March webinars to offer tips for Alaska gardening

A series of free statewide midday webinars will offer Alaska gardeners tips on a variety of topics this month to get ready for the upcoming growing season. All sessions are free and offer online registration at www.uaf.edu/ces/. For more information about any of the upcoming webinars, interested people can contact Molly Johansson at mjohansson@alaska.edu or 907-786-6313.

The first webinar, Alaska Variety Trials and Selection, is today, March 5. It will address which vegetable varieties are likely to do great each season and which ones have a history of poor productivity.

Glenna Gannon, assistant professor of sustainable food systems at University of Alaska Fairbanks, will talk about the long-term vegetable variety trials research program at UAF’s Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station. Gannon leads the program, which seeks to identify which crops and fruit and vegetable varieties perform best in Alaska's unique growing conditions.

The webinar is from noon to 1 p.m. All registered participants will receive a recording of the presentation.

Next week, Squash Mavens Tell All, is scheduled for March 11, from noon to 1 p.m. Leslie Tose and Elisabeth Holmgren, the Anchorage winter squash mavens, have learned through trial and error how to grow squash with abundance. Join them as they spill the secrets to growing winter squash in this free webinar.

Also next week, Vegetable Seed Starting will be presented on March 12, also from noon to 1 p.m. The webinar will be led by Gannon, who will discuss best practices for seed starting long-season crops that need a head start indoors. The discussion will include an overview of materials, seed-starting media and tips for starting healthy vegetable transplants.

On March 19, from noon to 1 p.m., Soil Sampling and Analysis will be the focus. The webinar will demystify fertilizers and offer advice for selecting the right fertilizers for what you are growing. There will also be discussion of the difference between organic and conventional fertilizers, while teaching the fundamentals of soil science and guiding you toward improved results in this year’s garden.

The March webinars conclude on March 26 with Growing Grains in Your Garden, also from noon to 1 p.m.

You don't have to be a large-scale grain farmer to grow tasty, nutritious crops for you and your family. You can grow hulled barley, wheat, rye, buckwheat, quinoa, dry peas, sunflowers, and more in your backyard garden.

Join Bob Van Veldhuizen and get information on each crop and the necessary growing conditions, including the suitability for successful production in Alaska. Learn about important production methods, such as soil preparation, fertilization harvesting, and processing using typical garden tools and kitchen gadgets.

Van Veldhuizen is a recently retired agronomist from the UAF Alaska Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station. He has 50-plus years of research experience across Alaska, focusing on varietal selections of agronomic crops and cultural practices for successful production of high yields and high-quality final products.

Additional webinars are scheduled for April. Find out more at the Cooperative Extension Service’s calendar, which can be accessed online at https://www.uaf.edu/ces/classes/index.php