Garden Talk: The solstice marks an important milestone in the growing season

Yesterday was Summer Solstice. In Alaska, it can feel like a relief to begin losing daylight again — especially for this Morning Edition host, who’s been struggling to get enough sleep. But the solstice also marks an important milestone in the growing season.

This week, I spoke with Master Gardener Ed Buyarski about things to consider in your gardens as we head into July. 

Listen:

When asked what he’s been up to in his own garden, Buyarski said, “Oh, pulling weeds, pulling weeds, and pulling some more weeds…” 

But Buyarski says those weeds can be useful, post-plucking. 

“Take those weeds, put them in a bucket with water, throw in a handful of seaweed, and let them ferment for two weeks so you get this brown, nasty, slimy stuff,” he said. “Take that out, dilute it about five-to-one, and use that to fertilize the plants that we want to grow.”

That liquid fertilizer can be a great way to keep your plants hydrated, as high summer temperatures dry out the earth. Buyarski said that’s especially important for plants in containers.

“You can almost watch them wilt if they are not being watered again and again on these warm, sunny days,” he said.

If you’ve already started harvesting from your garden or just finally found the free time to start thinking about getting something in the ground, Buyarski says it’s not too late. 

“We can plant some more broccoli now for later harvest,” he said. “Kale can be planted anytime, and seeds from the mustard family. I did reseed a patch of carrots. The soil is nice and warm, so things are going to sprout quickly, along with the weeds.”

And he says it’s almost time to harvest garlic scapes.

“You can use them just like green onions, but with a garlic flavor for everything from pickling and stir-frying and making pesto,” he said.

Finally, keep your eyes peeled for a full strawberry moon Friday night. It might just break through the clouds.