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In the spring, Alaskans spend a lot of energy putting in their gardens. Come summer, though, other activities get in the way. If this is a good description of your situation, you can salvage your garden by paying it a bit of attention now.
For starters, there are probably a few things that need to be harvested. Radishes always come to mind. Kohlrabi should be harvested when it is the size of a baseball. The time for bok choy should be close. Spinach needs to be picked as it bolts unless harvested early.
Thinning is the next chore. Lettuces, carrots, beets and anything else that is overcrowded should be fixed. Just imagine its size in the supermarket and then pretend yours will grow that big and add half and inch or so to each side. Eat the thinnings.
Weeding should be a constant chore. I am betting the big one you need to deal with is chickweed. It will grow and smother things if you let it, all the while producing a gazillion seeds for future crops.
Use a hoe, wing-weeder, CobraHead or the edge of a trowel to at least get rid of what is above ground. Then apply a layer of mulch to prevent or slow regrowth.
Don’t just toss chickweed on the ground as you weed. It reroots easily, sort of like a dead rattlesnake that can still bite after 24 hours. Toss gleanings into an empty pot, and after they dry, put them on your compost pile.
Don’t have a compost pile? Start one. It is easy and does not require sacrificing a sunny spot as it is the microbes that do the heating, not the sun. The pile has to be at least 3 cubic feet, however.
There are all manner of compost calculators out there, not the ones that tell you how much you need for a project, but rather what to put into a pile to achieve the desired carbon-to-nitrogen ratio of 25 or 30 to 1.
You also probably have natural compost made the slow way. You will find this wherever leaves were allowed to accumulate and remain. This is great stuff. Spread it on your gardens.
Speaking of mulch, nothing makes a neglected garden look better. It gives a uniform look. Tree leaves are my preference only because I think they look better and are safer to use, though soil food web rules suggest brown mulches for perennials and green for annuals and row crops. It is up to you —or someone with whom you live.
I am of mixed mind with regard to using grass clippings as mulch as they decay quickly, producing heat. This can easily kill the seedlings being mulched. Just be careful and don’t let grass clipping mulch touch seedlings and young plants.
A question I often get is whether you need to fertilize before putting out mulch. Ideally, organic fertilizer should be applied in the fall since it takes the winter to break it down and applying it before mulching makes sense then. If your plants really need to eat now, a liquid food that goes to the root zone makes the most sense.
It doesn’t take much. A bit of weeding, a bit of tidying, maybe even some harvesting and you can go back to doing those other activities Alaska offers.
Jeff’s Alaska Garden Calendar:
Alaska Botanical Garden: Join. Take advantage of the nursery where members receive a discount. There are too many wonderful family activities to list. Go and check out the site.
Hawkweed: Search the word. Keep it off your property including your rights of way.