Farming Techniques in High Elevation

Terrace Farming

• The Incan society of 15th-century South America was the first to employ the use of steppe, or terraced, farming. This method involves creating parallel strips of level land on mountainsides, which allowed these farmers to cultivate a soil rich in minerals. One level at a time, they removed stones from the mountain and stacked them as the wall to support the next level in line. This was required to keep a heavy rainfall from washing their crops down the mountain. If part of your property has a hillside that seems inhospitable to farming, try to create some terraced rows.

Greenhouse

• A modern advance often used by farmers at high elevations is the greenhouse, which allows for the precise control of watering, sunlight and soil nutrients. From small backyard houses that hold a variety of vegetable crops in pots or directly in the soil to sprawling structures stretching for hundreds of yards, greenhouse gardeners enjoy the luxury of cultivating crops year-round. Is it snowing outside? It's not in your greenhouse.

Seed Selection

• Not every type of crop is suited to high-altitude cultivation. Choosing the right seeds for your altitude is imperative for success. A Siberian tomato plant, for instance, has proven success in cold, high-elevation climates. Get your seeds from trusts that guarantee quick growing for short seasons. A variety of vegetables work if you've properly prepared a nutrient-rich soil -- from asparagus to zucchini -- but certain strains work best in harsher climates.

Other Tips

• Plant your seeds late enough to avoid frost damage -- typically, early summer -- but not too late so as to not give the plants adequate time to bear a useful yield. Fertilizing and regularly watering the soil helps produce successful plants in high elevations, especially because mountainous soil often contains counterproductive amounts of alkali or clay. Till your soil after harvest time every year, and your yields should progressively improve.