Have you thought about a winter garden in Alaska? No kidding winter comes much sooner than we all would like, but that doesn't mean you have to give up growing food at home.
We just have to move our garden indoors. Since many of us already start our own seedlings, long before it is warm enough to garden outside in Alaska, we already have what it takes to continue growing food all year long. The cost for fresh salad greens and tasteless winter tomatoes at our local grocery store can cause sticker shock and disappointment. So why aren't more Alaska gardeners growing a winter salad garden indoors?
Red Robin will grow 18-20 inches tall and produce 1-2" fruit. It will need a large pot and some support. Perfect for a sunny window but will do better with a supplemental grow light during our short winter days.
Tiny Tim
With little effort anybody can grow lettuce, kale, chard, spinach, ...etc with a few containers and a good grow light. Even fresh tomatoes in December are not difficult, with the many varieties of dwarf and super dwarf tomatoes available. An adjustable shelf system can do double duty growing seedlings in February and a full salad garden during our long Alaska winters. You should start seedlings in late summer in order to have fresh tomatoes in mid-winter, but it is never to late, so what are you waiting for? There are 3 tomato varieties that I recommend:
Red Robin dwarf tomato
Micro Tom
So what are you waiting for? Let's grow food all year - even here in Alaska... You can find some of the supplies that I use and recommend at most garden and home centers or you can order online at my Indoor Gardening Supply Page.
Growing lettuce, chard, kale, ...etc. indoors all winter is a no-brainer that anybody can do with a widow box planter or any container that will fit your space. A shelf with a grow light is all that it takes.
