Are you wanting to start a vegetable garden and are not sure where to start. I've put together a list of some easy to grow veggies.
Whether you are an experienced gardener or just starting your gardening journey, growing veggies is a fun and rewarding experience. It may not seem like you can grow vegetables in Alaska, but you can! We have a shorter window to harvest our crops due to our summers but to be able to enjoy fresh picked veggies from your garden makes the challenge of growing here worth it.
Kale
Kale is a great vegetable to start with. It is grown outside and can tolerate an early frost. Harvest young leaves, just don't harvest them all at once.
Peas
These veggies are an easy and fun way to start your vegetable garden. There are shelling peas and edible pod peas. Most peas will require a trellis to grown on.
Broccoli
These veggies are grown outside as they do not tolerate extreme heat. Harvest when heads are tight and dense.
Beans
Beans can be grown outside or on a greenhouse and like full sun. Harvest when the beans snap easily and before the seeds bulge. Pick continually to help long production.
Lettuce
Romaine, leaf, head, butterhead are the main types of lettuce you will see. I grow our lettuce in pots on our east side of our deck. I like growing lettuce in pots rather than in the ground for slug control. Leaf lettuce is a vegetable that you can continue to harvest. Just don't pick all of the leaves at once!
Cabbage
If you love sauerkraut, then you'll love growing cabbage! Pick when heads feel solid. Harvest as soon as possible for early varieties to prevent splitting. Later varieties will hold longer. Also grown outside in full sun.
Swiss Chard
A bright and colorful veggie to add to your dishes. You can start harvesting the leaves when they reach 6" and the plant will continue to produce leaves. Swiss Chard is grown outside, and it can tolerate a light frost.
One last tip, make sure you have a way to protect your vegetable garden from moose. Whether it is a fence or maybe an electric fence, you'll want something to keep the moose out. They seem to always know when you're about to harvest your vegetables!