When to Plant Garlic in Alaska: Counting Back From the First Frost
Alaska garlic goes into the ground in early September, three to four weeks ahead of Anchorage’s first fall frost window from NOAA’s climate normals.
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.
Growing Garlic in Alaska: Planting Dates, Varieties and Winter Cold
Anchorage’s NOAA frost data shows Alaska has ample cold for garlic vernalization, and settles which cultivars, planting week and winter mulch actually work here.
Tomato Varieties That Ripen in Time in Alaska
A season-by-season list of tomato varieties that reliably ripen before Anchorage’s first fall frost, calculated from catalogue days to maturity.
Tomato Planting Dates in Alaska: Counting Back From Your Frost Window
Explains how to use Anchorage’s NOAA frost window to time tomato seed-starting and transplanting anywhere in Alaska, with the arithmetic shown.
Tomato Pests in Alaska: Which Ones Actually Show Up Here
Alaska’s short season and mostly-covered growing keep out major field pests, but aphids, spider mites, whiteflies, and slugs remain common problems for tomato growers.
Growing Tomatoes in Alaska: Planting Dates, Varieties and Local Pests
Anchorage’s frost dates, soil prep, disease-resistant varieties, companion plants and season-end tips for growing tomatoes successfully through Alaska’s short, bright summer.