Push the Envelope: Garden Notes From a Rough Alaska Spring

Jul 23
5 min read

Broccoli plants growing in a high tunnel garden bed in Alaska in early July — Broccoli growing in high tunnel in Alaska – July 5th

Gardening is a learning experience. Honestly, when I talk to gardeners who are far more advanced than I am, I realize it is always a learning experience. There's always something new to try — a few plant varieties, a new method, a new garden bed style or area. I think that's part of the fun of it. Each year throws new challenges, pests, and learning opportunities at you.

Exterior of a high tunnel greenhouse built to withstand Alaska spring wind and snow — Finishing our high tunnel, my husband did an excellent job ensuring we have a sturdy structure that withstand spring break up and wind.

This garden season is our first full year with a high tunnel. We put our high tunnel up in the spring of 2025 and got a semi-late start growing in it that year. This year we got to push the envelope!

I don't really know what I'm doing… You can read all about how I've learned to garden as an adult and view a few of my mistakes. But this year was a whole new learning curve and has presented some amazing opportunities to try.

Seeds, Soil, and a God Who Makes things Grows Things

The Bible comes alive in such a fun way when you plant seeds in good soil, watch the growth, see the tomato branch remain connected and bear fruit… Jesus taught in an agricultural society, and I never get tired of hands-on lessons from the work around me that pair oh so perfectly with God's Word.

A second succession planting of romaine lettuce growing in the high tunnel — Second round of Romain lettuce

I guess I'll just share some garden notes with you… from a home gardener in Alaska, growing in a northern climate with a short growing season. (Read: I'm not an expert and I live in a place where it's challenging to grow a garden.)

April 20th: The First Seeds Go In

I direct-seeded about a 10ft x 2ft section in our high tunnel raised garden beds with cold-hardy plants: kale, broccoli, peas, kohlrabi, spinach (which bolted with not much to show for it), dill, cilantro, turnips, and radish (many bolted).

Snow in May: One of the Worst Springs I Remember

It snowed on May 9, 2026. Enough that you could see white, and it slid down the side of the high tunnel. Yep. It was an utterly terrible spring — truly one of the worst springs I remember in my whole life of living in Alaska.

We had sown outside the day before. Somehow everything (onions, direct-seeded) lived through it. We had also put our first cold-hardy starts into the tunnel on May 7th. Everything lived.

The Lesson: Push the Envelope

The lesson I learned this spring? Push the envelope. Even on one of the worst springs I remember, everything I had tried early lived. It's now the beginning of July, and that broccoli is nearly ready to harvest. We've enjoyed greens galore, too many salads to count (praise the Lord!), and some stir fry with Asian veggies like bok choy and napa cabbage.

If the high tunnel door isn't frozen shut, you'll likely — Lord willing — find me sticking things out there even earlier next year. It's so fun to just see. My goal was a salad by June 3rd, our son's birthday. It was greens, but hey, most salads are! Some year I'll get radishes figured out better, and at least it will add a pop of color, ha! (They nearly always bolt for me. Thanks to the midnight sun… or maybe it's just me. 🙃)

Freeing Up Space Indoors

Moving cold-hardy plants to the tunnel at the beginning of May was exceptionally helpful because it freed up my inside space for starting plants. I was able to start squash, cucumbers, and more without entirely overwhelming our house with plants.

The Cucumber Timing Trial

Some lessons you hear (and some I just absolutely listen to), and a few I just have to try for myself. When to start cucumbers? I had been wisely told 3 weeks out. Well, I started some 7 weeks out and some 3 weeks out. We harvested a few cucumbers at the end of June from the 7-week plants. But overwhelmingly, the 3-week plants are so much happier — much, much happier and healthier. I may still plant those one or two early cucumbers, but the bulk won't be started until around May 8th.

Pickling cucumber plant started seven weeks before transplanting, showing more stress and slower growth — Pickling cucumbers started 7 weeks out. This is the most noticeable difference, although other varieties show stress as well.

Healthy pickling cucumber plant started three weeks before transplanting — Pickling cucumbers started 3 weeks out…yes, I ought to be trellising them instead of writing about them, ha! 🙃

Transplant vs. Direct Sow: Broccoli

Broccoli transplanted at the beginning of May versus direct-sown on April 20th wins the race. But for a staggered harvest, both work.

Broccoli plants transplanted into the high tunnel to protect them from moose — This was transplanted into the tunnel at the beginning of May. Perhaps you’re wondering why we use space in our tunnel for broccoli…Moose. Brassicas have been my worst experience with the lovely moose visits we often receive when they’re outdoors. If you have a fence broccoli goes outside. We enjoy it so it’s worth some space in the tunnel to avoid inviting a moose for dinner!

Still to Be Determined

Many of my trials for the year haven't yet proven themselves. Can I direct-seed cabbage in the tunnel and still get a harvest? I don't know yet. If our free homeschool curriculum doesn't totally pull every spare moment I have come fall, perhaps I'll update. 🙃

New This Year

This year we're trying zinnias, calendula, nasturtium, pumpkin, kabocha squash, and many new varieties for the first time. We also attempted watermelon, which I don't think will produce — it just isn't warm enough.

Hakurei turnips, also called snow apple turnips, growing in the garden — Our hakurei turnips, a.k.a. Snow apples, are such a yummy addition this year! They’re likely the only turnips we’ll grow from here on out. We’ve planted a few succession of these and highly recommend them!

Want to Start a Garden?

Want to start a garden? Grab a 5-gallon bucket! Or, for a cuter approach, a nice pot. Start with leaf lettuce. Grow lettuce for a sandwich. Or, for a more hearty harvest grow potatoes! They're on one of the easiest things to grow and they're a no fuss crop that will give you something solid to eat at the end of the season. Start small, but start something! 🌱

Outdoor potato bed mulched with grass clippings in native Alaska soil — Another addition this year is an outside potato area in native soil with grass clippings to mulch. Don’t be afraid to try!

"Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness." — 2 Corinthians 9:10