Alaska Master Gardener Blog – Page 13 – Where Master Gardeners share their knowledge.

Our First Year Gardening, Mistakes and Accomplishments

October 31, 2017May 2, 2022 srrobinson

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My wife and I purchased our first home in August of 2016 located in Fairbanks, Alaska. The property included 10 acres of land. Most of the land is treed but the backyard area included a cleared space that is large enough for a garden. This was our first opportunity to create our own organic garden. We had an open canvas to create the garden that we dreamed of having for years. The potential was very high, but it didn’t take long for us to realize that building our dream garden Read More …

Farming on the Livingston Homestead in Cold Bay, Alaska

October 29, 2017February 7, 2022 mlivingston2

Farming on the Livingston Homestead in Cold Bay, Alaska In this short article, I recall what it was like to farm on my family’s homestead in Cold Bay on the Alaska Peninsula. The Move to Cold Bay My family moved to Cold Bay on the Alaska Peninsula in 1961. My father served as a machine gunner and radio technician during World War II, and was stationed at Blinn Lake near the town of Cold Bay in the 1950s. He must have liked Cold Bay because after the Army he joined Read More …

The Jensen-Olson Arboretum in Juneau, Alaska – A gift for the senses

October 28, 2017February 7, 2022 Dr. Martha Martinez

The Jensen-Olson Arboretum in Juneau, Alaska A Gift For The Senses It is a gorgeous day in Southeast Alaska and I am heading to The Jensen-Olson Arboretum for some much needed “garden therapy.” I drive on Glacier Highway past mile marker 23 and make a left onto the small parking lot, get out of the car, take a few steps and WHOA!– I am greeted by an explosion of fragrances, textures, flavors, and colors bursting out of 1.5 acres of carefully tended, pure waterfront magic. I stop, breathe in, Read More …

We Grew It! Growing in Greenhouses in the Southeast Island School District

October 24, 2017May 2, 2022 Cody Beus

Southeast Island School District The Southeast Island School District (SISD) covers 7 communities on Prince of Wales Island, Port Alexander on Baranof Island, and Hyder next to the Canadian border. Although large in size the district serves around 160 students in these diverse areas. Within the district we have 4 greenhouses with a 5th on the way to being completed. These sites have gardens, flocks of chickens, and the district maintains an orchard. The school district has worked with many partners to make these facilities possible and were grateful to Read More …

Seed Starting, a review of “The New Seed Starters Handbook” by Nancy Bubel

October 24, 2017February 7, 2022 btaylo13

This 1988 publication is as relevant today as it was 30 years ago. The book is arranged in four sections, Starting Seeds Indoors, Moving Plants Outside, Special Techniques and Situations, and Saving Seeds and Making Further Plans. The last section is an Encyclopedia of Plants to Grow From Seed. The reasons Ms. Bubel gives for starting seeds indoors are earlier harvest, greater variety, stronger seedlings (if you do it right), healthier seedlings, cost saving, and to me the two most important: satisfaction and enjoyment. For Alaskan gardeners starting plants indoors Read More …

Spice Up Your Garden with Nasturtiums

October 24, 2017February 7, 2022 Boreal Bioscapes

If you are looking for a striking annual that flourishes in Alaska and doubles as a culinary delight, you may consider giving nasturtiums a try. By following a few simple tips, these flowers are a fun and easy addition to containers and garden beds, and are a hit with adults and children alike. Nasturtiums (genus Tropaeolum), have lush foliage, vibrant flowers, a pleasant fragrance, and are attractive to garden pollinators. However, it is their flavor that really makes them stand out in the crowded world of Alaskan annuals. In fact, Read More …

Lemon Grass: Superhero Among Herbs

October 24, 2017February 7, 2022 jjariail

When I worked in garden centers down South there was one particular herb that was always in demand: lemongrass. I turned away customers on a regular basis because my vendors couldn’t grow enough to meet the demand. It’s such an easy, versatile plant that has many uses: culinary, medicinal and aesthetic. Then I moved to Juneau. I was perusing my weekly availability sheet and was thrilled to find the elusive lemongrass! I ordered 2 flats of it. And it sat in the greenhouse all season. I couldn’t understand why they Read More …

Seeds and Sprouts Lesson Plan K-3

October 24, 2017February 7, 2022 btaylo13

Seeds and Sprouts Lesson Plan Sprouts are an easy to grow food source that is an inexpensive and simple way to provide fresh greens and their nutrients in the winter months or all year round. Growing sprouts can also be used to help students understand how plants are propagated from seeds, the structure of plants and seeds, and the diversity of flavors in different plant parts. Subject Areas: Science/Health Grade Level: K-3rd Season: All Season/Seeds Time Required: One day without growing sprouts One week with growing sprouts Materials: For each Read More …

Book Review: “The One-Straw Revolution: An Introduction to Natural Farming” by Masanobu Fukuoka

October 23, 2017February 7, 2022 cngriffin

“The ultimate goal of farming is not the growing of crops, but the cultivation and perfection of human beings.” — Masanobu Fukuoka As a 15-year old I moved from rural New Hampshire to suburban south Florida. I quickly grew disenchanted with the artificial environment and found a paradigm for understanding the modern disconnection of humans from nature in Daniel Quinn’s “Ishmael.” Upon graduation, books including “The Unsettling of America” by Wendell Berry and “The Good Life” by Helen and Scott Nearing inspired me to apprentice as a luthier on an Read More …