Locals learn about gardening in Alaska

PALMER — Valley residents had the opportunity to learn various techniques specific to growing in the Last Frontier during the Fundamentals of Alaska Gardening class held at the UAF Matanuska Experiment Farm and Extension Center Wednesday, April 24.

UAF Cooperative Extension Service Agriculture, Horticulture, and Natural Resources Agent Stephen Brown led the gardening class, offering various insights into the various aspects of successfully growing plants in Alaska.

The class covered a wide range of topics such as keeping plants warm, testing soil, and how to position columns for optimum sunlight.

According to Brown, Alaska's summer conditions with constant daylight offer a unique opportunity for gardeners.

“It's awesome. We have a very short season but it's a very intense season," Brown said.

Not all crops flourish in Alaska. Brown recommends starting with vegetables like potatoes, broccoli, spinach, and kale. He said potatoes are one of the easiest crops to grow in Alaska because they thrive off the acidic soil.

Gardeners attempting to grow tomatoes typically have more success with greenhouses since they do better with consistent warmth. Brown said that greenhouses are useful tools but they should be utilized after a gardener gains more experience.

“We encourage people to not start out with a greenhouse because A greenhouse adds a whole new level of complexity,” Brown said.

Brown said that anyone interested in starting a garden should plan it out first. He said that planning ahead will help people maximize their success rates while saving time, money, and energy.

“Planning your garden is like eating before you go grocery shopping,” Brown said.

Brown recommended planting columns in a north-to-west direction to get the most sunlight. He also suggested adding windbreaks to help plants stay warm throughout the day while protecting them from the wind.

“Gardening in Alaska is about eking out 2 or 3 more degrees in temperature," Brown said.

Brown said most gardeners don't test their soil but they can have so much more success if they do because they can learn what specific things need to be adjusted such as the pH level.

“The number one thing is to get their soil tested,” Brown said.

Those interested in testing their soil can send samples to various laboratories across the U.S. Brown said that Alaskan soil can't be sent to just any lab. He said Alaskan soil needs to be sent to a lab that is set up to test acidic soil.

Those who participated in the class walked away with free handouts such as a publication about soil testing that included three recommended laboratories to test Alaskan soil with varying prices ranging from $20 to $35.

The three recommended labs are SoilTest Farm Consultants (based out of Moses Lake, Washington), A&L Eastern Agricultural Laboratories (based out of Richmond, Virginia), and Brookside Laboratories Inc. (based out of New Bremen, Ohio). He said he and other Extension Center staff can interpret the test results to offer recommendations to gardeners at no charge.

Brown noted that locals used to be able to take their soil to the Extension Center for testing but the laboratory was destroyed during the 2018 earthquake.

“I never saw so much broken glass in all my life,” Brown said, “They estimated it to be about 27 million dollars to replace it. So, with the budget the way it is, that’s not going to happen any time soon.”

Many Alaskan gardeners eagerly await the chance to start the growing season. Brown urges people to wait for the ground to warm up and dry out before starting to plant outside. He said there's an easy way to find out if the ground is ready: simply pick up a mound of soil and squish it in your hand and if it crumbles, that means it's ready.

“Your soil has got to be dry enough to garden,” Brown said.

Brown’s class took place just a few days after Earth Day, the largest environmental movement in the world that promotes education and raises awareness about environmental protection. After a moment to reflect, he said that people can apply some of the principles of Earth Day by living more naturally by growing their own food.

“So few people know where their food comes from… I think the biggest thing would be for people to start their own gardening,” Brown said.

According to Brown, home gardeners can save up to $500 a year. He said that home gardening is also a great way to stock up on emergency food supplies with easily storable crops like carrots and potatoes.

The Fundamentals of Alaska Gardening was an opportunity for both budding and seasoned gardeners to learn things they could apply to their growing efforts.

Longtime gardener and Alaska State Fair ribbon winner Susan Swanner said that she was glad that she participated in the class. She said the emphasis on soil testing is what stood out to her the most. She said that she's glad there are classes like these available to community members.

“I think it's great,” Swanner said. “You're never done learning.”

Brown encourages anyone seeking any kind of assistance in their gardening endeavors to contact him for advice.

“We’re here to help,” Brown said.

For more information about the UAF Matanuska Experiment Farm and Extension Center such as resources for gardening in Alaska, visit uaf.edu/afes/places/palmer.

Brown can be reached at 907-745-3639 or scbrown4@alaska.edu.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman reporter Jacob Mann at jacob.mann@frontiersman.com