What have you successfully grown in zone 6?!

[Acre4Me]

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.

I was reading this and could totally relate - then saw you are in my region - high/heavy clay Ohio.

 

[RobertaD1]

I was reading this and could totally relate - then saw you are in my region - high/heavy clay Ohio.

YEP.... Swear I could throw pottery with this clay......
My lavender even struggles

 

[Chris2018]

I'm in zone 6 (N.E. Ohio) I have a 50' x 100' garden that is No Till, Raised Beds and Organic with a "Super Soil" mix as my growing media. There's not much I cant grow here.

 

[Ridgerunner]

title says it all, looking for ideas...

I find that those growing zones apply to fruit trees more than veggies. Growing zones are more to do with winter temperatures that have nothing to do with veggies grown in the summer. If you are planting fruit trees they are beneficial.

If you are in the US I suggest you call your county extension office and chat with them or look at their site online. Most state extension services have things like planting calendars that tell you when to plant certain things in your area. That not only tells you what will grow there but when to plant them. The state extension service will often have recommendations on varieties of the veggies that grow in different documents. You can often get good info for your state online but your county office can often give you better local knowledge.

All gardening is extremely local with our microclimates and different soils conditions. The more local knowledge you can tap into the better. Typically your local extension office is the best you can do. Your local master gardeners can be a good resource too.

Good luck and have fun growing.

 

[Acre4Me]

YEP.... Swear I could throw pottery with this clay......
My lavender even struggles

Previous owners put in a few raised beds. They found the soil with the highest clay content I think. Huge clods of clay. Lots of time spent breaking it up, and adding amendments that would help. Pretty sure I found enough clods of pure clay to open up a pottery studio.

much better now.

 

[RobertaD1]

Previous owners put in a few raised beds. They found the soil with the highest clay content I think. Huge clods of clay. Lots of time spent breaking it up, and adding amendments that would help. Pretty sure I found enough clods of pure clay to open up a pottery studio.

much better now.

Have been working on flower beds for about 7 years.... it does get better, but it does wear a body out!

 

[HillGuy]

I'm in zone 6, NJ. I have grown lettuce, cabbage, chard, kale, broccoli, carrots, parsnips, peas, beets, Brussels sprouts, tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, onions, garlic, potatoes, sweet potatoes, cowpeas, beans & have an asparagus patch. Tried okra, but the season of hot weather is too short for a decent yeild.