost heap will break down over the season and winter, leaves contain a lot of elements that feed soil by adding these to your heap in the autumn these will also break down over the winter, so will things like your green material from your food plants. This dug into your beds before planting will enable the plants to draw on those nutrients during the growing season, but needs to be done every year to replenish those nutrients and moisture containment.

[@ColoradoMountainLiving]

Great points. I'm going to get started on my compost game.

[@robb1165]

I think you are very correct about the sun, I see the same results without a shade. We use cattle fence to make arches. The 16 foot sections make a decent size arch you can walk under and still have two large tomato plant size rows. Secured with fence t posts and zip ties to the posts. The one we leave covered all winter is doubled up on the fencing and zip tied together every few feet. Over that we use green sunshade fabric and for winter clear plastic and a heater.

[@ColoradoMountainLiving]

It’s tricky because you’d think the garden needs lots of sun to grow- but there is too much of a good thing!

[@robb1165]

@@ColoradoMountainLiving The main problem we have is the deer and elk. An electric fence has been working well to keep them out.

[@louderthanwordsInclusivity]

We plan to move to the Colorado Rocky Mountains about an hour outside of Colorado Springs (we are moving to access better services for my kids disabilities that are not offered anywhere else in the country), but we wanted to buy a property to start a larger homestead, but now I’m second guessing our ability to do it! I have spent my entire life in South Carolina, growing things year round without much issue, just cover the winter crops if a snow is coming or if the temp drops on a few nights-I am trying to do research but Feeding my family seems daunting through self sufficiency after looking at all the struggle everyone faces growing in the Rockies 😩

[@ColoradoMountainLiving]

Do you know your elevation? There is a HUGE difference between 9000 ft and 8000ft and even if you're 5000-6000 ft, I think you'll have plenty of options. I would consult the local extension office for your county to see what they recommend. (we used to live in NC, so i get it).

[@steedcol]

In my mountain soil and mile high, I had to build up the soil with compost to get the plants I planted to grow.

[@ColoradoMountainLiving]

Ever tried using moose poop for compost? I haven't yet, but there is alpaca manure in our beds. No compost yet.

[@____________________________.x]

I guess with the price of wood, even spare sticks are in short supply. Some hoops made from tubing might survive the winds pretty well. There’s always someone selling their old water pipe

[@ColoradoMountainLiving]

Thanks!

[@raymondrussell500]

More like 1//3 done with that shed roof. Maybe it’s time to build a green house with wood slat shades. Or what used to be called a Summer House. A more permanent shade structure. There is also shade mesh that can give you better and more controlled shading.

[@ColoradoMountainLiving]

We are looking at a more permanent greenhouse solution - would be a perfect summer house in the winter! Might be next years project.

[@talfacprez]

ANother weird thing about plants in different altitude is the elevations change the plants bloom color. The flower Indian Paint Brush for example is normally red but at various higher elevation I have seen blue and other colors. A tourist ranch I worked for would put our horses in a winter pasture owned by a guy who lived a little higher up than the ranch. We told him to be sure that there was No Loco Weed because horses that eat it basically go crazy. He assured us he did not find any loco weed but by the next Spring when we went to get our horses they had all but one pretty much lost their minds...like a drug addict horse. We found loco weed but since the plant was a different color the land owner didn't think they were loco weed. We ended up having to put 3 of our horses down because they were no longer safe to ride and they would not eat any of the hay or grass in our Spring and Summer pasture they would have basically starved themselves to death. At least we got our other horses back on a proper diet to get the loco weed out of their systems.

[@ColoradoMountainLiving]

Oh wow! I've had a few plants change color on me too. The "dragon's blood" red/purple seedum turned green. i want my $ back!! LOL

[@rockymountainlifeprospecti4423]

Glad we found your channel. We are at 9350' as well lol. Have a military boarding home during deployment animal rescue! However in the ghost town of freeland Colorado, in other words, unincorporated Idaho Springs! looking forward to catching up on content all the best🐾🇺🇸🤠🐾

[@ColoradoMountainLiving]

Oh wow. sounds cool!!! we are looking into a growing dome this year as well.

[@finehowareyou]

you need micro-organisms in your soil. even more than shade cloth. micro organisms and kale flakes for potassium which helps plants be resilient. i garden at 8,200' and that has been the game changer for me. and water. lots lots lots more water. good luck!!

[@ColoradoMountainLiving]

Thanks for the tips!!!

[@Homesteader500]

Love your videos!

[@ColoradoMountainLiving]

Thank you!

[@katioconnor5295]

Happy to find your channel as I've just arrived to McCall ID for the winter&spring. Coming from PNW Coast of WA., the challenges of high altitude gardening are real and helpful tips are greatly appreciated. Shade clothes and frost protections are paramount, but I really like the idea of snow fencing for high wind protection as its heavy and wind will go thru it more then lift it, reducing damage to the fabrics or poly... Indoor seeding is my focus right now and a local source for organic chicken, beef, or rabbit manure😊

[@ColoradoMountainLiving]

Glad to hear! We are also planning a new strategy for next year, with a geothermal grow dome.

[@OurNewLand]

Great job on repurposing items you have on hand. I look forward to seeing how the garden responds.

[@ColoradoMountainLiving]

Thanks! Me too- I see some small zucchini's coming.

[@GingerKral]

I have metal fence posts on the ends of my beds with a nice branch attached to create an A frame over my beds. Works great if we get a late snow or hail I can use a tarp. That would work nicely with the snow fence .

[@ColoradoMountainLiving]

That's a great idea!

[@markperkovich992]

We live at 9500ft, rhubarb is excellent, I get a harvest of 4 to 5 hundred pounds. Currently experimenting with acorn,zucchini and yellow squash, looking good so far. Hail is a problem problem.

[@ColoradoMountainLiving]

Hail was a big problem this year and destroyed my early garden of radishs, arugula and bok choy. Zucchini did very well for me the first year. We are looking into a growing dome green house for next year.

[@philmccole4309]

You get excellent marks for creativity and recycling! I never thought about the differences in gardening between our 1500' in VT and your 9000' in CO.

[@ColoradoMountainLiving]

Thanks! well credit goes to the viewer who shared the idea.

[@v.mishrasart43]

Super👍👍👍👍

[@ColoradoMountainLiving]

Thank you!

[@txnetcop]

I can image how difficult that could be! I gave an idea you already used. Hey that is a much better idea! Snow fence has lots of holes to let wind throw without collapsing

[@ColoradoMountainLiving]

Yeah I really like this idea- very rugged!

[@barbianmetcalf3855]

Such a great idea. I’m using garden hoops under them. I live at just under 8k. And one year I used cloth over them and the grill was good. Did it for the cold. But the sun is hard on them too. This year I took the cloth off early because of wind. This will be perfect for the entire growing season.

[@mrsjones3742]

What kind of amendments do you use and fertilizer. You need some garden soil.

[@ronb2486]

I was thinking the same thing

[@ColoradoMountainLiving]

A couple years ago added alpaca manure and peat moss.Need to get into the compost game.

[@shirasorensen1286]

Do you add any compost at all though? Your beds don't look so nutritious...

[@ColoradoMountainLiving]

There was some organic fertilizer (alpaca manure) but no compost material.

[@jodirichardson2820]

I'm gonna stop you, at first sight of your veggie garden, and say, get marigolds to naturally get rid of pests, and mulch! Plants have a really slow time at growing in high altitude they never grow as big as they would as if you were at lower elevation, mulch! Keep there roots cool!!!

[@ColoradoMountainLiving]

Thanks for the mulching tip. I'm certain you are correct about keeping roots cool, the raised beds run hot, i bet.

[@azmike1]

Foolishness. Simply build a frame and place a "roof" of 50% shade cloth over it and you will see volumes never seen before.

[@ColoradoMountainLiving]

yeah cool. i did shade cloth and it ripped blew away from the strong winds we get occasionally. have a new plan for next year.

[@jodirichardson2820]

White yarrow likes crappy soil, it is a nuisance and considered a weed in lawns, maybe your soil is locked up somehow, what does grow, tells you about soil without getting it tested

[@ColoradoMountainLiving]

Interesting. Yarrow is valuable to me because I use it in my artwork, so I don't try too hard to eradicate it.

[@dennisrphymurphy7929]

Screw KZbin,.....and help your neighbors with fresh food. Show me a post about how you are doing that, and how you and your family are trying to help people in need.... good people.... hungry people. People in your own state or province are going hungry, mainly because they don't know how to grow food, or they don't have the money for farming, or even growing a few things in a small space, or maybe they live in an apartment that is 14 stories in the air, and they don't have access to soil or any way to help themselves.... you do. YOU DO! Just suck it up and do it. Look beyond yourself. Your grandparents would be so very proud of you. Let the internet go away... help the people that need help. Please ask your contacts to help as well ... we are in sick times. I can't help much, but you can

[@ColoradoMountainLiving]

Thanks for your feedback. I help people eat healthy every day with my other work off of youtube and they don't pay a dime for my services. So I guess we can say mission accomplished on that.

[@desertsunset8025]

Actually, she really is helping me because I'm starting a garden in the high country and need tips to problem solve the issues I will come up against . I'll can and freeze and dry my veggies for winter and give them away to neighbor if I have spare . So , I'm glad she is here on KZbin .