SW Alaska News

There is still plenty of snow outside, but many Alaskans are already thinking about the coming summer. Most people are familiar with growing vegetables or flowers in a garden or yard, but it can be easy to grow trees too! This is a perfect time of year to try, just look for some spruce cones. If the snow makes it difficult to find cones on the ground, walk around a forest for a while and you are likely to find a midden – a pile of cones that squirrels use to store food for the winter. Look for cones with tight scales and take a handful home. Spread the cones out to dry some place warm, and after a week or two the scales will open. Gently shake the seeds out. Plant them in some potting soil, place them near a sunny window or under a plant light. If you keep the soil moist, soon you should have some nice little spruce trees starting to grow. Once the snow melts, they can be moved outside – just make sure to water them on days without rain. By the end of summer they will be ready to find a new home in your yard or forest.

What other trees can you try growing in Alaska?

Learn more about Alaska’s Forests at: https://forestry.alaska.gov 

Original source can be found here.