Buckets of water and fleece blankets can slow the freeze-and-frost process
Gardentalk
Gardentalk – Preparing your ornamentals for winter hibernation, safe from Juneau’s cold
Ornamental plants like petunias, begonias, dahlias and fuchsias won’t survive even a mild Southeast Alaska winter outdoors. We need to bring them into a space that won’t freeze.
Gardentalk – How to stop a fungus invasion and why your veggies might be turning yellow
Wilting and yellowing vegetation must be trimmed off fast — before they succumb to slugs and fungus.
Gardentalk – Pick those apples and turn them into pie, jelly and applesauce
While picking apples, check the tree’s interior growth to make sure that future apples on the north side of the tree will get enough sunlight to ripen.
Gardentalk – How to top tomatoes and get the most out of hardy, cold-tolerant greens
You can plant lettuce, mustard greens, spinach, kale and radishes right now. They will either be ready for a fall harvest or will tolerate the winter’s cooler conditions and have a head start next spring.
Gardentalk – Planning ahead for a springtime splash of color
Tulips, crocus, daffodils, snowdrops and alliums bloom with different colors, heights and sometimes at different times of the season.
Gardentalk – Should you plant mystery seeds? Should you squish woolly bear caterpillars?
Call the Alaska Division of Agriculture in Palmer if you get a mysterious seed packet from overseas.
Gardentalk – Collecting and planting your own flower and vegetable seeds
Master Gardener Ed Buyarski collects seeds from kale, radish, parsnips and spinach in his garden. He’s also tried growing shooting stars, wild columbine and chocolate lily flowers from collected seeds. But timing is key.
Gardentalk – How to thin out apples and veggies, and when to pick peonies
Get rid of some apples now to get bigger and better tasting ones at the end of the season.
Gardentalk – Time to harvest garlic, but watch out for mold
Plants with moldy garlic stems or skins should be cleaned and processed separately.