Question: I need assistance determining why my trees are not surviving in the ground. I planted 20 thuja green giants (5-6 feet) in early October 2024 and four are completely dead. Six are more than 50% dead. The other ten are doing okay but not thriving. I’d love to test the soil and see what […]
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Question: We have a beautiful Dappled Willow Tree in our yard that is in full flower mode. It is about eight-feet tall with a width of about the same. It is full of aphids. How do we get rid of such pests on a bush so large? Answer: Jonathan Foster, Home Horticulture Outreach Professional Lovely […]
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Question: I’ve recently heard alfalfa meal is recommended for general application on flower beds and vegetable gardens. I need more information about using this amendment. Answer: Jonathan Foster, Home Horticulture Outreach Professional Alfalfa meal is a common organic soil amendment derived from alfalfa (Medicago sativa) crops, and it offers a low NPK (nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium… in the 3-1-2 range) […]
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Question: Is there an effective, natural way to get rid of ants in my lawn? Answer: Jonathan Foster, Home Horticulture Outreach Professional The short answer to your question is, unfortunately, “not really.” The typical “natural” approaches are things like boiling water, horticultural vinegar, etc.–none of them will kill enough of the ants to make a […]
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Question: I am writing an article on garden pollination. 1) What are the (20 or 30) most common vegetables grown in Maine home vegetable gardens? 2) Are there any bats in Maine that pollinate? Bats are often included in native pollinator lists, but I’ve learned most of the species that pollinate are tropical. 3) Aside […]
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Question: I have a patch of open woods along the road that that has nothing except trees in it. A microburst blew down a lot of trees in this space a number of years ago. Could someone please give me advice about how to “landscape” it? Where should I plant native shrubs and flowers that […]
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Question: I am writing to inquire about growing tomatoes in a heated greenhouse during the winter in Maine. The greenhouse can be heated to optimal growing temperature, but I was wondering if there would be enough sunlight to have fruiting plants without supplemental lights. Would the shortened daylight just increase the amount of time needed […]
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Question: I have a property with some woods on it, which I think was logged back in the day. I’ve seen a few bees around and was wondering if it was wise to spread some native wildflowers around the area or would that be disruptive and give them an unfair advantage? Additionally, how far away […]
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Question: When should central Maine Zone 4 start winter sowing? Answer: Jonathan Foster, Home Horticulture Outreach Professional The answer ultimately depends on what you’re sowing, but realistically you can do most of it now. As it happens, I just wrote an article for the Maine Home Garden News on winter sowing, so I’ll include the relevant portion […]
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Question: I live on land that was once an apple orchard. There is only one tree left and it produces great apples for pies and sauce. Its days are numbered and I would like to identify the tree so that I can plant more trees of this variety. I have tried to match the apples […]
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