This summer was the third wettest on record for the Haines townsite with a total rainfall of 11.25 inches for June, July and August, according to data kept by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The average summer temperature was 58.2 degrees, above average but not by much.
The wet weather and slightly warmer than average temperatures created unique challenges for Chilkat Valley gardeners.
“Mold is always a bit of a problem, but this year it’s even worse,” KHNS’s “Garden Conversation” host Mardell Gunn said, listing green beans as particularly susceptible. Slugs thrived in the damp environment, damaging many residents’ gardens, she said.
In general, Chilkat Valley growers report that rain has slowed plant development this year.
“We saw about a two-week delay on many of our crops,” Foundroot owner Leah Wagner said, noting that the weather hadn’t affected crops too much until recently.
“Now, we are seeing some of our late season crops be too waterlogged to make it to maturity, but we are still keeping them in to see if there is hope for a cool, dry September,” Wagner said.
This summer is a particularly stark contrast to last summer in terms of weather. The 2019 summer was warm with the third highest average temperature on record and 5.9 inches of rainfall, roughly half the amount seen in 2020.
“Last year, we saw record-setting crop yields in certain things,” Gunn said, noting that some were able to grow tomatoes outside, a rarity in Haines.
“Things like beans, zucchini and herbs—parsley, rosemary and sage—did well,” gardener Leslee Downer said.
But the hotter, drier summer came with its own challenges.
“People were complaining about problems with peas and brassicas, which are cool weather crops, not doing well,” Gunn said, and others had challenges watering their gardens, and with pests like wasps and hornets eating strawberries.
Dramatic year-to-year weather fluctuations are a normal part of growing crops in the Chilkat Valley. It’s something gardeners said they try to plan for, but there’s only so much they can do.
“You grow varieties that can handle a range of weather,” Downer said. “I’ve gotten some varieties of peas and beans and cabbages that, whether it’s a warm or cool summer, seem to do just fine.”
Gunn said her approach is to plant several varieties of the same crop, so that, regardless of weather, at least one variety is likely to do okay.
“The joy and curse of gardening is that you don’t have any control over the weather. You just have to accept what grows well this year and hope for the best next year,” Gunn said, adding, “Some would say that’s what keeps it interesting.”
This summer has been a record-setting one for Southeast in terms of precipitation. According to NOAA meteorologist Pete Boyd, this summer, Juneau had 68 days of “measurable rain,” .01 inches or more, beating the previous record of 67 days. Ketchikan set a new record for wettest summer with 47.28 inches of precipitation.