Cold Weather Crops in Colorado

Root Crops do well in general. Potatoes, Beets, carrots, radishes, parsnips, rutabagas. Cold weather greens do well. Bok Choy, lettuces, spinach. BRASSICA Family of plants. Cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprout, collard greens, kohlrabi. These plans are good for helping to protect against colon cancer due to their properties.

Good Place to grow herbs because the high ultraviolet 20% more here. It increases their volatile oils making them more potent.

Legume Family of plants Sugar snap peas, flat peas are hardy.

There is a difference between farming in ASPEN and farming in Glenwood Springs or Carbondale. Farming in Glenwood Springs and New Castle, the peach valley opens up the options for much less hardy plants. Farming in Aspen and Snowmass, the plants must be hardy, and tomatoes, green beans, squash will likely not survive the season to produce.

Fruit trees do well up the entire valley if the micro climate is good. At high elevations you need good air drainage for the trees to survive the cold nights. Early spring storms can wipe out the year’s fruit in many cases. The climate is better the lower you do down valley. Fruit trees that do well here in the valley are apricot, Asian plum, red delicious apple, Cortland apple. Pears, Cherry, and Peaches should only be attempted between Glenwood Springs and Grand Junction. Carbondale would be considered the environment line for tree choices.

When planting the tree choose a microclimate with good air drainage and full sun. Make sure to water young tree as often as possible.  Mature trees need a fair amount of water. Make the planting whole 3 foot deep by 7 foot wide and place rocks on the bottom for drainage. Use a huge amount of Nordic Garden all vegetarian compost, and manure based composts should be avoided here. Plant the tree 8 inches higher than the surface because it will sink over the next few years. Remember to use Compost. Also remember to remove the bag sack holding the root ball, and the plastic and twine used in packing. The metal wire can be left behind to hold the root ball in place and it will rust and decompose providing valuable iron supplement to the tree. In many cases the tree will damaged when customers try to remove the metal wire and the damage the root ball and the tree dies within the first year. The compost will eat the iron completely within three years, you should use 5 yards of vegetarian compost per tree.

Call Keith Keating at Nordic gardens to get you vegetarian compost at (970) 379 3307. We also recommend you mulch the tree with fresh comfrey plant.