What have you successfully grown in zone 6?!

[RobertaD1]

Whats your soil like??? Is high in clay?.... is it sandy?..... is it well drained?
I have just question after question!
I can grow just about anything I want... but my soil conditions have to be right. Parts of my garden needs tons and tons of amending just to get it to break up well for gardening because of the clay content, then in the same yard, the soil is so yucky and dry, cactus wont grow. Its amazing how it can change in just 200 ft!

 

[chickentrains]

oh, nice. Our garden bed is close to our house. probably no more than 10 feet away.

I don't know lots about gardening, I just wanted to give the family some ideas.

 

[Artichoke Lover]

I’m in zone 7 not zone 6 but I’ve grown tomatoes, peppers, corn, pumpkins, black eyed peas, english peas, carrots, lettuce, cabbage, broccoli, thyme, okra, cantaloupe, watermelon, eggplant, summer squash, winter squash, radishes, collards, spinach, and sweet potatoes.
In zone 6 you should be able to grow just about whatever annual vegetables you want if you pick the right varieties.
This year I’ve added potatoes, Swiss chard, luffa, blueberries and strawberries.

 

[chickentrains]

Whats your soil like??? Is high in clay?.... is it sandy?..... is it well drained?
I have just question after question!
I can grow just about anything I want... but my soil conditions have to be right. Parts of my garden needs tons and tons of amending just to get it to break up well for gardening because of the clay content, then in the same yard, the soil is so yucky and dry, cactus wont grow. Its amazing how it can change in just 200 ft!

The soil is whatever we make it, we have a raised bed

right now, we have a ton of sticks and leaves right above our soil, and then compost and poo, and then store bought soil. We are going to top it off with compost we've been working on all year.

 

[chickentrains]

I’m in zone 7 not zone 6 but I’ve grown tomatoes, peppers, corn, pumpkins, black eyed peas, english peas, carrots, lettuce, cabbage, broccoli, thyme, okra, cantaloupe, watermelon, eggplant, summer squash, winter squash, radishes, collards, spinach, and sweet potatoes.
In zone 6 you should be able to grow just about whatever annual vegetables you want if you pick the right varieties.
This year I’ve added potatoes, Swiss chard, luffa, blueberries and strawberries.

Carrots sound good, broccoli too.

I forgot to mention, we did onions too. I don't think they made it though.

 

[Artichoke Lover]

oh, nice. Our garden bed is close to our house. probably no more than 10 feet away.

I don't know lots about gardening, I just wanted to give the family some ideas.

How many hours of sun does it get? Do you know what side of your house it’s on? North? South? East?

 

[Percheron chick]

Start with what your family enjoys. Most all vegetables are annuals and grow in all zones. What changes is how long the growing season is. You need to get a jump on plants that take more than 80 days to reach maturity or you start bumping up against the first frost before you get a reasonable yield.
Easy plants to start with are tomatoes, summer squashes, cucumber, onions, garlic, beans, peas and lettuce. More then enough to choose from for the first year and the chickens will fight over the 5# zucchini that got missed.

 

[RobertaD1]

To be honest... I would say, jump in and grow what you want! It sounds like your beds will work well, just look up when to move things outside, or when to sow... and see what happens! GOOD LUCK with your new beds!!!!

 

[GravityWaves]

I'd have to say most greens are pretty easy to grow, especially closer to the foundation of a house. Broccoli, cauliflower, leaf lettuce, chard, kale, brussels sprouts, and spinach should get started early and stay productive if you keep picking it. I have a couple rosemary plants in big pots that have been outside all winter (multiple 0F nights) and are still going strong. Here is my "salad bar" that used to be on the north side of my garage that produced all year long.

 

[Acre4Me]

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It would be helpful for you to indicate region/ state you are in. I have lived in E WA, and Ohio - both in zone 6, and lived in zone 6A and 6B in Ohio. Each of these 3 locations has different, even though in Zone 6.

Overall, the EASIEST veg I've grown has been beans, green beans, or ones for drying, all have been easy and grown well. Soybeans included.

Brassicas (cabbage, brussel sprouts, etc) have more problems with bugs, and long grow season usually.

Lettuce can be good, but too hot and they hate it. Too wet and it is very dirty, needing a lot of cleaning.

Cucumbers - I have a lot of cucumber beetles, so many varieties succumb to wilt spread by the beetles, but some hybrid varieties do well.

Squash - takes a lot of room usually, but tends to produce well unless you get a vine borer and then you will have limited to no success. Summer squash, yellow or green varieties, tend to produce quickly and repeatedly.

Carrots take F.O.R.E.V.E.R. So, I plant among the beans and tomatoes so I don't have to watch them not grow. Eventually, the tomatoes produce and around then, I can check the carrots and might have some or need to wait a bit longer, but when cleaning out the bed in the fall will find some still good carrots. Plus they are known to be beneficial.

Peas, Fun and tend to be quick. Usually hate heat, can tolerate some shade. For me, they take up too much room for too little yield, so I would not plant them if I was limited on space.

Tomatoes. Yum, but can get large. So, if limited on space get a "Determinate" variety that is sold as a compact or container-friendly. Cherry types tend to produce a lot. If you want slicing types, then stick with smaller ones to get more in a limited space. We had great luck with "Compari" variety bought at a garden center last year.

Peppers: LOVE sun and heat AND water. Some produce better than others. Bell types for me have been lackluster bc they only produce a few per plant and then they are done (or the season is done for them bc days are shorter and less heat). We tend to grow Italian types, and have pretty good production, but some are better than others. We generally don't grow hot peppers, but those can grow well in pots, too.

Strawberries, you need to put them somewhere you won't disturb them for 3-4 years. First year they are establishing, the second and third years are best production. So, many will buy more strawberry plants year 3 and plant so that they are establishing and not producing that first year while other bed on year 3 is still producing well. Strawberries need to be moved after a few years due to disease usually, and for best production on younger plants.