Make sure you know what you grow

Next week there will finally be enough daylight to start seeds indoors without the use of extra lights. You will have almost two months to start something indoors. By the way, enough daylight doesn't mean you should put away the supplemental lights if you have them. Their continued use will really increase the strength of your plants.

Tomatoes are high on the list of many Alaska gardeners, those lucky enough to have outdoor greenhouses or enough indoor space to grow them. I am a big believer in open pollinated varieties, which come true to seed every year unlike hybrid seed. However, hybrids are bred to be disease resistant. If you have had wilts, mosaic virus, molds, mildews or other disease related problems with tomatoes in the past, stick with hybrids or try just one or two open- pollinated types.

When you buy tomato seed, you must pay attention to how long it will take a variety to fruit. The picture won't tell you, it is on the label somewhere. Go for the 50-100 day varieties, as we don't have much time. Make sure you understand the difference between determinate (grows into a set sized plant with one flowering period) and indeterminate (keep growing and branching with several flowering periods) varieties.

Next, good gardeners know the varietal names of their plants because they label their plants. It is important to know what you are growing. How are you going to grow it again if you don't know its varietal name? How are you going to enter the Alaska State Fair? Do yourself a favor and invest in a box of blank plant labels. You will use them all over time and they are very necessary. Get the kind you write on with pencil. Never give away a plant that isn't properly labeled.

On the planting front, it is time to start up those dahlia tubers. These easily develop into big plants with showy displays of flowers. You will need big pots, six inches in diameter are best, lots of good compost and lots of space. If you divide last year's clumps for tubers, each new tuber needs to have a bit of the stem still attached. This is called the neck, where the "eyes," or this year's plant, emerges. If you are unsure what this means, go to a nursery and see what is for sale. If you don't have tubers, buy some now. There are a zillion different flower shapes and colors. Each will develop into a plant that will produce a dozen new tubers in the fall.

Plant one tuber per pot down into the soil so the neck is just a quarter inch below the surface. Everything you need is in the tuber (except for the label). Just add a bit of water and stand back. Keep the soil just slightly moist.

Tuberous begonias are one of those "do better here than anywhere" plants. Start them in the next few weeks. If you are buying new tubers, there are all sorts of varieties with different flower forms (just like dahlias). Some hang, others are upright. They also grow into various sizes. Do your shopping carefully, but don't wait too long, they go fast. Do label your new friends.

There are two tricks to starting tuberous begonias. The first is to make sure the hollow side faces up. This is where the new growth will appear. Roots come from the other side. The second is not to get soil or water into the hollow. Make sure the tuber is pressed into rich compost only deep enough so the tuber's edges are covered, but no soil falls into the hollow (which is facing up). Water from the bottom, but don't over do it. Everything the begonia needs to start is in the tuber and you don't want it to rot.

Celery and leeks are on the "time to plant" list for vegetables. They are slow growers and if you want any results, you really do have to start them now. They need to be constantly monitored so their soil doesn't dry out. Leeks do best transplanted into deep holes that are then slowly filled in. The celery needs to be wrapped in midseason to cut back on the chlorophyll. But, while they take some extra care, nothing compares to the taste of fresh homegrown celery or leeks.

Jeff Lowenfels is a member of the Garden Writers Hall of Fame. You can reach him at teamingwithmicrobes.com or by calling 274-5297 during "The Garden Party" radio show from 10 a.m. to noon Saturdays on KBYR AM-700.