Good Morning from Alaska

[Alasgun]

Thanks folks, it’s nice to recognize a number of you from the BYH site!!

I don’t believe there’s a trick to growing funny carrots. In our case i believe it’s simply my ”microherd“ working on some of them. I’ve read about numerous contributing factors and would guess mine come from root knot nematodes. I produce a number of things like fermented plant extract, lacto bacillus serum and compost tea which are regularly applied to everything we grow. I’m not bright enough to identify differing species of Nematodes but i do see them regularly when examining tea samples under the scope. I dont consider it a problem and they eat fine.
not all of them look like they’re standing there with they’re legs crossed cause they gotta pee, some look like runner crabs and i had a neat one this year that resembled a monkey fist knot!

 

[Dirtmechanic]

Hey from Alabama @Alasgun! I lived in Wasilla and Anchorage. Did they ever build that bridge from Anchorage over toward you? It was a talking point many years ago. My brother was born in Wrangel. My folks worked for the State Hospitals. Funny carrots! I always heard they starfish when the soil is too rich! I cannot grow them here in the clay. We do have RKN and you do not it appears. They are pretty obvious.

 

[Dahlia]

Welcome from Washington! Your garden looks beautiful!

 

[Carol Dee]

Welcome from Eastern IOWA . Alaska is on our bucket list of places to visit. @baymule always finds fun friends to bring on over here. Sounds like you are gonna fit right in.

 

[Alasgun]

No bridge yet, and that conversation has dwindled to obscurity, thankfully!
Dahlia, thanks for the garden compliment, we work very hard at it, pretty well running all summer; then a couple months off and later this afternoon i’ll begin gathering stuff to get this years celery, parsley and cilantro going.
CarolDee, it appears a good fit to me too! Shortly after returning from V.Nam i lived in New Hampton and worked at the brand new Sara Lee facuility, which at the time was the most modern food proccessing plant in America! Lived north of town about 10 miles from the Minn border.

 

[ninnymary]

Welcome from the S.F. bay area. I watch every Alaska show I can, Living Alaska, Alaska the Last Frontier, Life below Zero, The Last Alaskans, you get the drift.

Mary

 

[valley ranch]

Any friend of Baymule ~ welcome ~ what's your season like ```

 

[Dirtmechanic]

LOL they called it termination dust when I was there, as the visible snow creeped down the mountains around Anchorage, terminating the tourist season. End of August was the end of bare ground back in my day. But now I wonder is it now the end of September or even in October before snow is on the ground?

 

[Dahlia]

Alasgun - how long is your growing season if you didn't have a greenhouse and when can you start planting?

 

[Alasgun]

You must be an adventurous sort Mary? It’s funny what draws who to the reality tv stuff. When i worked on the Slope and was in camp for my two week shift, Swamp People was my favorite, why i don’t know just was.

Valley Ranch, so far the season is fine. Some below zero stuff early on but in the 20-30’s for the last couple weeks and i’ve only plowed snow once. SO FAR.
yea - Baymule, Thistlebloom, Beekissed and a group of others seem like fine folks, those you’d share a camp fire with!

Dirtmechanic, most tourist still pull out end of August to get the kids home and back to school. And our snow typically is on the ground from October till April.

Dahlia, my growing season is a bit different than a lot of Alaskans in that i do all my own starts, nothing comes from a nursery. Today i planted Comfrey and Parsley, tomorrow Celery, however these will remain under lights till i move them into the greenhouse mid April. Without the greenhouse it would be late May.
ironically, we have 15 more frost free days here than we had in western N.Dakota!

included are some early greenhouse pictures with notes. These green beans were moved in early April and by mothers day we we’re eating some.
the purple one is cilantro and 3 types of lettuce i trialed last winter, this is from mid February and never made it to the greenhouse, we ate it along the way! Stoners refer to our state as a “free state’ cause its one of the few where they can grow weed Which makes it nice for the rest of us looking for the latest double whizbang gagetry for indoor growing.
First tomato on the vine March 15th and moved to the green house April 15th. This was a Celebrity that went on to produce an estimated 70lbs of tomato’s before finally giving up the ghost early in November. Not possible without the greenhouse.
That same tomato plant 12 ft. Wide, 14 ft tall and 8ft. deep front to back. And some of her offerings. We’d get a haul like this every week.