Maine Home Garden News
May 2009

May is the month to . . .

• Remove caterpillar nests with a gloved hand from small trees and shrubs on your property, or clip off the stem supporting the nest with shears.  Dispose of the sticky nest in the trash, bury it in your compost pile, or submerge the nest in soapy water.  Removal of the nests will considerably reduce the caterpillars that defoliate your trees. Do not use flame (torches) to destroy the nest.  This is very risky and will likely damage the tree. 
• Watch weather forecasts for the threat of frosts and protect seedlings as needed.  Frosts most commonly occur on clear (not cloudy), calm nights.  Use materials such as bed sheets or plastic tarps to cover tender plants on nights when frost threatens. Remove the covers during the day.
• Consider getting your lawn mower into the shop for a maintenance check or perform a maintenance check yourself by sharpening the blade(s), changing the oil, changing the spark plug, checking the belts and cleaning it up for a new season. 
• Do a “walk around” your property to see what needs to be done with plants.  Did everything make it through the winter?  Prune off any damaged portions of the plants.
• If you have not done so by now, rake the lawn and place rakings in the compost pile.
• Many perennial shrubs, berry plants and trees can be planted now, while the nursery stock is still dormant and readily available.
• In mid-month, plant seeds and seedlings (designated with an *) in the vegetable garden such as Peas, Radish, Spinach, Turnip, Parsley, Broccoli*, Cabbage*, Cauliflower*, Carrots, Brussels Sprouts, Potatoes, Lettuce, Leeks, Onions, Beets, Celery, Early Sweet Corn, Dill, or Parsnips.
• Start “hardening off” purchased or self-grown seedlings by gradually acclimating them to winds and other weather conditions.
• By the end of the month and after the threat of frost is past, it should be safe to plant tomato, eggplant, pepper and cucumber seedlings as well as direct seeding beans, summer squash and winter squash outside.
• When setting out seedlings, consider using a phosphorous rich “starter solution” as a fertilizer.  Phosphorous may not be available to plants in cold Maine soil in the spring.  By adding a fertilizer with a high Phosphorous value (the middle number in fertilizer analysis N-P-K), you will promote rooting of the new seedlings.  Fertilizers such as 10-20-10 or 15-30-15 provide readily available phosphorous.
• Every Friday evening at 5:30 you can view "Your Garden" segments on NBC affiliates WCSH 6 and WLBZ2.
• Place 3-6" of mulch on the soil around your perennial plantings to inhibit weed growth.  Materials such as bark, woodchips, shavings and/or pine needles work well.
• Consider taking photos of your property each month this growing season. You could be surprised how trees, shrubs and other plantings change over 4-5 months.
• Consider planting new plants in your landscape.  Visit your local nursery or garden center to check out the options.  Always consider the mature size of a plant when purchasing.  Know how tall and wide it typically will grow.
• The Maine Forest Service would like your help to be on lookout for three invasive insect species that could be detrimental to Maine forests. They are the Asian Longhorned Beetle, the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid and the Emerald Ash Borer. For reporting pests, fact sheets and ID cards call 207-287-2431 or see the web site Invasive Threats to Maine's Forests and Trees

By Richard Brzozowski, Extension Educator, Cumberland County, Maine, rbrz@umext.maine.edu ; Dr. David Handley, Extension Specialist, Highmoor Farm, dhandley@umext.maine.edu

Compost Systems for the Home Gardener
By Mark Hutchinson, Extension Educator, Knox & Lincoln Counties; markh@umext.maine.edu

An increased interest in home gardening has also increased the interest in home composting. Compost is a natural biological process, turning unstable organic material into a stable soil amendment. This process can be used to turn kitchen food waste into a good soil amendment for your gardens. Composting is fun and simple if you understand some of the basic principles. After learning about the compost process you will need to decide on the type of system that best fits your situation.

Compost quality depends on the management of the system not on the extravagance of the structure. The simplest management system is called cold composting. In this system you continually add material to the pile and over time the material breaks down. This is a low input system. Consequently, finished compost is ready in 6 months – 2 years. Non-woody yard waste is the most appropriate material for this system. The disadvantage of this system is that the pile does not heat and weed seeds and pathogens are not destroyed.

A turned system is more labor intensive. In this system material is added in layers, alternating between carbon and nitrogen materials. The initial pile should be at least 3’ x 3’ x 3’ to hold the heat. It is important in this system to have the proper carbon to nitrogen ratio (20-30:1), moisture (50-60%), pH (6.0-8.2) and aeration. If the material heats for an extended period of time and reheats after turning the pile conditions are favorable for the compost microbes. If the pile temperature reaches 131^o F for at least three consecutive days throughout the pile, most weed seeds and pathogens will be destroyed. In approximately 8 weeks, compost material maybe ready for use in the garden. This system requires larger quantities of compost material and more labor.

To help manage compost piles, compost structures are often bought or constructed. Most home compost structures are for esthetics and or vector control. There are a lot of fancy compost structures for sale that can work with either system.  Barrel and drum turners, plastic storage bins, prefab wire mesh bins, are examples.  Purchasing a composting structure is not necessary. Structures made from pallets, cement blocks, wire mesh or other recycled material can work just as well. No matter what structure you choose it needs to match your management system. For example plastic storage bins are good for cold composting. A three bin structure works well for hot composting. A good reference for compost bins is “Composting to Reduce the Waste Stream” available through the Extension Publications office or online at Composting to Reduce the Waste Stream

Compost piles can also be built on the ground without any structure.  Piles should be located in an area that is high and dry.  Compost piles should not be located on rock out crops, ledge or low wet areas. Selecting a convenient location for the compost pile will precipitate greater usage. This process requires the lowest amount of capital input. A disadvantage is collecting the compost material off the ground surface can be difficult.

Your job is to create a favorable environment for the beneficial microorganisms that are working for you to create a good soil amendment for your garden. Composting is a great way to recycle no matter what system or structure you choose. Choose a system and structure that encourages you to compost and enjoy the process.

Lisianthus - The Queen of the Cut Flowers
by Barbara Murphy, Extension Educator, Oxford County; bmurphy@umext.maine.edu

Growing cut flowers can add a whole new dimension to gardening. Intensive breeding work has multiplied the variety of colors, shapes and styles available. In addition, many of the bedding plant standards such as zinnia and dianthus now have cultivars with extra-long stems, just perfect for bouquets. Now, with a bit of dedicated space and time you can have flowers for all occasions. With so many beautiful flowers to choose from, often the hardest step is deciding which flowers to grow!

Lisianthus, Eustoma grandiflorum, is a flower easily mistaken for a rose. Tapered, gray-green leaves on long, 30+ inch stems add elegance to the flowers which are available as singles or doubles in a multitude of colors. Eustoma is native to the western part of the United States where it is known as “Prairie Gentian”. A perennial in zones 7 and warmer, lisianthus are grown as annuals in Maine.

Lisianthus, like most cut flowers needs full sun and does best in well-drained, loamy soil. The seeds are very small and slow and difficult to germinate; so finding a source of seedlings will improve your chance of success. Lisianthus are still a bit of a specialty flower in most greenhouses and nurseries, so you may have to hunt around a bit. Eustoma are sold year-round in the commercial flower market, and are grouped according to when they bloom. For example, 1-1 included in the cultivar name indicates it blooms in winter and early spring, while a designation of 2-4 or 3-4 would do well in summer and early fall here in Maine.

Lisianthus can be spaced quite closely, 6” between plants and 1 foot between rows. To achieve the impressive 30” stems, it is important to water and fertilize the lisianthus regularly. The plants should not be allowed to dry out; instead frequent deep watering will result in high quality blooms. In addition to water, fertilizer containing both calcium and nitrogen is needed. If a soluble fertilizer is used, discontinue as the buds become visible.

Pinch the seedling at the five-leaf stage by removing the growing stem above the fifth node. This removes the first bloom, which will open on a very short (4-5”) stem leaving sprays of buds on impressively long stems. Harvest the flowers when one or more flower per stem is open.  Vase-life in plain water is quite long, averaging over two weeks for freshly cut blooms.
 

© 2009

Published and distributed in furtherance of Acts of Congress of May 8 and June 30, 1914, by the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, the Land Grant University of the state of Maine and the U.S. Department of Agriculture cooperating. Cooperative Extension and other agencies of the U.S.D.A. provide equal opportunities in programs and employment.

Call 800-287-0274 or TDD 800-287-8957 (in Maine), or 207-581-3188, for information on publications and program offerings from University of Maine Cooperative Extension, or visit www.extension.umaine.edu.

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