Easy Vegetables for an Orphanage Garden in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Friends in Ulaanbaatar (UB), Mongolia run an orphanage/feeding center. Asks easiest vegetables to grow there.

Climate Context

• Short growing season (~90‑100 frost‑free days).
• Cool nights even in summer.
• Intense sun, low humidity.
• Soil often poor, alkaline.

Top Recommendations (Cold‑Tolerant, Fast, Nutrient‑Dense)

1. Potatoes – reliable, calorie‑dense, store well. Plant early.
2. Carrots – 'Nantes', 'Chantenay'. Sweet in cool soil.
3. Beets – roots + greens. 'Detroit Dark Red'.
4. Cabbage – 'Golden Acre' (early). Stores months.
5. Kale – 'Winterbor', 'Dwarf Blue Curled'. Frost‑sweetened.
6. Radishes – 25‑30 days. Succession plant.
7. Spinach – 'Bloomsdale', 'Tyee'. Bolt‑resistant.
8. Peas – 'Sugar Snap', 'Green Arrow'. Fix nitrogen.
9. Turnips – 'Hakurei' (salad), 'Purple Top' (storage).
10. Onions/Leeks – from sets/transplants. Long storage.

Warm‑Season (If Season Allows)

• Bush beans, zucchini, tomatoes (short‑season: 'Siberia', 'Sub Arctic Plenty').

Soil Building

• Compost everything: kitchen scraps, manure, crop residue.
• Green manure (rye, vetch) over winter.
• Wood ash (local) for potassium + pH balance.

Focus on cold‑hardy, storable, nutrient‑dense crops for maximum food security.