Category: Southcentral Alaska

It Just Takes Some Mist: Aeroponic Hydroponic Cloning

Honeystick

I normally use a clone dome, rooting hormone, and my trusty sheers in the cloning process with great results. Recently, I was introduced to a method of cloning that has: lowered my day to day maintenance, decreased my total clone time, and lowered the waste when cloning my own plants — this method is called Aeroponics. Aeroponics, when used in cloning, does not require one to add nutrients to water in order to achieve results. When comparing the total time of 14-21 days using my standard method of cloning with Read More …

To Tea or Not to Tea

Grace

To Tea or Not to Tea Why am I talking about tea in a gardening blog? Well… tea and it’s production have been a part of my life from an early age, because I lived in a hippie town near the Celestial Seasonings factory.  Each year around cold season our class would go on a school trip to the factory so that the peppermint room could clear our collective sinuses (and to learn about a successful local business!). Tea was the ultimate panacea: green for energy, chamomile for relaxation, licorice Read More …

Not All Weeds Are the Same

T-roy

By:   Troy Weiss, Alaska Master Gardening Student, UAF On-Line, Fall 2017 Description I enjoy gardening because I get satisfaction in watching things grow after I plant it. However, quite often the weeds grow much faster and thicker than my desired plants. In my garden, some common weeds include: 1) horse tail, 2) chickweed, 3) fireweed, 4) shepherds purse, and 5) pineapple weed. This blog shares research and some management tips associated with common weeds found in my Anchorage garden (Southcentral Alaska). This blog covers the common name, botanical name, Read More …

To Pull or Not To Pull? Is It Native or Invasive?

sebigelow

To Pull Or Not To Pull? Is It Native or Invasive Invasive plants affect all areas of Alaska and need to be addressed by all Alaskans. Learning to identify invasive plants, animal and species can help reduce, if not eliminate, the negative effects such as complete elimination of native species. A great example is the chokecherry trees which are not native to Alaska. These can be found in yards, parks and along roadways demonstrating how aggressive the plant is. Three common species found in the Anchorage area are the Amur Read More …

Weeds can be Wonderful

sboylewade

Introduction: For this post, I wanted to give a different perspective on weeds compared to most other gardeners I hear from. Many of the classic ‘weeds’ that are dubbed lawn and garden pests such as dandelions, clover, and yarrow might not be as bad as some people think, though this is subject to what you are trying to do with your land. We actually let these run rampant in our yard (which I suppose we are lucky to have extra space that we are trying to make wild, less lawn Read More …

Bubbles Escaping The Bottom: The Deep Water Culture Hydroponics Story

Honeystick

Hydroponic gardening is what first interested me in gardening: the idea that one can take the essential ingredients for plant life, and apply them directly to that plant.  A plant needs three basic things to survive: light, water, and nutrients. When using hydroponics you are feeding that plant directly through its roots without soil. There are many types of hydroponics such as Deep Water, Ebb and Flow, and Aeroponics — each one has advantages, and disadvantages of its own, but it comes down to personal preference when choosing a setup. Read More …

Slaying in slug city: Struggles of an Alaskan gardener.

Slugslayer

You have finally found the time to breakaway from everything else and step into your little oasis. Today you’ve allotted 1/2 hour to weed, trim and admire. You bend down to examine a young kale. To your astonishment, it’s covered in holes. Anger starts to boil inside you. You scan the ground around the plant and there’s the culprit, with slime trail in its wake. SLUGS. Gross, disgusting, aggravating to the nth degree, slugs. I’ve spent countless hours walking around my garden with a cup full of bleach, plucking and Read More …

Peony Pride in High Country Southcentral Alaska: One Gardener’s Trials, Tribulations, and Eventual Success

T-roy

By: Troy Weiss, Student at Alaska Master Gardening Class UAF On-Line, Fall 2017 Description When I was planning my garden a few years ago, a more experienced gardening friend suggested I start growing peonies because they are hardy perennials that require little maintenance once established.   I went online to research them, and instantly fell in love. I admired the amazing colors and sizes, and their ability to last as cut flowers. Peony plants can live for 75 to 100 years. They don’t produce flowers until they have matured 2-4 Read More …

Confessions of a Gardener

Grace

As a gardener, I have many things to confess. The ideal image of a person bending over neat rows with gloves, apron, hat and trowel, with that odd tiny rake sitting off to the side ready to be used (does anyone ever actually use that thing?) is not me. Not even close. Confession number 1: Clothes don’t make the gardener.   I am the person who gets out of their car after work to “quickly” go check on a plant that has been on my mind, and is pulled out Read More …