garden lying fallow

[nohorn]

My garden was out-of commission last summer due to various problems. Of course, the chronic weeds exploded. Along came fall and winter, and now the snow is about to melt. I intend to plant a garden this year. I will help it along by placing ashes/dirt on the white snow to absorb sunshine. When the snow, is gone what should be the next step. Should I till the dirt turning the partially composed weed bodies over into the soil. or should I scrape their bodies into a pile, leaving a somewhat bare soil before I till it. My gradening books don't address what to do with a fallowed garden.

[nonomaybe]

The perennial weeds are waiting to pop up, the seeds from the annual "bad boys" are just waiting for some warm soil, so I suggest you dig it over lightly(not too deep) rake through to remove as much of the perennial root and top growth as you can and then go over with a deep dig.As the season progresses your plantings and general attention will catch those that may have escaped your initial onslaught.

[carlton23]

Just a matter of interest, where do you live to still have snow?

[nonomaybe]

I live in the northern part of Sweden but although the snow has started to go now that we get plus temps. in the day , we still have plenty as this was a year of constant snows.
And yes I know this question was not addressed to me but how strange that nohorn and me are still surrounded by the stuff.(I've been waiting for weeks to get to the bottom of my garden!!).

[nohorn]

Hi: This is No horn, we live 100 miles from Anchorage. We usually plant around Memorial Day. Gardening in cold climates is possible but a lot of work.

[nonomaybe]

nohorn, I will be interested to know what sort of stuff you can grow in your area, apart from the annual crops, I've e-mailed various places on a similar latitude to me (about 64 degs.) but got no response and people around here don't seem overly interested outside the usual annual suspects. I'm in European planting zone 7/8.which is different to your zoning.

[nohorn]

To nononmaybe: Just today there was a gardening article in our local newspaper. They listed the veggies that grow well locally as: beets, broccolli, sprouts,cabbage, carrots,cauliflowr,celery.chives,kale,kohlabi,greens,lettuce,onion,parsley,parsnip,green peas,radish, rhubarb,spinich,turrnip,.potato . Our zoning, I believe at least ouside Anch is zone 5. There are, of course, some minizones of warmth. These mentioned are the easy to grow. Some gardners have green thumbs and a lot more knowledge and ambition than myself have been successful with some other items. As in your location our summer days are long days of sunshine ,the blooms are colorful and the veggies are big.

[nonomaybe]

Thanks nohorn for the comprehensive list, what about shrubs, climbers and fruit trees? I must say my rhubarb has a life of its own!! It would appear according to standardised tables that we are both in zone 4!!

[nohorn]

In the 30 years I have lived in Alaska, I have seen an increase in interest in growing fruit trees. There is grafting on trees such as siberian crab apples, and people being successful. There is one nursery that specializes in selling fruit tree starts with production at age 5 years. All this way above anything I have done. Lilacs (certain kinds) grow beautifully, especially in some parts of Anchorage. That's about all my knowledge about fruit trees and shrubs. I know of one nursery that specializes in cold climate fruit trees, located in upper state New York. If you are interested in that firm, let me know.

[nonomaybe]

Yes I am.

[nohorn]

Glad to be helpful!

The one I mentioned in upperstate New York:
http://www.sln.potsdam.ny.us

The other here in Anchorage has an E-mail address, I asked permission to post here : [email protected]

(mailingaddress: Tryck Nurseries, P.O. Box 0ll0l04 Anchorage, AK99511

Also I forgot to say rasberries, blk & red currents, and gooseberries do well here.