University of Maine Cooperative Extension provides home gardeners with practical, how-to solutions based on university research.

• Ask a gardening question.
• Diagnose a problem.
• See our calendar of upcoming classes and events.
• Register for upcoming classes and events.
• Learn more about becoming a Master Gardener or Maine Harvest for Hunger volunteer.
• If you need a plant identified, bring a sample to your local UMaine Extension county office or fill out a Plant Identification Submission Form (PDF).

Find garden & yard information about:

For timely information throughout the gardening season,
see Maine Home Garden News.

October is the month to…

• Take in a country fair and revel in the beauty autumn in Maine has to offer. Check out Facts About Leaf Color in Maine before you head out on the road so you can impress your fellow leaf peepers.
• Save seed. Be sure to know whether the seeds being saved are going to produce plants with the same traits as the “parent plant” — any plant you may have purchased with “F1” in its name is a hybrid and will not produce the same characteristics. See An Introduction to Seed Saving for the Home Gardener for more information.
  
• Plant garlic and ornamental bulbs after the soil has cooled (typically mid- to late-October). See Growing Hardneck Garlic in Your Maine Garden.

Read more garden tips and ideas in Maine Home Garden News.