Gardening Tips

 

Walk around & see how others garden:

 Raised beds

  • improve drainage
  • prevent soil compaction by diverting foot traffic
  • warm the soil

Enclose the soil with boards or rocks, or just mound it up. Much more here.

Modified Microclimate 

To grow plants that require warmer conditions and/or drier soil, cover a portion of your plot with clear visqueen supported by a framework to form a tunnel. Monitor these mini-greenhouses to ensure adequate ventilation and irrigation, and to avoid cooking your plants.  Learn more here.

 

Soil Amendments 

Consider adding sand and aged brewery grain to heavy clay soil; the grain improves texture and adds some nutrients, but should not be considered fertilizer. Aged manure is better, and compost is excellent.  Newer brewery grain is high in nutrients, but should be used sparingly, because it can burn tender, new plants.  Our frequent rainfall leaches out nutrients, especially through the fall and winter, so organic matter should be added each year. Garden soil tends to be acidic; you may need to add lime each year (except where growing potatoes, which like the acid).  Find amendment piles here.

 

Block Out Weeds 

Cover your mounded soil with a layer of black visqueen and cut an X-shaped hole just big enough for your plant. This eliminates a lot of weeding and tends to raise the soil temperature.

 

Block Out Critters 

Fabric row covers eliminate many insect pests (e.g. root maggots).  Consider adding wire fencing to deter porcupines, metal flashing to block mice & voles, or copper strips around beds to discourage slugs.  Good luck!

 

Test the Soil

 

 

Putting your garden plot to bed
(for a long winter's nap)
 
Clean up your plot in the fall.  Plants with club root, tomato and potato vines should be bagged and placed in the dumpster.
(Club roots left in your soil will increase the severity of infection next year.  Learn more here.) 
 
Compost other plant debris on your site, if possible.  Excess weeds should be piled in designated areas inside the south fence.  Keep your soil in your beds to minimize our weed mountains. 

Protect your soil by mulching with seaweed or straw, then covering with a tarp to discourage weed growth and conserve fertility.

You'll find spring startup much easier next year!

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Compost: Heaps of Fun!

Like life,    

what you get out of it

depends on what you put into it. 

Remember never to dump diseased plant material,

or tomato or potato vines in communal compost piles.

Learn more: 

The Compost Heap

Basic Composting in Alaska

Trash Can Composters

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Dates to Remember

 May 8 – last chance of killing frost?    

June 15 – deadline to start working plots

July 1 – end of root maggot threat

 

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What should you grow? 

Recommended Varieties for Southeast Alaska

 

start with the easy stuff:

Potatoes

  • practically foolproof
  • pests don’t bother them
  • they require little care
  • many varieties & colors

Kale

  • loves our weather
  • grows easily, attract few pests
  • nutritionally excellent
  • harvest outer leaves it keeps growing

Rhubarb

  • almost effortless

Garlic

  • planted in fall
  • grows well here
  • pests don’t bother it
  • hardneck varieties store best

Lettuce

  • likes our cool weather
  • plant a short row every two weeks

 Cabbage Family

  • susceptible to root maggots
  • cover with fabric until July 1
  • choose early varieties 

Root Vegetables

 

 

 

Juneau Community Garden
PO Box 033395
Juneau, AK 99803
Physical location: 5669 Montana Creek Road
Email:
communitygarden998@gmail.com