There are several vegetables that can be planted outside even now in the high desert (USDA Zones 6 and below and above 5,000 feet)
No, it’s not too early to start a vegetable garden. Yes, it’s too early to put out tomatoes (for most areas of the high desert).
Asparagus
However, you can put out asparagus crowns now. Plant them in six-inch furrows, and backfill the furrows with soil as the plants grow. Before the asparagus spears appear, work a little nitrogen into the soil.
Seeds you can plant outside now:
If your soil is not overwet, you can plant lettuce, chard, kale, beets, onions, turnips, radish, carrots, kale and peas. As they begin to sprout, thin them out.
For lettuce, plant a number of different varieties. When they have grown about three inches tall, cut the tops off about ½ inch from the top of the soil. Use the tender tops of the different varieties to make some wonderful early spring salads. Let the plants grow back to three inches and then cut them again. You should get two, maybe three harvests out of these lettuce plants.
Seedlings you can plant outside now:
You can plant broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, rhubarb, and strawberries.
Starting seeds inside
You can start tomatoes, marigolds, petunias, basil and other herbs inside now and be prepared to bring outside after the last frost date.
