Garden Success in Southcentral Alaska Part 1 of 3
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Article by: Ann Roberts Many gardeners, newly transplanted to Alaska, have despaired of ever growing , A Waste of Packaged Gold more than greens , Vegetable Gardening that bolt to seed , Preliminary Considerations Before Building Your Own Backyard Garden Pond before they're worth picking, seedlings that just sit (waiting for warmer weather), or plants , Tick Bites killed by frost before they can produce. The lesson? Gardening , Getting Rid of Standing Water in Your Yard in Alaska is different from the "lower 49" states. But by learning a few things about those differences, any Southcentral or Kenai Peninsula gardener can find gardening , Landscaping Tips: Japanese Garden Fundamentals success. And many of the lessons learned here can help others who garden , Pine Furniture Care Guide in far northern states, or even Canada. A few challenges gardeners face in this area of Alaska are naturally cool weather, , Lazy Fish Worries cold soil, , Getting Rid of Standing Water in Your Yard and, paradoxically, too much daylight! Fortunately, solutions are close at hand"”a combination of soil , Waterfall Gardens warming techniques and careful variety selection. Cool Weather Little can be done about weather, , Getting Rid of Standing Water in Your Yard though soil , Outdoor Kitchens: Attention All Cooks - You've Never Had It This Good! warming techniques will help a little, and variety selection (covered later) is very important. The Matanuska Valley may have lush lawns , Floral Arrangements because of more rain, but don't think you can skip watering - Anchorage actually only averages a few inches more water , Cactus Grafting: Lophophora Williamsii to Trichocereus Candicans as a Rapid Propagation Technique per season , Adirondack Chairs - The Proper Way to Care for Them than Fairbanks; it is cloud cover that makes the difference. Cloud cover ensures heat , Vegetable Gardening accumulation remains low in Southcentral and many plants , Bonsai Care: What You Need to Know will need greenhouse , Robotic Lawn Mowers Keep Burglars Away protection to mature here. The lower Kenai Peninsula stores up even fewer "heating degree days". Permafrost and Cold , Add Value to Your Home - Landscaping Soil In Southcentral and Southeastern Alaska permafrost (ground that remains frozen all summer) occurs only sporadically, in isolated and often widely separated masses. A boggy or swampy surface may indicate the ground is too frozen to allow drainage. But if the surface insulation (often peat moss) is removed, the permafrost can then melt down to a level that permits good natural , Pruning Trees drainage. Unfortunately, soils , Landscaping Tips: Japanese Garden Fundamentals in Alaska are cold , Creating Cutting Gardens even where there is no permafrost at all! 10 Soil-Warming Tips The most frequent recommendations for soil , Industrial Blowers warming are:
Other home , Fall is the Time to Get Your Garden Trees and Shrubs Ready for Winter: Here's What to Do gardening possibilities are planting in the sunniest spot, using greenhouses , The Garden Gazebo or hot , Vegetable Gardening frames, putting Styrofoam® insulating boards and/or heat , Hillside Landscaping-Proper Watering tapes below the plants' root , Don't Roll that Lawn zone, and utilizing solar , Fertilizing Your Water Lilies... collectors. If possible, water , Teak Patio Furniture with tempered (warmed) water. , Snakes - They're Not as Slithery as Some People I Know! For vegetables , Don't Roll that Lawn not under plastic, , Don't Roll that Lawn sprinkler irrigation is most often recommended for Alaska, as warm air , The Garden Gazebo helps warm sprinkler water. , Vegetable Gardening Avoid sprinkling beans, which are particularly susceptible to soil-born disease , Planting Trees and Shrubs organisms, spread by splattering water , Rose Gardening: , Sun and Shade drops. Ann D Roberts is the author of Alaska Gardening , Outdoor Kitchens: Attention All Cooks - You've Never Had It This Good! Guide Vol 1, covering cold , Adirondack Chairs - The Proper Way to Care for Them weather gardening , Creating Cutting Gardens in Alaska, with specific growing tips , Roman Concrete - How They Did It for vegetables. , Snakes - They're Not as Slithery as Some People I Know! The book, written and published in Alaska, is in its third printing and is already the "definitive and indispensable reference guide to every Alaskan gardener." Readers can check out its table of contents at http://AlaskaGardeningGuide.com. Ann is presently working on Vol 2, covering perennials , Teak Patio Furniture and lawns. , Pine Furniture Care Guide This article may be freely reprinted in its entirety, including this last paragraph. |
  
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