Rest assured, it is completely possible to have a vegetable garden in the north of France ! This area benefits from a favorable climate for crops, and even if it is a little cooler than in the south, the temperatures are mild enough to benefit the vegetables and at least the plants do not die of thirst. … Admittedly, as we are going to see, some vegetables have a little trouble growing there, but there are so many species adapted to this beautiful region that we have enough to take advantage of the good ones all year round. produce from the vegetable garden and meet the needs of his family.
Spinach
Some home gardeners in northern France are tearing their hair out when they find that their efforts to grow spinach aren’t paying off as much as they had hoped. This hazard may be due to a poorly drained soil in which the roots are suffocated by excess water. Yet spinach loves and needs a fresh ground, but no more. In addition, this leafy vegetable is quite chilly, which requires protecting it from the cold by all the means at hand. On the other hand, as excessive heat promotes the bolting of spinach, they are not very exposed to this risk in the northern regions of our country, which is a good thing.
After a few chaotic attempts, everyone should succeed in growing spinach in our most northern regions because we learn a lot from our mistakes.
Eggplant
Eggplant is one of the vegetables whose cultivation in the north of France proves delicate for many gardeners. This vegetable of the sun needs light but also heat to reach its peak because of its tropical origins. One gives up cultivating it if the establishment of its ground and the nature of its soil do not make it possible to meet the fundamental needs of the aubergine.
The pepper
Just like eggplant, pepper is not the vegetable best suited to the northern regions of France since the number of days of jellies is more important there than in the south and on the contrary the days ofsunshine there are far fewer of them, despite global warming. To grow peppers in the north, like all the other vegetables for the sun, it is necessary that the vegetable garden be well exposed because they need heat and a brightness important.
the tomato
Well known for needing sun and heat, tomatoes struggle to grow in the north if certain precautions are not taken. There are indeed solutions for, despite everything, grow tomatoes outdoors in this region, which ultimately comes down to common sense.
Installing them sheltered from cold winds gives better results. It is recommended to plant tomatoes not far from a wall about 1.80 to 2 m high. Over the hours of sunshine, it stores heat and this is gradually restored to the tomato plants, especially during the night. By positioning piles of stones all around the tomatoes, the results are optimized since not only does the area benefit from better heat but the soil retains a sufficient level of humidity. Of course, like everywhere else the use of tomato cages is essential for so-called indeterminate species, that is to say whose growth is endless.
Fennel
Fennel is more difficult to grow in the north of our country because in the spring, the floor is not warm enough by the sun which sometimes struggles to show itself, which slows down the growth of the plants. Despite everything, fennel flowers there early since this phenomenon is linked to the length of the day, and in this geographical area, the nights get shorter very early. But the fennel, although already flowering, still lacks vigor and yet sometimes has to face a few (very) late frosts.
To successfully cultivate fennel in the north of France, it is therefore recommended to stagger its sowing or planting at the beginning of autumn since the soil is very warm and sufficiently fertile.
North of France: many vegetables can be grown here
No need to do too much to be proud of the vigor of your vegetable plants in a garden in the north of France because everything contributes to producing multiple speciesand there are also a number of forgotten vegetables. The plantations benefit from market garden soil, rich in silt and therefore quite light because it contains little clay. The northern gardener therefore has something to make his counterparts in other regions jealous.
In autumn the rains are certainly a little more frequent than elsewhere, but that does not prevent gardeners in the North from growing vegetables in all seasons. They know binary whenever necessary to break the crust that forms on the surface and prevent rainwater runoff. They also understood that we must to water in rain so as not to harden the soil of the vegetable garden but on the contrary that the water can infiltrate it easily, and that it is necessary to adding compost or manure to fertilize their loamy soil, which tends to become poorer over time. They also know how to choose the best exposure for their vegetable garden so that it can benefit from sufficient light and use dark rather than light mulches.
sides temperaturesthey are ideal for many plant species, neither too hot nor too cold, the climate of northern France being temperate. There are generally no long periods of frost, moreover it remains moderate and is infrequent. In summer, the temperatures are high enough to be very pleasant but never suffocating.
We really wonder why this region has the bad reputation of being difficult to cultivate! And those who still persist in believing it must know that in this ground that breathes many vegetables can easily be grown, including old varieties that are not so easy to produce elsewhere. here are some examples of plantations which it would be a shame to miss.
- Colmar carrots, very large carrots with a red heart,
- Potatoes,
- pumpkins,
- Leeks,
- Artichokes,
- Jerusalem artichokes,
- salsify,
- parsnip,
- The rutabaga,
- Watercress,
- root parsley,
- The crosne of Japan,
- The lettuce,
- The endives,
- chicory,
- lamb’s lettuce,
- Asparagus,
- The Purple Queen bean (purple),
- shelled beans,
- Lille lettuce, an old headed variety,
- Cabbage (Milan, Brussels, but also cauliflower and many others),
- The beets,
- Garlic,
- Onion,
- shallot,
- sorrel,
- flat-leaf parsley,
- curly parsley,
- Chervil,
- Chives,
- Thyme,
- The rhubarb…
This list is not exhaustive of course. All the vegetables that particularly appreciate the temperate oceanic climate of northern France can be grown in this region. The gardener must be vigilant, in particular to prevent his seedlings or very young plants from suffering from the last spring frosts, which are sometimes very late. He needs shift your calendar 15 to 20 days, choose the best exposure possible and protect your crops from strong cold winds so that they benefit from enough heat to develop, flower and then bear fruit in abundance. Finally, soil drainage is just as important because it avoids problems related to excess water such as rotting and cryptogamic diseases…
Let’s twist our necks first ! The north of France is a geographical area where the vegetable gardens are beautiful and well stocked. They have look great with their many vegetables and aromatic plants. You just have to select the species and varieties well so that your northern vegetable garden does not have to blush when faced with a garden in the south of France.