Maine Home Garden News – September 2024

In This Issue:

• September Is the Month to . . .
• Help Protect Maine’s Trees: Join the Fight Against Invasive Species
• A Tale of Three Training Programs
• Full (Super!) Moon Lore
• Planting Trees Successfully in the Fall
• Backyard Bird of the Month: Sharp-shinned Hawk
• Mainely Dish: Homemade Salsa
• Maine Weather and Climate Overview (September 2024)

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September Is the Month to . . .

Article and photos by Kate Garland, Horticulture Professional, UMaine Extension Penobscot County

Clean pots and seed-starting supplies. Take advantage of the remaining warm sunny days to ensure your supplies are ready for spring planting.

Sow a last round of cold-tolerant veggies or a cover crop in empty garden spaces. Spinach, Swiss chard, lettuce, radish, and salad turnips and beets can all be sown in early September and enjoyed well into mid to late fall with just a small amount of season extension effort.

Oats are a great fall cover crop as they grow quickly and die back in winter, reducing the need to kill them off prior to planting the following season. If left in place, the winter-killed oats can also serve as a light mulch the following season.

Collect flowers for drying.

By cutting flowers at their peak, you can extend the joy of your garden throughout winter. Drying Flowers – A Great Way to Preserve Nature’s Beauty offers some varieties to consider and tips for success.

Start a compost bin or relocate an existing bin for easier access in winter months. Starting a compost bin now can reduce household waste and manage landscape debris for next spring. Making an existing bin more accessible in cold weather helps maintain your composting routine year-round.

Home Composting Basics
How to Home Compost: A Compost Recipe

Harvest, store, and preserve.

Our What To Do With Your Harvest video offers some practical post-harvest tips and our on-demand food preservation webinar series is where you can take a deeper dive into specific methods and best practices.

Wondering when those apples and pumpkins are already to pick? Check out these resources:

Pumpkin Harvesting and Storage
How to Harvest and Store Apples

Donate fresh produce. Even a small bag of vegetables can make a big difference to someone. Locally grown vegetables are the taste of summer everyone deserves to enjoy. Contact your local Extension office if you need help finding a place to share your treasured produce.

Plant trees, shrubs, and perennials. Late summer and early fall are ideal for planting as you can often find good deals and the plants have ample time to establish before winter. See our article below Planting Trees Successfully in the Fall for the tips you need for success.

Establish a lawn or repair bare spots. Warm soil temperatures and increased precipitation are perfect for establishing grass seed, helping to create a lush, healthy lawn for the next growing season. Our bulletin Establishing a Home Lawn in Maine offers step-by-step instructions and suggested grasses for Maine lawns.

Source your firewood as close to where you’ll be using it as possible. Whether you’re camping or preparing for the heating season, help prevent the spread of Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) and other invasive species by avoiding transporting firewood over long distances. EAB has been detected in numerous locations throughout southern, central and far northern regions of Maine. Learn more about the quarantine areas that have been established to mitigate its spread.

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Help Protect Maine’s Trees: Join the Fight Against Invasive Species

Courtesy of Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry

During the peak season for invasive insect activity, the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) call on everyone to help protect our beloved trees. We encourage everyone to spend just a few minutes checking the trees in their communities and forests for signs of invasive species.

Help Matters

Invasive species, which include non-native plants, animals, and diseases, can cause significant harm to our environment, economy, and even human health. These invaders can wreak havoc without natural predators or diseases to keep them in check.

• Maine State Horticulturist Gary Fish explains, “Our first defense against invasive species is to prevent their arrival in the first place. Our partners at USDA APHIS and Customs and Border Protection here in the US and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency north of the border frequently stop plant pests before they can gain a foothold in North America. However, the volume of trade and travel prevents them from stopping every pest.”
• Maine State Forester Patty Cormier highlights the crucial role of public involvement: “Trees are vital to our state economy and provide countless environmental benefits, including clean air, water, wildlife habitat, and recreation opportunities. With more eyes on the ground, we can help detect invasive insects early, preventing tree loss and preserving our forests.”

  

Spotting the Threats – What to Look For

Watch for four primary invasive species:

• Asian longhorned beetle— This large (>1″) black and white beetle has a taste for maples and other hardwood or broad-leaved trees. Look for oval to round wounds on the bark where the females have chewed out a site to deposit eggs, round holes in the trunks and branches of trees, and piles of coarse sawdust at the base of trees.
• Emerald ash borer — This small (<1/2″) metallic green beetle is deadly for ash (Fraxinus) trees. Look for small (1/8″) D-shaped adult exit holes in the bark, winding frass-filled (sawdust-like waste) feeding galleries under the bark, woodpecker feeding, crown dieback, and epicormic shoots. Emerald ash borer has been found in Parts of Androscoggin, Cumberland, Kennebec, Oxford, Penobscot, and York Counties in the southern half of the state and northern Aroostook County.
• Oak wilt disease — This deadly fungal disease of oaks is found in other parts of the United States, including the closest known infestations in New York State. Look for leaves suddenly turning brown or dropping in the red oak group (pointed lobes on leaves) trees during summer months.

  

• Spotted lanternfly —This colorful planthopper, not known to be established in Maine yet, is an expert hitchhiker with a broad appetite. Spotted lanternfly feeds on and can damage various plants. It is best known for its impact on grapes and hops. Look for the brightly colored nymphs and adults, but be aware that this insect hitches a ride most subtly as dull-colored egg masses. Like the infamous spongy moth, the adult lays eggs on almost anything.

For more detailed profiles on these and other threats, visit the Maine Forest Service website: maine.gov/forestpests.

What You Can Do

Please take 10 minutes and inspect the trees in our yards, neighborhoods, and local forests. If a suspected invasive pest is identified, take a picture and send it to foresthealth@maine.gov. Spotted lanternfly reports can be sent to bugwatch@maine.gov. Ensure photographs are detailed enough for verification—placing a coin or pencil next to the pest for scale can be helpful. If possible, capture the insect in a rigid container and store it in a cool place until you receive a response.

Prevent the Spread

Taking a few simple actions can make a big difference:

• Buy firewood where you’ll burn it or gather it on-site if permitted. Moving firewood can spread invasive pests.
• Check vehicles, bags, and boxes for insects when traveling locally or moving to a new area. Invasive insects can easily hitch a ride.

State Horticulturist Fish reminds us, “We all have a role to play in preventing the spread of invasive species. Taking a few minutes to check the trees in your yard can ensure that our forests and trees are here for future generations.”

We appreciate everyone’s dedication to protecting Maine’s trees and forests. Your vigilance and action are invaluable.

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A Tale of Three Training Programs

By Rebecca Long, Coordinator of Horticulture Training Programs

Picture it: it’s the summer of 2020, mid-pandemic, and the Maine Master Gardener Volunteer team realized we urgently needed a curriculum for an online training course. We set the ambitious goal to have a fully online course ready by early 2021. Although the pandemic had forced us to confront the need for a better virtual version of our training, it also provided us with the opportunity to develop one. We brought together 35 staff members from Extension and partner organizations in Maine for the Herculean feat of organizing 16 new chapters of content. Eight short months later we launched a training course with our new curriculum.

This new virtual training course allowed us to meet two additional needs. For years, we had heard from individuals interested in in-depth gardening education similar to the Master Gardener Volunteer training, but who could not commit to the volunteer requirements. This is how the Maine Gardener Training was born: it offers the comprehensive horticulture training of our Master Gardener Volunteer program without the volunteer commitment.

Our second need came from the horticulture industry who were asking for more workforce development. With the help of horticulture industry experts, we revised our core curriculum to incorporate industry insights, soft skills, career options, and a 200-hour apprenticeship, creating the Maine Horticulture Apprentice Training, our first micro-credentialed program.

Since 2022 we have been able to offer not one but these three in-depth training courses. Consider making the commitment to build your horticultural knowledge in whichever path suits your goals and let your gardening friends know about these opportunities as well.

• Maine Gardener Training: for your garden. Registration opens Sept. 30 at noon.
• Maine Horticulture Apprenticeship Training: for your career. Registration opens Sept. 23 at noon.
• Master Gardener Volunteer Training: for your community. Next training: fall 2025.

From a Maine Gardener Participant: “I took the Maine Gardener Training program this past winter. It was really fantastic, exceeded my expectations and taught me a lot. I loved that the first module was on ecology and biodiversity and that you integrated that into all the other units.  Thank you and your team for providing a wonderful learning experience!”

From a business that hosted a Maine Horticulture Apprentice: “She is an amazing asset to our greenhouses. Excellent customer service and very knowledgeable. We have hired [her] to a full-time position.”

We strive to keep our training programs financially accessible for everyone. Of the more than 500 individuals who have participated in our training programs over the last three years, we have subsidized the cost for over 60%. If you would like to help us keep our training programs accessible to everyone, please consider making a donation to our horticulture fund.

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Full (Super!) Moon Lore

By Lynn Holland, Horticulture Professional, UMaine Extension Androscoggin and Sagadahoc County

August 19, 2024, was the first of four Supermoons for 2024. A supermoon refers to a full moon at the time when the moon is in perigee to the earth. Perigree is an astronomical term that means the earth and moon are at their closest point to each other in the moon’s elliptical orbit. Generally, there are three of these each year, but since the lunar cycle is 29 days, there is a fourth one this year. This made the August Supermoon a Blue Moon as well. It is generally thought that the moon appears larger and brighter during a Supermoon.

The next Supermoon is September 18. The September full moon means many things to many people, but in the unceded territory of the Wabanaki homeland that we call Maine[1], every full moon since ancient times has been directly connected to nature, as noted in the language shared in this video. These connections have come into the modern vernacular as well; just look at any almanac. According to the New England Historical Society, in 1645, William Pynchon recorded the names of each full moon as described by an unnamed Abenaki tribe in Massachusetts. This listing of moons was based on the idea that the new year began at the Spring Equinox. English colonists would soon begin naming the moons using English terms.

The September moon was known as micheeneekesos — when Ind corne is eatable — and in colonial terms is called the Full Corn Moon or Full Harvest Moon. Due to the cyclical nature of the full moon, sometimes this Harvest Moon falls in late August or early October. Like the weather, no two years have full moons at the exact same time. Wabanaki people are still guided by the moon, as that movement has become attached to knowledge that has been passed down. Mahqan, or Sugar Moon, is the last full moon of winter (February/March). Though its appearance doesn’t mean the maple syrup is running, it signals the need to be in the woods checking and or getting ready for the maple sap.

The Harvest Moon is often the centerpiece of many activities, both cultural and agricultural. This full moon is the closest to the Fall Equinox, which holds religious and cultural significance around the world. In some cultures, this was a time to gather not only the harvest but also to come together. In both Korea and China, this is the time of family reunions and eating special foods such as moon cakes. In Korea it is known as Chuseok and is a national holiday similar to Thanksgiving in North America.

The Farmer’s Almanac has a tradition of including information on how to garden by the moon and astrological cycles. Based on ancient traditions, some groups have extended the connection of seasons and nature to practices that combine astrology with specific recommendations on which plants to plant or harvest at each point in the lunar cycle. There is no research-based evidence that the moon can scientifically affect the growth of plants, but the knowledge that is associated with lunar cycles, combined with lived experience, can highlight seasonal indicators. These indicators have become the modern scientific practice called phenology (signs of the season). There is some thought that more research is needed, as the planting by moon cycles dates back to Ancient Roman traditions and, in fact, ancient traditions around the world. Even the ancient Hawaiians had planting traditions based on the moon, and their island culture was developed in isolation due to their location. Today, the Hawaii Farm to School network connects the kids to their local food system

This September 18th, the full moon will be just four days before the equinox. It is a Supermoon, so it should be a little bigger and brighter. Make plans to celebrate this bright night outdoors at the start of autumn, and perhaps even listen to a little Neil Young or play a rustic ballad about the Harvest Moon.

 ¹ University of Maine Cooperative Extension Land Acknowledgment
The University of Maine recognizes that it is located on Marsh Island in the homeland of Penobscot people. UMaine Extension recognizes we are located around the state in the homeland of Wabanaki people, where issues of water, territorial rights, and encroachment upon sacred sites are ongoing. We recognize that Wabanaki (Maliseet, Micmac, Passamaquoddy, and Penobscot) Tribal Nations are distinct, sovereign, legal, and political entities with their own powers of self-governance and self-determination. We respect the Wabanaki People as the original stewards of this land.

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Planting Trees Successfully in the Fall

Adapted from an article originally written by Amy Witt, former Cumberland County Horticulturist, University of Maine Cooperative Extension, for the Maine Home Garden News in 2011

After a long winter, most Mainers can’t wait to get out in their yards to prepare their gardens and rejuvenate their landscapes. Often, one of the first tasks on people’s list is to plant trees and shrubs, thinking that spring and early summer are the best time for this activity. While late spring and early summer are good times to plant, late summer to mid-fall is also a great time to plant trees. The soil temperatures are warmer and less saturated than in the spring, people generally have more time to plant, and many nurseries often have end-of-the-season sales on their plant material. When planting trees in the fall, the general rule is to plant them by Indigenous People’s Day in order to give the roots time to establish before the ground freezes and the cold weather shuts down growth. Tree roots need soil temperatures of at least 55° (at a 6-inch depth) and take approximately 6 weeks to get established.

The first step to a healthy tree is selecting the right tree for the right location and then planting it correctly. In order to select the best tree for your site you must consider the following:

• What is the hardiness zone in which the tree will be planted? (Refer to Bulletin #2242, Plant Hardiness Zone Map of Maine.)
• What is the environment the tree will be planted in (exposure to light and wind, type of soil, drainage, topography, etc.)?
• How much space will the tree have to grow? Select a site with enough room for the branches and roots to reach their full size.
• What is the purpose of the tree (fruit-bearing, shade, ornamental)?
• What characteristics are you looking for (4-season interest, deciduous, conifer, shape)?
• What is the mature size of the tree (makes a big difference in regards to where it is planted)?

While there are many resources available for finding the right plant for your location, the Plant Search feature on the Native Plant Trust website is one we’ve found to be very user-friendly as it allows you to fine-tune your search based on the criteria above.

Once the tree and site have been selected, it is time to plant.

• Before digging the hole, you need to call DIG SAFE (1-888-344-7233), a free service available for anyone to use. They will survey the area and make sure you will not be hitting any underground utilities.
• Find the root flare (place where roots attach to base of trunk).
• Dig a hole as deep as the root ball and 3-5 times the size of the diameter.
• If the tree is balled and burlapped, remove the burlap and any wires or rope around the ball before planting. If the tree is in a container, remove the container and carefully cut through circling roots with a knife to release them.
• Plant the tree so once settling has occurred, the root flare will be at grade level (it is better to plant a little too high than too low).
• Back fill the hole with un-amended Compost, peat moss and other fertilizers are not necessary in most cases and may inhibit long-term establishment.
• Water well to settle the soil and remove air pockets.
• Add a 2-3-inch layer of mulch, but not within 6 inches of the trunk of the tree.
• Do not stake unless the tree has a large crown, is not able to stand up to the wind, or is located where people may push it over. Then only stake it for a maximum of one year and make sure the tree can flex in the wind. Conifers rarely need to be staked.

By following these guidelines for planting trees in the fall, you can give your trees a strong start and shorten your to-do list for next spring.

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Backyard Bird of the Month: Sharp-shinned Hawk

By Maine Audubon Field Naturalist Andy Kapinos

You may never see Sharp-shinned Hawks, but they certainly pass through your backyard. Sharp-shinned Hawks are some of the most significant predators of small birds, which make up the majority of their diet, so as you might expect, bird feeders make easy hunting grounds.

Here’s a good clue to their presence, as well as that of their close relatives Cooper’s Hawks: look out at your bird feeder and there are only one or two birds, stationary and not eating. This is usually the aftermath of a Sharp-shinned Hawk flying through, looking for prey. Scan the trees around the edge of the yard and you may see a Sharp-shinned Hawk perched and hidden, calculating its next flyby. These hawks rely on this element of surprise to hunt successfully; when they are spotted, they are almost always “mobbed” by prey species and driven out of the area.

The Accipiter hawks, Sharp-shinned and Cooper’s, are easy to distinguish from other raptors by their long tails and slender bodies. Telling the two apart is far more difficult, and one of the classic challenges of North American birding. Sharp-shinned Hawks are the smaller species, with proportionally smaller heads that make their eyes look huge, often described as “bug-eyed.” Proportions are more helpful than overall size, especially since both species are highly sexually dimorphic, with Sharp-shinned Hawks displaying some of the most pronounced differences between the large females (5-7 oz) and smaller males (3-4 oz). Whichever Accipiter you find, September is probably the best time to see them, as they migrate south in huge numbers along the coast and mountain ranges. Keep an eye out at your feeders for these fast, agile hawks, and remember: they need to eat too!

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Mainely Dish: Homemade Salsa

By Alex Gayton, Assistant EFNEP Coordinator & Social Media Coordinator, Expanded Food Nutrition and Education Program (EFNEP), University of Maine Cooperative Extension

Salsa is a staple condiment in many kitchens and it’s easier to make than you might think. This Homemade Salsa recipe only uses six ingredients: tomatoes, corn, onion, jalapeño peppers, lime juice, and garlic. Tomatoes are the base of the salsa and are a good source of vitamin C. The corn adds a perfect crunch and sweetness to the salsa and provides some fiber. I don’t enjoy adding “heat” to foods, so I don’t use jalapeño peppers when I make this recipe. This is one of the benefits of making your salsa, you control the ingredients.

Our Spoonful Blogger, Kayla Parsons, wrote a blog called Growing Peppers, Mild to Hot! which provides more details about peppers. One important thing I learned from that blog is, “Peppers get their heat from the odorless chemical compound, capsaicin (pronounced kap-say-sn). Capsaicin can be found in the white part on the inside of peppers which the seeds are attached to.”

If you decide to use jalapeño peppers here are some tips on how to safely prepare them:

• Clean peppers when you are ready to use them by rinsing with cold running water.
• Do not touch your nose, eyes or mouth after handling hot peppers. If you do, flush with water immediately.
• Wear rubber gloves while preparing jalapeño peppers when possible.
• To decrease the heat intensity, wash peppers, cut them open and remove the seeds and the white part. Soaking cut peppers in salt water for at least an hour will help decrease the heat as well.
• When done working with hot peppers, wash hands well with soap and water.

Impress your guests by serving this vibrant and delicious salsa. It can be served as a snack, appetizer, or topping. Try using this homemade salsa recipe with Chicken, Corn, and Rice Casserole, Fajitas, or Make-Ahead Mexican Roll Ups.

Important note, this recipe is not for preserving. If you are interested in preserving salsa go to the National Center for Home Food Preservation (NCHFP) website for salsa recipes appropriate for canning and watch University of Maine Cooperative Extension’s Preserving the Maine Harvest: Salsa video to see the canning process for salsa.

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Maine Weather and Climate Overview (September 2024)

By Dr. Sean Birkel, Assistant Extension Professor, Maine State Climatologist, Climate Change Institute, Cooperative Extension University of Maine

Maine’s 2024 growing season has so far been warmer than normal with near to above normal precipitation.  July ranks 4th warmest (top 1/10) and 23rd wettest (top 1/3) statewide for records beginning 1895, reflecting atmospheric patterns that brought heat and humidity into the region from the Gulf of Mexico and subtropical North Atlantic for most of the month.  August began hot and humid, but a change in weather pattern has since brought generally moderate conditions.  Preliminary average temperature ranks from daily station observations for August 1–26 follow: Portland 22nd (68.8°F), Bangor 10th (69.3°F), and Caribou 5th (67.4°F).  As shown by the Northeast Drought Early Warning System, precipitation for the past 30 days has been near or above normal for most of the state, with the exception of parts of Aroostook and Penobscot counties where there are some deficits.  However, groundwater and streamflow observations show normal or above normal nearly everywhere.

The latest 10-day weather forecast (starting August 28th) and 6–10 day outlook products from the NOAA Climate Prediction Center indicate the first week in September will see below to near normal temperature with below normal precipitation.  The September-October–November fall outlook shows above normal temperature and a lean toward above normal precipitation.  The latest weather forecast for your area is available from weather.gov.