In my day to day life, I meet people who want to know how it is to garden in Alaska. I started gardening as a way to pass time, but it was so therapeutic I got stuck to it. My whole experience can’t fit in one blog post, but I’ll try to give you a vivid description of the whole experience.
As a gardener, the first thing you need to do is to decide why you want to venture into farming. Do you want to garden for pleasure, to grow organic food for your family or commercial purposes? For me, it was for pleasure.
After that, you’ll need the right garden accessories. Having the right tools and knowing every garden tool use can help you garden for less.
Back to what I promised. Here is my experience with different crops in Alaska.
Growing Tomatoes
Of all the things that I’ve planted, it took me the longest time to get a good tomato harvest. Tomatoes are delicate, and the low temperatures of Alaska don’t make it easier. If you can figure out how to get the right temperatures for your tomatoes, you can be assured of a good harvest.
I’ve learned that the best way to grow tomatoes is by planting them indoors or in a greenhouse to attain the right temperatures.
That said, I’ve tried to plant tomatoes outdoors too, and although it required perfect timing and more attention, it was still successful.
For outdoor tomato farming, I started very early. I planted my seeds 10-12 weeks before the last frost to ensure they got more mature and healthy fruits. I also found tomatoes that were planted in the warm areas did better. For the heavily shaded areas, I used gadgets to provide residual warmth.
In my first harvests, I only got a handful of tomatoes, but with persistence, my harvest has increased over the years.
Growing Bell Peppers
Just like tomatoes, bell peppers don’t do well in temperatures below 55 degrees. The first time I planted my bell peppers, I didn’t know they couldn’t survive at low temperatures, and the frost killed all my plants.
The next season, I planted my peppers in the greenhouse, and I had much better results. They did well in temperature between 65 and 85 degrees. The other thing I found helpful was starting early as I realized it gave my plants enough time to produce enough leaves to support more fruits. You can buy your seeds from local racks or a grocery store.
And this may seem obvious, but I’ll share it anyway. You can get both red peppers and green peppers from your harvest. Red bell peppers are a fully grown green bell pepper. Red bell peppers have more nutrition and vitamin C, so I always allow my peppers to mature.
Growing Carrots
Planting carrots was hard, but it gave me an easy time compared to tomatoes and pepper. In my experience, carrots do best outdoors. And although they take longer to germinate, I realized that making the soil warmer increased the speed.
One mistake I made was to plant all my carrots at the same time, and I ended up with all harvest at the same time. Next time I’ll probably space the planting. Also, I’d be careful to drop one side at a time at a straight low (regarding how annoying it can be) to avoid overcrowding.
Is Having a Home Garden Worth It?
In my experience, the home garden is worth every trouble. Gardening always gives me a sense of purpose and self-pride. Taking care of plants and seeing them grow and flourish under my watch always gives me a sense of accomplishment. Here I’m preparing my wife’s flowers in pots to hide them for winter.
I love growing my food; it helps me save a few bucks.
I also raise quails for food. Their eggs and meat are very healthy. They take up very little space compared to chickens and produce excellent fertilization.
Conclusion:
It will take a few trials before you’re able to garden like a pro, but as you garden more, you’ll get there. I wish you happy gardening. If you have any questions regarding home and garden, feel free to reach out to me.
Author’s Bio: Archie Adams is an Alaskan homesteader-gardener. He has experience growing different types of crops from tomatoes to flowers. His journey hasn’t been a walk in the park, but he has learned a lot. Archie has a blog homemakerguide.com where he shares his knowledge of gardening and recommends the best tools.
FAQs
Homesteading has not been possible on federal lands in Alaska since Oct. 21, 1986, although it was allowed for 88 years before that. Congress passed the original homestead law in 1862 to provide small farms to anyone over age 21, the head of a family, or to immigrants willing to become citizens.
How to make a garden in Alaska? ›
CHOOSE A GARDEN SITE with a sunny, southerly exposure if possible. Avoid areas that are shaded by tall buildings and trees a large part of the day. Cool weather crops, which include the cabbage family and most root crops, can be grown on the less favorable north and northwest sites.
Can you grow your own food in Alaska? ›
Growing Turnips, Radishes, and Rutabagas in Alaska
The Brassicaceae family includes a bunch of vegetables that grow super well in Alaska's often cool weather. Some examples are broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, turnips, daikon radishes, radishes and rutabagas.
How many homesteaders are in Alaska? ›
Homesteading officially ended on October 21, 1976 with the passage of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, however, a 10-year extension was allowed in Alaska since it was a new state with fewer settlers. In total 3,277 homesteaders were proved up in Alaska.
How do you start a homestead for beginners? ›
How To Start A Homestead – Step By Step
- Step 1: Consider What Homesteading Involves. ...
- Step 2: Set Goals For Yourself. ...
- Step 3: Decide Where You Want To Live. ...
- Step 4: Make A Budget. ...
- Step 5: Start Small. ...
- Step 5: Continually Simplify Your Life. ...
- Step 6: Learn To Preserve Food. ...
- Step 7: Make Friends With Other Homesteaders.
No. Homesteading ended on all federal lands on Oct. 21, 1986. The State of Alaska currently has no homesteading program for its lands.
Do greenhouses work in Alaska? ›
Without the use of a greenhouse, the growing season in Alaska is notoriously short. Typically it runs from May to September, which limits the time farmers and gardeners have to grow and harvest crops. With a greenhouse, Alaskan growers can extend their growing season way beyond the short summer months.
What fruit trees grow well in Alaska? ›
Cherry trees such as the North Star Cherry and the Montmorency Cherry are recommended for Alaska if grafted onto a cold hardy rootstock. Blueberry plants are the most cold hardy, and blueberries are a favorite native bush to grow in Alaska. Blueberry plants are native to Southern Alaska soils.
Do vegetables grow faster in Alaska? ›
Basking in as much as 20 hours of sunshine per day, Alaskan crops get a photosynthesis bonus, allowing them to produce more plant material and grow larger.
How many plants can you grow legally in Alaska? ›
It is illegal to sell (or re-sell) any amount of marijuana without an official business license. Home Growing: Adults 21 years of age and older are allowed to grow up to six marijuana plants (including up to three flowering plants) in their households.
While many kinds of fruit and vegetables will grow won- derfully in our gardens, not all will. In general, cool season vegetables such as potatoes, carrots and the cabbage family thrive in our gardens, while warm season vegetables such as beans, cucumbers and tomatoes struggle to produce in open, unprotected gardens.
What is the most grown crop in Alaska? ›
Why is that important? Only a wry small percent of Alaska's food is grown in Alaska. The highest percentages of homegrown products include potatoes, some other vegetables, dairy products and meat.
How do I claim free land in Alaska? ›
The State does not offer land sale programs that allow people to obtain land at little to no cost, for example, by allowing buyers to "prove-up" on their land by building a dwelling and occupying the land for a number of years in exchange for a reduced purchase price.
Is there any land left to claim in Alaska? ›
No. The homestead act for Alaska ended in 1987. No outsiders can get land for free.
How much is an acre of land in Alaska? ›
Overview of the Alaskan Land Market
The average price per acre for land in Alaska is around $7,000. However, prices can range from as little as a few hundred dollars per acre for remote wilderness tracts to over $100,000 per acre for highly desirable recreational parcels in accessible areas.
Can you just move to Alaska and live off the land? ›
However, many people still have the mistaken impression they can head to Alaska, pick out a parcel of land, and live on it for free. Unfortunately, that's not possible in Alaska anymore. However, there are legal options for purchasing land from the state, including over-the-counter purchases and land auctions.
Does Alaska pay you to homestead? ›
Since the 1986 repeal, there has been no federal homesteading program in Alaska; the State of Alaska, however, created public land disposal programs starting with statehood in 1959.
Can you legally claim land in Alaska? ›
Alaska's adverse possession law is fairly simple. Anyone openly possessing a parcel of property under color of title for at least seven years, or at least 10 years under a good faith (but mistaken) belief that the land was already part of their property, may claim that property.
What is the homestead allowance in Alaska? ›
The homestead allowance is exempt from and has priority over all claims against the estate. Homestead allowance is in addition to a share passing to the surviving spouse or minor or dependent child by the will of the decedent, unless otherwise provided, by intestate succession, or by way of elective share.
