Question: I have discovered jumping worms in my raised vegetable beds. I traced the source back to my compost pile (the finished compost). I assume they are due to potted annual plants I purchased and then composted at the end of last season. I have a couple questions: 1. Various university websites suggests letting the […]
Read more
Question: How do I get bittersweet nightshade out of my pasture and how harmful is it to animals? Answer: Jonathan Foster, Home Horticulture Outreach Professional Bittersweet/climbing nightshade (Solanum dulcamara) is toxic to wildlife, as you obviously know. The lengthy species page from the USDA and the US Forestry Service says: “Climbing nightshade contains solanine (glycoalkaloid and alkamines collectively), […]
Read more
Question: What is okay to prune at shorelines? Answer: Jonathan Foster, Home Horticulture Outreach Professional These two resources should be a helpful place to get started on shoreline pruning questions: State of Maine “General Standards for Vegetation Clearing” Pamphlet State of Maine “Clearing Vegetation in the Shoreland Zone” Happy gardening.
Read more
Question: I planted six high bush blueberries of different varieties three years ago. This year several of them are growing strangely. Some have a ton of berries, but minimal plant growth. Others had hardly any berries and others appear damaged or sick. Could you provide potential diagnosis and guidance as to how to help them? […]
Read more
Question: Goldenrod (canadensis) has invaded flower beds, meadow, and woodland border. At first I didn’t mind, but the goldenrod is turning into a monoculture. I have read that part of its success is because it is allelopathic. What is the chemical(s) and is there a study or list of plants that are not affected? For […]
Read more
Question: I have an old but productive Macintosh Apple tree. It is beginning to show sun scald and is putting out shoots 2-3 feet from the trunk. I would hate to lose this tree! Can the shoots be replanted and if so, how and when? It is a standard tree, not on a rootstock. Answer: […]
Read more
Question: What is you advice regarding dealing with mugwort? We have a patch that has appeared this past year and is growing vigorously. It’s along the edge of a field, and camouflages some large spruce stumps, so not altogether objectionable. Should we try to get rid of it or leave it alone? Answer: Jonathan Foster, […]
Read more
Question: How long can a fall crop of beets and carrots remain in the soil in Southern Maine? Answer: Jonathan Foster, Home Horticulture Outreach Professional Per MOFGA’s nice resource page on storing vegetables, both beets and carrots can remain in the garden late into the fall under a nice layer of mulch, but should be harvested […]
Read more
Question: I have just purchased Redhead Fountain Grass. Is it an invasive? Answer: Jonathan Foster, Home Horticulture Outreach Professional Technically, the fountain grasses do not appear on the Maine Do Not Sell list, which is our database of officially recognized invasives. That said, it is considered invasive in a few other states, and just because a […]
Read more
Question: We recently had a magnolia and lilac bush planted by a landscaper and there seems to be some critter that is coming and digging up these newly planted bushes. How do we deal with this situation? Answer: Jonathan Foster, Home Horticulture Outreach Professional Unfortunately, it’s often difficult to identify what’s working at those roots, […]
Read more