Finally, it is March. Let the Alaska gardener's indoor growing season begin!
For the newcomer to my column, I have a saying: "You are not a real gardener unless you start something from seed to grow in your garden." I also have a rule: When it comes to seeds, don't even try to start any before April 1 unless you have a set of lights under which to grow your seedlings. We simply don't have enough natural light here until the end of the month.
For the uninitiated who do have lights, the key thing to remember is that we have 12 weeks -- three long months -- before things go outside. Granted, sometime during the last month you may be able to put your seedlings outside to harden off and forget about them for a while, but otherwise it's a long time to care for growing plants.
Still, just in case you are up for it, there are two flowers to start this week: hollyhocks and digitalis. Both of these are what I would consider difficult. They develop into very large "seedlings" and require lots of water, support, light and loving. It is doable, however, but again, you must have lights. Wow, and the money you will save over buying plants.
If you crave growing something that will eventually flower, but don't have lights, you can start gladiola corms. Retrieve last year's or buy new ones. Plant a few every few days. Use paper coffee cups with drainage holes or similar containers (large being the ideal), filled halfway with good, organic soil. Push the flat side of the corm into it, sprinkle enough soil to just cover and back off. In a week or two, growth will start and you just need to keep the containers watered. You can add soil to the cup as the tip grows.
On the vegetable side, it is celery and leeks. These are much more contained than the hollyhocks and digitalis, but much more susceptible to drying out sometime during the three months you have to grow them indoors. Still, it is doable and the rewards in taste are significant.
I always tell friends to buy tuberous begonias this time of year, and you are all my friends. It is a bit too early to plant them, but there are two reasons for buying early. The first is supply and demand. I know once I tell folks they need to be started (around the first of April), supplies go fast. And with tuberous begonias, you want the big, plump ones that go first. If you have been storing tuberous begonias, it is time to get them out and lay them out in the light for a few weeks
Second, if you buy tubers now, you can lay them out, concave side facing up, so they get natural light and start to sprout. Give them a spray of water every couple of days. The advantage of having them sprout early is that you can select which sprouts and how many you want. One way to grow a big, prize begonia flower is to limit the number of sprouts at the beginning.
Finally, this year, remember to label things. Oddly enough, many plants look alike as they grow. And there may come a time when you really want to know which variety of something you grow so you can either grow it next year or not. I realize many of you have good intentions and try to follow this rule. You go to the nursery of your choice, buy a bunch of labels and actually put one in each tray in which you are germinating seeds.
Ah, but the rub comes when you transplant up. You have only one label and only one of dozens of a plant get it. This isn't really helpful when you plant them outdoors. This year, make half a dozen labels for each when you start seed. And make sure the writing on your labels doesn't rub off.
I know 12 weeks sounds like a long time, but at least we are able to do something to advance the season. In Alaska, when it comes to gardening, you take what you can.
Jeffs Alaska Garden Calendar
The Alaska Botanical Garden's annual spring conference: April 10 and 11. This is a must-attend event. Space always runs out. Go to www.alaskabg.org and sign up now. You can always give your tickets to someone, I assure you, but not having them makes it impossible to attend.
Potato Basics class: 10 a.m. Saturday, March 7. Alaska Mill and Feed. Potatoes are an easy and productive plant to grow in the garden. Learn simple methods to have a successful harvest. Information on various types of potatoes, how to plant a seed potato and more. Free. Call 276-6016 to register.
Introduction to Beekeeping class: 10 a.m. March 14. Alaska Mill and Feed. An overview of basic beekeeping. Learn about everything from the initial set-up of hives to the harvest of honey. Free. Call 276-6016 to register.