Question: I live in South Portland. Every summer for about 10 years I’ve had a vegetable garden on the same 50 x 25 ft plot. This year I won’t have time for a garden. What should I do this spring, summer and fall to improve the soil for next summer? Answer: Tori Lee Jackson, Extension […]
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Question: I live in Saco and am in the process of a multi-year (lifelong?) effort to control the spread of Japanese Knotweed on my property, using a combination of methods. My property abuts a community garden/park, which is infested, so I have no illusions of ever eradicating it but am trying to control its spread […]
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Question: We recently purchased a home in North Lubec and are eager to create two large raised beds for vegetables and herbs for this June-September growing season. We have 8+ hours of south and southwest sun, which is where the beds will be located. We noticed that many vegetable gardens are not anywhere as close […]
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Question: Is it acceptable to plant butterfly bushes in Maine if they are sterile? Answer: Lynne Holland, Community Education Assistant (Home Horticulture), Androscoggin and Sagadahoc Counties That is a great question and it also brings up a problem we often face-the use of common names for items that have both invasive and non-invasive members in […]
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Question: I own six acres on Islesboro, approximately two acres of which I would like to turn into a field of wildflowers with a few assorted apple trees and the existing birch and ash trees. I have included an image of the property with a key showing the main “environments.” This property was historically a […]
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Question: Our camp is on Schoodic Lake. I want to grow a vegetable garden, but we aren’t there every day. Sometimes we are gone a few days, sometimes a week back home. I am looking for ideas for watering while we are away. Is there some kind of small pump I can use to water […]
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Question: I want to start a rose garden. What do I need to get started (soil, drainage, etc.)? Answer: Tori Lee Jackson, Extension Professor of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Maine Cooperative Extension Androscoggin and Sagadahoc Counties As with many plants, your new rose garden will need well-drained soil and lots of sun. Your […]
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Question: We’re in the process of building our new net zero home and we have a rooftop garden that will be roughly 14×13 and about 6-8 inches of soil mixed with some raised beds. We were wondering what kind of options we might have for plants that would do well in a well drained, part […]
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Question: I am interested in making Wattle fencing/hurdles around my backyard and am hoping for any insight as to what trees/plants from Maine would be best to use. I have read that in England they use Hazel and Willow and am wondering what would be the closest to those that exist naturally here. It is […]
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Question: I want to challenge myself and my sons, together with their families, to grow popcorn this spring. Any suggestions on the type that will grow best in Southern Maine? Also, what would the best variety to grow in a container on a deck? We don’t have large garden spaces so are limited in that […]
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