What can I grow in Bonners Ferry (vegetables & Fruit)??? (buy, university)

[gardengirl28]

Hi, We are thinking about moving to Bonners Ferry. Right now we live in Canada, and have about a 90 day growing season. I'm wondering what the growing season is like in Bonners Ferry. Can you grow tomatoes, peppers and squashes without the use of a greenhouse? Can you grow corn, or melons? what about fruit trees? How about "year-round' greenhouse gardening for cold crops? Any information specific to the area would be greatly appreciated.

[lovecda]

Bonners Ferry actually has a surprisingly "long" growing season. According to the University of Idaho, it's zone 4 with an average of 128 frost-free days, due to its relatively low elevation. Farmer's Almanac gives a good idea of zone 4 plants. The caveat being that as soon as you gain a little elevation, you're getting fewer frost-free days.

I'd say tomatoes and peppers will be pretty safe, especially if you're prepared to cover them at night to extend your growing season a bit. Corn might be a bit of a stretch IMHO. It's probably best to choose a corn with a pretty short growing season. Greenhouse gardening is very possible and obviously helps extend the growing season. However, you need to make sure that if you use a greenhouse it has the structural integrity to hold the weight of snow. Bonners Ferry sees roughly two feet of snow per season, so in a given year you're not likely to see enough to affect most structures you might use, but there is always the year where you end up with two feet of snow all at once, or worse several inches of ice from the odd ice storm. Nonetheless, moving from an area with a 90 day growing season to an area with about a month longer season, it will seem like gardening paradise in comparison.

[chevpu1967]

Originally Posted by lovecda

Bonners Ferry actually has a surprisingly "long" growing season. According to the University of Idaho, it's zone 4 with an average of 128 frost-free days, due to its relatively low elevation. Farmer's Almanac gives a good idea of zone 4 plants. The caveat being that as soon as you gain a little elevation, you're getting fewer frost-free days.

I'd say tomatoes and peppers will be pretty safe, especially if you're prepared to cover them at night to extend your growing season a bit. Corn might be a bit of a stretch IMHO. It's probably best to choose a corn with a pretty short growing season. Greenhouse gardening is very possible and obviously helps extend the growing season. However, you need to make sure that if you use a greenhouse it has the structural integrity to hold the weight of snow. Bonners Ferry sees roughly two feet of snow per season, so in a given year you're not likely to see enough to affect most structures you might use, but there is always the year where you end up with two feet of snow all at once, or worse several inches of ice from the odd ice storm. Nonetheless, moving from an area with a 90 day growing season to an area with about a month longer season, it will seem like gardening paradise in comparison.

Awesome!

[gardengirl28]

Thanks for sharing that information. It is hard to find out much online since most websites just say that Idaho is full of microclimates and conditions vary widely. I suppose that probably is the case for the Bonners Ferry area also, but it sounds like I could be happy gardening there!! Where we live now, if I get tomatoes from the greenhouse already started, I can ripen only the cherry tomatoes, and the plants only bear for a month before we get a killing frost. I would love to have a longer growing season!! And I would love to experiment with some of those more warm season crops. Can anyone give me information about fruit trees also?

[JessicaLynnn]

I have an apple tree that produces so many apples I have to make every apple recipie I have and still have enough to give away. I know a lady who has a plum tree...she does about the same as I do because she gets so many plums she cant use them all and we trade each other. Also there are lots of cherry trees in the area, and I think pear trees do ok in this climate as well. I enjoy growing a garden in the summer months - I grow tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, pumpkins, chives, peas, raspberries, rhubarb, strawberries and a few different herbs. Im going to try growing honeydew melons this year too. I just planted seeds and am keeping them inside for now to get them started.

[gardengirl28]

One other thing we are wondering about is how bad mosquitoes are in Bonners Ferry. My husband can't stand them.

[brokencrayola]

How bad the mosquitos are depends on the year and the area you live in. Some years are worse than other. Also, if you live near water, especially standing water or a swampy area there will be a lot more.

[flatlander dave]

growing season varies in bonners ferry area. In town is much longer than just south a couple miles. I live about 12 miles south and our growing season is 2-4 weeks shorter than city limits. Are you talking right in town?

[Thomas Travel]

Hello Guys, I am a Floridian that drove a truck around the country for 7 years and I recently had to go to Bonners Ferry for the first time and it just too my breath away..... I just would like to know if I could buy a piece of land here for cheap? I would rather build a small cabin rather than buy a home.

[flatlander dave]

land is about 5-6K per acre when bought in 5 - 10 acre tracts. Larger tracts may be in the 3-5 k per acre. make sure land has water and can have septic. lots of areas with granite and no septic allowed.