Alaska gardeners, it’s time to start planting for spring
Jeff Lowenfels: Crocuses, daffodils, galanthus and scilla -- in addition to actually planting them, the key thing is to make sure you plant them so that when they bloom, they look good.
Gardening
You can grow great garlic in Alaska – and it’s almost time to start planting
Jeff Lowenfels: It is best to wait, if you can, until just after the first killing frost and then get your bulbs in the ground during the following week or two.
South Anchorage apple orchard opens to the public one day a year
People interested in picking their own fruit Saturday can choose from more than 200 trees of 20 varieties.
Here are the plants you should get ready to pull out of the garden and bring inside
Jeff Lowenfels: Houseplants are the first thing that you should bring in. Now might be time for that, so you don’t risk them getting damaged by the colder nights we are now experiencing.
Fertilizer is a waste of money. For proof, look at nearly any lawn in Anchorage right now.
Jeff Lowenfels: All you really have to do is water, foremost, along with the easy job of leaving grass clippings where they fall and mowing over tree leaves when they drop.
Here’s what a cover crop is and why you should plant one for your garden soon
Jeff Lowenfels: In order to give some benefit, a cover crop needs to be planted so you get at least four weeks of growth before the frost hits.
It’s still summer. Don’t give up on your yard yet.
It's time for new potatoes, berries, trimming back your lawn and - in Anchorage - plastic pot recycling
See these charming purple flowers in your yard? Destroy them immediately.
Jeff Lowenfels: Bird vetch and purple bellflower are two plants vexing readers this month - and serve as perfect examples of how powerful invasive plants can be.
The fireweed is blooming: Here’s what Alaska gardeners need to do next
Jeff Lowenfels: For starters, we should be harvesting.
It seems like cow parsnip is everywhere – but it could be so much worse
Jeff Lowenfels: All those plants you thought were highly poisonous aren't as strong as either yellow or giant cow parsnip.
People on the Peninsula: The peony pioneer
Rita Jo Shoultz started Alaska's first peony farm.
Gardeners, it’s time to get bear aware
Jeff Lowenfels: We have to be careful what we keep in our sheds and outdoor greenhouses. Granulated molasses and fish meals are popular organic fertilizers that are also primo bear attractants.
Here’s what’s eating your currant bushes and ‘spitting’ on your wild roses
Jeff Lowenfels: I got tons of emails about caterpillars stripping the leaves off gooseberries and currants. If you have one of these plants, you have the problem. If not, you are a rare exception.
July is a great time to visit the Alaska Botanical Garden
Himalayan blue poppies, peonies and foxglove are just a few of the flowers in bloom now at the Anchorage garden.
If you have plants outside, you have aphids. Here’s what to do about it.
Jeff Lowenfels: We have aphids and I am sure you do, too. There are a variety of ways to attack the problem - from garlic-based sprays to shop vacs.
Plants starting to look a little crowded? Here’s how to thin them out
Jeff Lowenfels: Thinning is necessary, and it is thankfully easy. Use scissors if possible and simply cut the unwanted plants to ground level. You know how big veggies get, so cut accordingly.
Why I kill forget-me-nots whenever I can — and you should too
Jeff Lowenfels: Everyone lavishes praise on the cute, diminutive blue flowers, but the seasoned gardener knows forget-me-nots present a real danger.
Ladies and gentlemen, start your compost
Jeff Lowenfels: There is no need to apply thick layers of compost. It is the microbiology in it that counts, and putting just ⅛ to ¼ of an inch around your plants will suffice.
Bring your own bucket: How to join Anchorage’s community composting program
Anyone with a 5-gallon bucket can take salad scraps, coffee grounds and grass clippings to drop-off sites in Anchorage and Eagle River. A curbside collection program is also starting.
Your garden chore this week? Do the neighborly thing and tidy up
Jeff Lowenfels: The obvious will only be briefly stated: Pick up debris. We are not Sourdoughs anymore. Get rid of the junk.