Welcome to our weekly podcast with longtime Anchorage Daily News garden writer and author Jeff Lowenfels and co-host Jonathan White. It’s a companion to Jeff’s weekly ADN gardening columns and his popular series of books.
Jeff is back from his tour of Iceland, Scotland, and England just in time for snow in Alaska. Speaking of snow, the guys discuss how it isn’t necessarily bad for gardens. Known as “poor man’s fertilizer,” snow acts as an insulator, adds nitrogen to the soil, and releases nutrients slowly as it melts. This slow release is more beneficial than rain due to reduced runoff.
After the break, the guys discuss some popular holiday plants, including the ever-famous poinsettia.
Finally, the team answers a listener question about protecting shrubs from heavy snowfall.
Have a question? Ask Jeff and Jonathan at teamingwithmicrobes@me.com
Sponsored by Number 2 Organics, Big Foot Microbes and Down to Earth Fertilizers
Hosts: Jeff Lowenfels and Jonathan White. Produced by Evan Phillips.
This podcast is a collaboration between the hosts and Anchorage Daily News.
Feedback: teamingwithmicrobes@me.com
Read Lowenfels’ weekly columns on gardening and growing at ADN.com.
Read Jeff’s books: “Teaming with Microbes: The Organic Gardener’s Guide to the Soil Food Web,” “Teaming with Nutrients: The Organic Gardener’s Guide to Optimizing Plant Nutrition,” “Teaming with Fungi: The Organic Grower’s Guide to Mycorrhizae,” among others.
