I live in Ketchikan, Alaska (Ketch-eh-can). It rains here. A lot. As in we get a month (or more) of solid rain in varying ‘moods’ – rain every single day for 30 days! – at least once a year. Like the Native tribes in the arctic who have dozens of words for snow, we have dozens of descriptions for the mood of the rain. We get, on average…13 feet of rain per year.
I’m not kidding! In 2005, my wee little coastal town of about 8,900 souls made an article in USA Today about coming close to breaking the record. The island that Ketchikan sits on is some kind of rain magnet. Like some kind of pact with nature placed here that drew in all storm and rain clouds in a 200 mile radius and said, “Come on over and hang out!” Islands within sight just 20 or so miles away receive up to 40% less rain than our island does! Our record rainfall, by the way, was set at 202.5 inches of rain in 1949. That is over 17 feet! Our wettest day on record was October 1977 with over 8 inches. One day, 8 inches. There are states out there who get less than that in a whole year!
As you can imagine, there are bonuses and frustrations that go along with gardening in all that ‘liquid sunshine.’ I live in the middle of the Tongass National Forest. It is an old growth, temperate rainforest and is green year round. We get wonderfully mild temperatures with no real accumulation of snow. I joke that we live in the “tropics of Alaska.”
To get a better idea of what it is like here, think Seattle with even more rain. So, all the rain keeps it very green and lush here but it makes trying to open-field garden next to impossible. Thankfully, there are many things you can do to ensure a successful harvest even if you live in a wet climate. I have overcome using some pretty simple and inexpensive steps that will work for places that are not only wet, but also cooler. Frames raised beds, cold frames, and greenhouses is where it’s at!
Framed Raised Beds
How It Helps. They keep the soil warmer and contained. All that rain will cause erosion, not to mention nutrient loss in your soil, as it drains away without it. Having a simple frame to keep the soil in one spot keeps the roots buried and the nutrients in place longer. Employing the Square Foot Gardening method is also made much easier with a frame.
Challenges. Your soil will eventually lose the nutrients your plants need if left open to the elements. To overcome it, you will need to feed and fertilize the soil during the growing season. In the off season, mixing in compost or other organic material, along with some manure or fertilizer will help. It just takes some extra attention due to all the rain. You also need to make sure there is drainage at the bottom so as not to drown the plants. Line the bottom with flat-ish rocks to help!
Cold Frames
One of my personal favorites because it is very useful in extending your growing season, cold frame gardening is a fantastic way to combat the deluge!
How It Helps. As you can see in the picture, we crafted a simple hinged frame that was built with a 2 x 4, some 1/2 inch pvc pipe, and plastic sheeting. Due to the high winds, we also have a hook-in-eye latch to keep them down. The curved lid allows for taller plants such as garlic and onions to be grown in them, too. They keep the rain off of the plants so there is no nutrient loss or risk of drowning the plants. As a bonus, because it is a covered, raised and framed bed, the overall temperatures tend to stay 5-15 degrees warmer than the outside air! What this means is when it is 40-45 degrees at night, it is closer to 50 degrees inside the cold frames. If there was sunshine that day and you made sure to close them to trap in some heat, it may be even warmer. Cool loving plants can easily be grown well before and well after the regular growing season. Up to a month either way! One final bonus: Weeding is cut down to a minimum! If construction isn’t your thing, Amazon has this amazing 4 ft by 4 ft easy to assemble cold frame (free shipping with Prime!)!
Challenges. There are some challenges that may be cumbersome to overly busy people but it is easy to get into a nice rhythm, too. You need to open your cold frame during the day at least once to air it out. If you don’t, there could be a fungus problem as the inside is very humid. It needs aired out and allowed to cool down a little. If it’s close to freezing during the day, you can get away with just opening it for a few minutes. In the warmer temperatures, it’s vital to open them early if you close them at night! Heat plus the humidity is a recipe for fungus, wilting plants, and pests. The perfect home for growing bacteria is warm and humid. When the temps are warmer at night, simply leave the lids open all the time!
Greenhouses
I use the term ‘greenhouse’ loosely as any covered area will do. You need to protect the plants from the rain and wind in wet climates and a greenhouse definitely does the trick! These can be inexpensive if you are able to recycle materials or can range into the thousands, depending on what you are doing.
How It Helps. A greenhouse or other covered area is a controlled environment. You have contained an area to create optimal growing conditions for various plants. The rain will not be an issue, you control the water the plants get and as a bonus, it cuts down on weeding considerably.
Challenges. Pests, slugs, and fungus growth from lack of airflow are some of the issues we have dealt with. Not to mention the costs and construction of building a greenhouse. While we did reuse a lot of materials, it still cost us several hundred dollars and numerous weekends to construct the greenhouse. It was worth every second, of course, but there is still real investment that has to be made.
These are a few of the ways we have personally dealt with our wet climate and it has worked pretty well so far! Each year is different and there will always be a learning curve. I think that is part of the fun! 🙂