Question: I am not sure if you cover this type of question, but here goes! 🙂 I would like to plant a tree in my backyard and I want to ensure that I plant something that is native and supportive to the wildlife in my town of Westbook — do you have any suggestions? Perhaps […]
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Question: I am a Master Gardener in Virginia, but I’m helping a friend start to think about her garden for a new house she is building in Maine. Only the garage has been completed this year, with the main house to follow next year. Her driveway wraps around a center section, which is also her […]
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Question: I would like to use some spearmint growing in a neighbor’s landscape garden. Since the garden is next to the street where dogs are walked, a neighbor in my building (who is hyper cautious, I might add) advised against eating the mint because of concern that dogs may have peed on the plants at […]
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Question: I am wondering if I should add a cover crop to my raised beds this fall/winter? I was growing vegetables in them over the summer and heard a cover crop is a great idea. What type of cover crop to get and how do you get rid of it before next year’s planting? Answer: […]
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Question: As I was inspecting/removing aphids from our young apple trees, I noticed an odd growth on a few of the leaves of one of the trees (a native bred Black Oxford from our local orchard and nursery). My inclination is to cut off any affected leaf to keep this odd growth from spreading, but […]
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Question: With all of the rain in July, I have raspberry plants way over 6′ tall. Few berries this year. Should I cut them back? I don’t want to hurt production next year, but these seem out of control. If cutting is the answer, how much and when? Also, I just planted a new section […]
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Question: I have been receiving the newsletter for years, this is my first time writing. I have two hydrangea trees that are about 5 ½ feet tall and 7 feet, that were planted about four years ago. They are in bloom and the blossoms captured the rain enough to bend the branches. On the smaller […]
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Question: What material do you recommend for a weed barrier under 3/4-inch stone? I was hoping to avoid a plastic product so I tried cardboard which failed miserably. I am willing to use a plastic product if it will work. Can you recommend something effective and durable? I have busy young children so the stones […]
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Question: I’ve let milkweed grow in my vegetable garden, which I didn’t take time to plant this year. I pulled out half but left some for monarchs, esp. since our new neighbor keeps the adjacent field mowed, instead of letting all the native plants grow. I thought the monarchs would have arrived by now, but […]
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Question: I have two “Double Knock Out Rose” bushes that are in their second year enjoying great sun and care. This year the bushes exploded with blooms — hundreds. It was lovely to cut and share, but the branches became weighted down, falling to the ground. I have noted that I shouldn’t prune them back […]
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