As part of our high tunnel program results report to the NRCS, I decided to create a post with LOTS of pictures from this gardening season. We had a few setbacks early on this spring; health issues and a vehicle accident (no serious injury) caused a very late start on getting the high tunnels up and running. We didn’t get things planted till very late May and into June. But, we got ‘er done. Because we had to move soil for the house high tunnel (hht), we ended up with very sandy, rocky soil to plant in. That was a bit discouraging, but we followed the NRCS soil enhancement recommendations and hoped for the best. We rented a rototiller to incorporate the lime and fertilizer into the beds.
Craig Smith, Alaska State Agronomist, knows his stuff. Despite the late start in planting, the hht did pretty well. We planted potatoes, tomatoes, sugar snap peas, cucumbers, summer squash, a variety of herbs, purple snap beans and we had red and golden raspberries already on the site.
Coming up is a photo tour of our house high tunnel garden for 2015. Hope you enjoy it!
Early spring. The frame was finished fall, 2014, but beds are not moved yet.
Beds are redone in the right place. From the left, potatoes are up (Magic Molly, Peanut, and All Blue). The next bed (with the red frames) has Sun Gold tomatoes and one Stupice tomato plant. Past the tomatoes are a couple of cucumber plants, a bed of Calendula flowers, purple snap beans, four hills of summer squash, and raspberries. Next row (3rd from left) are herbs and sugar snap peas. The far right bed has potatoes; German Butterball, Party, Red, Peanut, and Yukon Gold.
Watering is a big issue with so much planted. Curt set up a drip irrigation system that runs from the pumphouse. We had two soaker hoses in each bed; will probably do three for each bed next year. You can see Curt working on the pea trellis in this photo and also see the potatoes on the far right bed. The green board you see running along the side of the hht is about 4-1/2 feet high. We have monster potato plants!
Potatoes on the left side. They’ve started sprawling from their weight and height, and they are blooming. I think potato blossoms are beautiful. (You cn see the side is rolled up about 2-1/2 feet for ventilation. We had no problems with overheating or mildew this year.) We also found that leaving some of the chickweed in the beds helped retain moisture. (a living mulch?) When I removed it, the dried out faster, so we started leaving it alone once the plants were big enough to not be choked out. I also use some of the weeds in herbal infusions.
Riley in the hht, potatoes on the left, Calendula on the right. Beans just behind the Calendula.
Sun Gold tomatoes. Best flavor ever!
Some of our herbs.
Couldn’t resist this shot. Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme (along with lavender, tarragon and basil) (You’re singing now aren’t you?)
Dill!
Leaf lettuce and basil. These were scattered throughout the hht.
Purple beans and raspberries.
Moving along to harvest. From the back, German Butterball, Party, Peanut, Red and Yukon Golds.
Other side. Some of the Peanuts and All Blue. (I do see a Magic Molly in there, too.)
How about these Red potatoes?
Some of the purple beans.
Using our loot! Roasted chicken with homegrown herbs, potatoes, and snap bean in the glass dish.
Tomatoes in various stages of ripening. The smaller are Sun Golds, and the larger are Stupice. Both yummy!
New potatoes. Peanuts and Magic Mollys
Homegrown salad with buttercrunch and Forellenschluss lettuce, baby carrtos, and SunGold tomatoes.
The perfect meal. Freshly caught and herb-grilled Red Salmon from the Talkeetna River, with yellow and purple potatoes.
The hht with the end and side open for ventilation. The horses mowing the grass.
Grow, Sew, Ride 