Garden Success in Southcentral Alaska Part 1 of 3



Get Landscape and Gardening Info on mps-landscaping-gardening.com. Garden Success in Southcentral Alaska Part 1 of 3 topic will increase your understanding on Landscape and Gardening Info. We at mps-landscaping-gardening.com only provide news, articles, information in Landscape and Gardening Info. Landscape and Gardening Info at mps-landscaping-gardening.com provides the most up to date news and articles. If you have questions please do not hesitate to contact us.

Many gardeners, newly transplanted to Alaska, have despaired of ever growing more than greens that bolt to seed before they’re worth picking, seedlings that just sit (waiting for warmer weather), or plants killed by frost before they can produce. The lesson? Gardening 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 success. And many of the lessons learned here can help others who garden in far northern states, or even Canada.
A few challenges gardeners face in this area of Alaska are naturally cool weather, cold soil, and, paradoxically, too much daylight! Fortunately, solutions are close at hand—a combination of soil warming techniques and careful variety selection.

Cool Weather
Little can be done about weather, though soil warming techniques will help a little, and variety selection (covered later) is very important. The Matanuska Valley may have lush lawns because of more rain, but don’t think you can skip watering – Anchorage actually only averages a few inches more water per season than Fairbanks; it is cloud cover that makes the difference. Cloud cover ensures heat accumulation remains low in Southcentral and many plants will need greenhouse protection to mature here. The lower Kenai Peninsula stores up even fewer “heating degree days”.

Permafrost and Cold 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 drainage. Unfortunately, soils in Alaska are cold even where there is no permafrost at all!

10 Soil-Warming Tips
The most frequent recommendations for soil warming are:

  • raised beds
  • clear plastic
  • lightening heavy soils
(These three will be discussed in more detail in part 2)
Other home gardening possibilities are planting in the sunniest spot, using greenhouses or hot frames, putting Styrofoam® insulating boards and/or heat tapes below the plants’ root zone, and utilizing solar collectors. If possible, water with tempered (warmed) water.
For vegetables not under plastic, sprinkler irrigation is most often recommended for Alaska, as warm air helps warm sprinkler water. Avoid sprinkling beans, which are particularly susceptible to soil-born disease organisms, spread by splattering water drops.



Robert G. Allens Challenge. - 1 New York Times Bestselling Author Needs Your Success Story.
The Dave Way. - Destroy your Golf Slice in a matter of Minutes using this Revolutionary New System! Success Guaranteed. Sports & Recreation.


Article Index: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33

More Articles:


1. Layer Your Plantings By Dean Novosat
Part three in a seriesIn our last article, we helped you layout your new landscape. In this article we’ll explore which plants to put where and what makes an effective landscape.If you think of your landscape as a stage, you can easily imagine the basics of layout. On a stage, you have a nice background or backdrop in the back. The backdrop is usually large and fills your entire view. In front of the backdrop, you have some smaller items that set the scene. These may be small pieces of furn…

2. 5 Simple Steps to Care For Your Push Reel Mower By Jeff Boyd
Though most Push Reel Mowers made today are durable, they do require some basic care and simple maintenance in order to keep them running smoothly. Taking the following steps will ensure you have years of use on your push reel mower. Wipe the blades clean after each use. This helps prevent moisture from the grass from staying on the blades and causing (over time) rust, or dulling the blades. You can use a cloth, brush, or small towel. Periodically oil the moving parts. Do this before your fi…

3. Easy to Grow Roses By Hans Dekker
There are many different types of roses. If you are new to rose gardening, then it is wise to choose varieties of easy to grow roses to begin your rose garden. Some roses require constant attention and caring for while others require none. Roses come in varieties of high maintenance to no maintenance. Most roses, though, do require a certain amount of time to get started and to care for adequately. Minimal care roses that produce maximum results are ideal for beginners or those still somewhat …

4. Bare Root Roses, What To Look For When Buying By David Hallstrom
The first thing to look for is the plant's grade. Nearly all bare root roses sold today are grown in the field and are approximetly two years old. They are sold in three main grades. Grade 1 is the best and most expensive grade. In order to obtain this grade the plants are required to have at least three strong cains, two of which must be at least 18 inches in length for hybrid teas anf grandifloras. The canes should be at least 1/8 inch in diameter.Grade 1 1/2 is the most popular grade due to…