Welcome to the vibrant world of urban gardening in Denver! Whether you have a small backyard plot or a few containers on a balcony, growing your own fruits and vegetables can be a rewarding and delicious endeavor.
Denver’s unique climate presents opportunities to cultivate a variety of produce right at your doorstep. In this guide, we’ll explore the best fruits and vegetables suited for the Mile High City’s environment, providing you with practical advice on:
- When to plant
- How to nurture your crops
- Exciting ways to enjoy your harvest
Let’s dive in!
5 Vegetables to Grow in Denver in 2024
1. Carrots
Planting Calendar: Direct sow from April onwards.
Growing Techniques: Plant in loose, sandy soil. Thin seedlings to prevent crowding.
Culinary Uses: Eat raw, roast, or incorporate into soups and stews.
Carrots are ideal for direct sowing in April as they prefer cooler soil to start. They grow well in deep, well drained soil, making them suitable for raised beds in urban settings. Their versatility in the kitchen makes them a favorite for both raw and cooked dishes.
2. Beans (bush and pole)
Planting Calendar: Plant seeds directly in the soil after the last frost, typically in mid May.
Growing Techniques: Provide support for pole beans; bush beans are more compact. Keep soil moist.
Culinary Uses: Fresh, steamed, sautéed, or in salads.
Beans thrive when planted directly in warm soil and need little maintenance besides regular watering and occasional support for pole varieties. They are fast growers, providing a quick and satisfying yield.
3. Radishes
Planting Calendar: Direct sow from April and can continue planting every two weeks for a continuous harvest.
Growing Techniques: Easy to grow in any well drained soil. Keep the soil moist for best development.
Culinary Uses: Fresh in salads, pickled, or as a garnish.
Radishes are one of the quickest vegetables to mature, making them an excellent choice for continuous planting throughout the growing season. They are perfect for adding a crunchy, spicy element to dishes.
4. Spinach
Planting Calendar: Direct sow in April, and consider successive sowings until midSeptember.
Growing Techniques: Prefers partial shade in warmer months, and moist, fertile soil.
Culinary Uses: Salads, sautéed dishes, smoothies.
Spinach is highly adaptable and can be grown in partial shade, which is particularly advantageous in urban gardens with limited light. It’s a versatile green, useful in a variety of dishes from fresh salads to hearty cooked meals.
5. Swiss Chard
Planting Calendar: Direct sow from midApril through August.
Growing Techniques: Tolerates poor soil, but thrives in rich, well drained conditions. Can grow in partial shade.
Culinary Uses: Leaves can be eaten raw in salads, or cooked in stir fries, soups, and pastas.
Swiss chard is both decorative and delicious, making it an ideal choice for ornamental edible urban gardens. It’s hardy and can be harvested gradually by removing outer leaves as needed.
Top 5 Fruits to Grow in Denver in 2024
1. Strawberries (Junebearing varieties)
Planting Calendar: Plant bareroot strawberries in late April to early May.
Growing Techniques: Use raised beds or containers to ensure good drainage. Mulch to keep berries clean and minimize weeds.
Culinary Uses: Fresh eating, jams, desserts.
Strawberries are perfect for urban settings due to their compact growth and suitability for containers. Planting bare root strawberries in spring allows them to establish themselves in cooler temperatures, yielding sweet fruits early in the summer.
2. Rhubarb
Planting Calendar: Plant crowns in late April when the ground is workable.
Growing Techniques: Thrives in full sun but can tolerate partial shade; requires well drained, fertile soil.
Culinary Uses: Pies, jams, desserts.
Rhubarb is a perennial that’s often treated as a fruit in culinary uses. Its robust nature makes it suitable for Denver’s variable climate and it can produce for many years once established.
3. Melons (e.g., cantaloupe, honeydew)
Planting Calendar: Direct sow seeds in late May to early June, once the soil is warm.
Growing Techniques: Use black plastic mulch to warm soil and floating row covers to protect plants.
Culinary Uses: Fresh slices, fruit salads, desserts.
Melons require warm soil and a longer growing season, so starting them in late spring when the temperature is consistently higher works well in Denver. They can be grown vertically in trellises to save space in tight urban areas.
4. Pumpkins
Planting Calendar: Direct sow seeds outdoors in late May after all danger of frost has passed.
Growing Techniques: Need a lot of space or can be trained to grow up a trellis; require nutrient rich, well drained soil.
Culinary Uses: Roasted, in pies, soups, or preserved as puree.
Pumpkins are fun and rewarding to grow, and even urban gardeners can enjoy them by using vertical space. They also provide substantial yields from just a few plants, ideal for festive decorations and cooking.
5. Raspberries
Planting Calendar: Plant container-grown raspberries in late April to early May.
Growing Techniques: Support with trellises; prune regularly to promote healthy growth.
Culinary Uses: Fresh, frozen, in pies, or make preserves.
Raspberries can be started from containers in the spring and do well in urban gardens with limited space when supported by trellises. They provide fruit by the second year, with ongoing production for many years.
Conclusions
With these carefully selected fruits and vegetables, you’re well on your way to enjoying fresh, home-grown produce throughout the growing season.
Whether it’s the crisp crunch of a fresh carrot or the sweet burst of a strawberry, your garden is set to be a delight for the senses.
And remember, if you ever find yourself daydreaming about a larger backyard for even more gardening adventures, don’t hesitate to call Erik to start your home search in East Denver. Happy gardening!
