Anchorage Daily News

Nothing like a few nights in the 30s to get the gardener's attention. This really is the last call to action before the long, big freeze. Simply put, take care of those faucets, get the mulches down and put away those hoses. Oh, and don't forget to get those potatoes, carrots and brussels sprouts!

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Sure, it could get warm again. Don't get me wrong, I would be all for that. However, even if we miraculously had balmy, winter temperatures of 65 degrees, the Alaska gardener's dilemma -- from the end of this month through February -- is the lack of daylight.

OK, I am trying to sneak into my annual sermon on the need for all Alaska households to have at least one set of supplemental lights for growing plants. This is the one where I express wonderment as to why we spend $40 million on "temporary" plants we can only enjoy for three months and then shift our hobby into neutral for the next nine months.

I know some of you still grow plants in the winter, but most of us limit gardening in the winter to watering a few house plants, playing around with a couple of amaryllises and trying to keep an ungrateful poinsettia in bracts for as long as possible.

That isn't really gardening, though, is it? Gardening requires light. So, to the point: set up some sort of light system so you can garden for the next nine months. It will pay for itself when it comes around to starting seeds for next summer, but equally worthwhile, it will put the gardening pep back in your step.

This does not have to be an expensive proposition. The idea these days is to be as efficient and use as little electricity as possible.

There is no need for overkill with large, metal halide and HPS bulbs used by commercial greenhouses. There are three types of systems to consider, in my humble opinion.

The easiest way to add light is the simple shop florescent fixture. Two bulbs are necessary if you want to grow more than a couple of plants and if you don't want to buy an expensive "plant light" spectrum bulb, one warm white and one cool white bulb will do just fine. If you have room for a larger fixture, one that holds four or even eight bulbs, so much the better. All you need to do is plug in your set up and start gardening.

Next on the list is a system that uses the thinner fluorescent bulbs known as T-5s, which are about the diameter of a pencil. T-5s are extremely popular in hydroponic gardening because of their efficiency and thin, good-looking fixtures. No more clunky, heavy, white metal boxes hung with chains. Because of their diminutive size, you can put them up in some interesting places -- such as under a book shelf, in a chimney or inside a cupboard. They can also be placed vertically.

New this year are what I call "NASA lights," because they were developed for NASA to grow plants in space (I like the idea of getting back some of my tax dollars in useable ideas and here is one).

These are arrays of small, light emitting diodes (LEDs), similar to those that are used at stoplights. The advantage is they are extremely efficient (they last 50,000 hours) and don't emit heat.

Sunshine Systems (www.sunshine-systems.com) sent me a 1-foot square array to try out. I am extremely impressed. Plants do incredibly well under it. There is no heat at all. The 1-foot square provides enough light, easy, for a 3-foot by 3-foot area of bright light and 5- or 6-foot square for house plants.

One other thing has me excited about these LEDs. In addition to the square arrays you might use for growing vegetables or a table of orchids, African violets or cacti, these LEDs also come in arrays that fit into any Edison-type electric bulb socket. This means you can grow plants in areas by just using lamps or even ceiling bulb sockets.

In any case, whether you use old-fashioned fluorescent technology or the brand new wave of the future that I think LEDs will be, it doesn't matter. You need to have lights to grow plants in Alaska for nine months of the year. Get some and put them up now.

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.

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