Getting ready to garden: what to plant now and later

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - With the intermittent bursts of sunshine around Southcentral, many of us are eager to get into our gardens and get planting. It’s still a little early for some plants, but according to Sheila Macias with Alaska Mill and Feed, it’s okay to plant your root vegetables now. These include carrots, beets, potatoes, radishes and even peas. Next week you can go out with your “cold crop plants” such as celery, cauliflower and cabbage.

Getting a soil thermometer is a great idea. All the plants can go outside when the soil stays between 50 and 55 degrees Fahrenheit. So, what should you be doing now? “Time to harden off nursery plants or plants started from seed,” Macias said.

“Hardening off” plants gets them adapted to being outside by exposing them gradually to wind, rain and the ambient temperatures.

Copyright 2021 KTUU. All rights reserved.