When to Cut Spinach in Alaska, and How Long It Really Keeps
Cut spinach young, before the long days push it to flower, and treat the refrigerator as a holding pen for 10 to 14 days at most.
Alaska
What home and garden advice looks like when it is written for Alaska — west seasons, west rules, and the numbers that go with them.
Gardening in Alaska
Everything we have worked out for Alaska: what to plant and when, which varieties finish in time, the pests that actually turn up here, and the jobs that pay off month by month. We also cover the rest of the property, from lawns and soil to home care and energy, because a garden rarely stops at the vegetable bed.
The numbers first, because everything else follows from them. Measured at the weather station in Anchorage, the last spring freeze runs May 3 to May 12 and the first fall freeze runs September 22 to October 1, USDA zones 1a-8a, 917 growing degree days in the year.
That is little accumulated warmth: tomatoes need a tunnel or a greenhouse here, whatever the frost dates suggest. Garlic does well: 34.8 weeks below 40 °F, comfortably past the six it needs to form a proper head.
Elsewhere on the property in Alaska: the pests that turn up here.
Figures from NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals. A state is not one climate: elevation, a large lake or the coast can move these dates by two weeks either way, so check your own county with the extension service before you spend money.
When Sweet Corn Is Ready in Alaska, and How Fast It Fades
Sweet corn in Alaska is ready 60 to 90 days after planting, and planting waits for soil at 60 F, not for the last frost.
Heat Pump or Gas Furnace in Alaska: Which Costs Less to Run?
In Alaska, a natural gas furnace costs less to run than a heat pump, provided the house has gas service.
When to Pick Peppers in Alaska, and Why the Fridge Ruins Them
Count on roughly 70 to 85 days from transplanting to first harvest, then keep the fruit somewhere that holds 45 to 50 °F instead of the refrigerator.
How High to Mow a Lawn in Alaska
Most Alaska lawns do best cut to 2 to 3 inches, which suits the Kentucky bluegrass and fine fescue that make up many seed mixes here.
When to Plant Grass Seed in Alaska
In Anchorage, grass seed goes down best from mid-May into early summer, once the soil two inches deep sits between 50 and 65 °F.
When to Dethatch a Lawn in Alaska
Most Alaska lawns never need dethatching. If a spade-cut wedge shows more than 0.75 inch of brown, spongy layer, the right window in Anchorage is spring…
When to Aerate a Lawn in Alaska
In Alaska, aerate a cool-season lawn in late summer to early fall, while the grass is still green and growing, and finish before the first fall frost.
How Late Can You Plant Trees and Shrubs in Fall in Alaska?
In Anchorage, the safe target for planting trees and shrubs in fall is August 11 to August 20, which is six weeks before the first fall frost.
When to Mulch Strawberries and Perennials for Winter in Alaska
Wait for the ground to freeze, then mulch. In Anchorage, the first fall frost arrives between September 22 and October 1, according to NOAA’s 1991-2020…