Jeff Lowenfels

1 week ago | adn.com | Jeff Lowenfels

This is the time of year when a gardening window closes. I am referring to getting starts and seeds into the ground. Now is that time. Do not delay. The deal with starts is they disappear from stores by this time of year. You won’t be able to find any in a week or so. And those that you will find are probably going to be stunted. You can spend only so much time in a cell pack. Speaking of which, what are we to do with all that plastic? I am open to all suggestions. Seeds need to go into the ground too.

2 weeks ago | adn.com | Jeff Lowenfels

It is hard to describe to Outside gardeners what it is like to live in Alaska right before the outdoor planting season. I am not referring to all the daylight hours we have this time of year. What I mean is there are plant starts everywhere. Alaska gardeners can wander from one favorite nursery to another, into a box store and then to its neighboring competitor, into grocery stores, wholesale warehouses as well as farmers markets, all offering annual starts, a whole rainbow of colors and varieties.

3 weeks ago | adn.com | Jeff Lowenfels

A reader wants a column on what causes moss and how to get rid of it. I like the stuff and can’t get enough of it, but I will answer anyhow. I wish it was as simple as telling her to bring it all over to our lawn. Mosses require several things to thrive. One is moisture. Another is acidic conditions. Lack of sunlight and air circulation play a part too. They don’t produce root systems, so the soil type is of little matter to moss.

4 weeks ago | adn.com | Jeff Lowenfels

I know we make a big deal over the appearance of those squirrel ear-sized leaves, just like everywhere else. The thing to remember, however, is that here we also have to contend with soil temperatures. I’ve written about this before, because best practices suggest it is always a good idea to wait until soil hits the proper temperatures before planting seeds. The goal is to plant at temperatures that will ensure the quickest germination.

1 month ago | adn.com | Jeff Lowenfels

Ah, let’s hit the mail bag, as it used to be called. These are, of course, now email questions which have been asked. Some of their answers make sense to share with others. Let’s start with a novel one: Can you grow corn in Southcentral? Corn! This is the true Holy Grail of Alaska gardening, not tomato. Yes, you can grow corn here, though you better start your own from seed now as it isn’t readily available locally as starts. And I say you can grow corn.