I think it is safe for me to discuss the weather. You know my record and thus my hesitancy. However, a quick glimpse at the 10-day forecast sure suggests that spring is, indeed, here for the duration. Oh, sure, we are likely to have one big snow dump when we least expect it (this is Alaska, right?) and night temperatures are still dipping below freezing, but there is little question in my mind that we will see tulips and daffodils before the norm of April 15.
Compaction is the biggest enemy facing your lawn right now. Of course you need to walk around, but there is a limited window when things get really wet in lawns as the Big Thaw hits. When things get soggy and soft on the lawn, it is really important to limit your time wandering around and surely those soccer and touch football games need to wait until things thaw out just a bit more.
You know my rule: no thatching until the entire lawn greens out and you can make an intelligent decision as to whether it needs it. However, once the ground temp feels like it does all summer, by all means pick up the bigger tree limbs and all the paper and cardboard and plastic that has blown around the state during the winter. The idea is to make the yard safe for a "mulch mowing" of winter debris. All that stuff that fell off trees and shrubs is supposed to decay under them and thus feed the plants from whence they came. You can run them over with your mower and speed things up (but only once the lawn thaws out). Leave the resultant mulch in place.
If you feel the need to rake any of this winter debris up, make sure to keep it either for mulching later in the season or for your compost pile. This is what composters call "brown" stuff and as such it is hard to come by when there are not leaves on the ground. It is valuable. Keep it.
The next question is what to do about the mulch on perennial beds. It is there to keep temperatures even during the winter and later on it will help keep weeds in check around your plants. Because we have such a short growing season, usually we need to remove mulch in the spring so that the soil can warm up quicker. Given the lack of snow cover, I am not sure this chore has to be done this year; however, just to be safe, sometime in the next couple of weeks gently pull the mulch off of perennial beds. Keep it and reapply it after we have had a week of frost-free nights.
I mentioned boxing your rhubarb plants a few weeks back. That may have been too early. Now is not. Speed up growth by covering your plants with a box or bucket. This will act as a greenhouse.
Speaking of greenhouses, it is time to clean up your outdoor one. You probably can start using it in a couple of weeks. A big question I get is what to do to prevent last year's white flies from returning. The answer is simple: Make sure you don't have any on current plants. Neither white flies nor their eggs winter over outdoors when there is frost.
Bird feeders need to come down so you don't attract waking bears. And, take it from one who knows, put birdseed way. Do not leave it in a shed or garage unless it is very well contained. It is a good idea to sterilize your feeders with chloral or run the plastic ones through the dishwasher.
Finally, check out the offerings from our Cooperative Extension Service. I just got a copy of the new "An Alaska Herb Garden" and am about to get "Using Alaska's Wild Berries and Other Wild Edibles." These and over 300 publications are listed in the 2014 catalog and can be found at www.uaf.edu/ces/pubs/catalog. They cover all aspects of gardening in Alaska and most are free. Do take a look and order some. This is our government at its best, producing something useful.
Jeffs Garden Calendar
Must-attend events: Alaska Botanical Garden's ninth annual Spring Garden Conference, Friday, April 10-Saturday, April 11. This year lunch and a reception are included in the ticket price. Register by calling 907-770-3692, ext. 0, or visiting www.alaskabg.org/events. Lots of fabulous how-to garden talks, too.
Vegetables to start from seed: Broccoli, cauliflower, kale, cabbage, head lettuce, pepper, Brussels sprouts and tomatoes
Flowers to start from seed: Cannabis, cosmos, snaps, ageratum, seed dahlias, godetia, aster, celosia, malva, salvia, lupine, achimenes (tubers), brachyscome (15C), dianthus (5), stock (10L), lockspar (20C). (These numbers represent the days to germinate. C means grow cool and L means seeds need light.)
Herbs to start from seed: Sorrel, parsley
All stored plants: Should be out of storage and starting to grow. Pinch back to shape and cause branching.
Tuberous begonias: Use the best compost or humus you have, rich in organics. Press the tuber -- concave side up -- into the soil, keeping the hollow part free of any soil and water. Keep the underlying soil slightly moist.
Dahlias: Expose last year's tubers to light so eyes develop before dividing and replanting.