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Browntail Moth Caterpillar on leaf

211 Now Available for Browntail Moth Questions

Maine Government News AUGUSTA – The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC), Maine Forest Service (MFS), and 211 Maine announced today a new way for Mainers to get information about browntail moths. People with questions can now call 211 Maine to speak to a specialist regarding browntail moth biology, management, pesticide options, health […]

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two hands holding soil

A Quick Reference For How To Take A Soil Test

  What does a soil test from the Cooperative Extension do? A soil test will tell you: -Nutrient levels in your soil – Soil pH levels – Presence of lead contamination, if any Why should I test my soil? A soil test will help you to optimize your garden or lawn by providing the information […]

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Common Ninebark Plant. Flowers and leaves.

Native Plants at the Master Gardener Plant Sale

Where can a gardener go to grow a thriving, easy, inexpensive garden which helps native pollinators?      Come to the Master Gardener Plant Sale! Master Gardeners are a wealth of knowledge on the selection and care of plants. Any Master Gardener will say, plants tend to do better in the habitats they are native to. […]

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4 browntail moth caterpillars on a tree

All About Browntail Moth Caterpillars (BTM)

What Browntail Moths Are & What You Can Do: Last week at the UMaine Extension Cumberland County office, we noticed a few caterpillar nest tents in the branches of the crab apples. The caterpillars had just begun to hatch. We removed them by cutting the nests out of the trees. It is important that even […]

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A cartoon sweet potato holding a sign that reads "See me at the Master Gardener Plant Sale May 18th!" with UMaine logo

Growing Sweet Potatoes: An interview with Tom Witwicki, Master Gardener

  Did you know that you can buy a single sweet potato from the grocery store and turn it into many pounds of food from the garden? Fascinating! In this interview for our blog readers, Master Gardener Volunteer, Tom Witwicki describes sweet potato cultivation. He suggests that red garnet and Japanese purple are two varieties […]

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two teenagers building electronics at a table

4-H@UMaine: Connecting Kids to Campus

Connect with us on campus! May 31 – June 1, 2019 Do you ever wonder what it’s like to spend a weekend on a college campus? 4-H@UMaine is the chance to check out what the University of Maine has to offer! Middle school and high school students will be special guests on campus! They will […]

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Master Gardeners helping customers shop for plants

May 18th Plant Sale: Reduce, Reuse, Garden Tools!

The Annual Master Gardener Plant Sale sells more than just plants. They feature gently used garden tools too! If you come to the plant sale, you just may find the exact tool you need at a price you bargain for!   “It goes well with the reduce, reuse, recycle philosophy,” says Master Gardener, Leigh Mundhenk, […]

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Q&A For the Novice Food Preserver

In this interview, Master Food Preserver Volunteer Kathy Shaw offers a Q&A for our readers about food preservation and in particular, the Master Food Preserver Volunteer Program (MFP) offered by the University of Maine Cooperative Extension. Kathy took the course in 2009. She has continued to be a part of the program ever since. She lives […]

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Merrifield Farmer making maple syrup.

Maine Maple Sunday

The annual Maine Maple Sunday is a beloved event here in Maine and a sure sign of Spring as rising temperature creates pressure inside trees, causing sap to flow. Each year nearly 100 participating sugarhouses (building where maple sap is boiled and maple syrup and maple sugar are made) across the state offer a variety of […]

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