Question: I planted strawberries in a raised bed last spring. I covered it with straw for the winter. When is the right time to remove the straw that is still covering the plants? I peeked under the straw and noted some healthy leaves. Answer: David Fuller, Agriculture and Non-Timber Forest Products Professional IV It sounds […]
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Question: Last summer, I planted two raised gardens with green beans and flowers. Some type of animal burrowed into the ground and up into my beds, and disrupted several plants, and even moved some dirt out under and onto the lawn. What can I do to prevent this from happening again? Answer: Kate Garland, Horticultural […]
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Question: I left the leaves and remains of plants last fall to help overwinter the pollinators. I’m wondering when is the right time to remove them now? Answer: Marjorie Peronto, Extension Educator Great question. I am making the same decision in my own gardens! The longer you can leave the plant materials in place, the […]
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Question: I have raised beds. What is the best green manure to put on the soil for the spring and then the fall? Clover? Rye? Answer: Tori Lee Jackson, Extension Professor of Agriculture and Natural Resources The cover crops and green manures you choose to improve your raised bed garden soil (and potentially break some […]
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Question: We would like to paint the side of our barn where we have clematis growing on a trellis. There are already new buds appearing on last year’s vines. I want to be very careful not to disrupt it and damage this year’s blooms. Do you have any advice on how to accomplish the paint […]
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Question: We live on Little Deer Isle and are writing with a question about growing Maine wild blueberries. We have a patch approximately 15’x40′ that we had transplanted two years ago. We have added peat moss and sulphur, but the plants are not thriving. The patch abuts a field. We are having a dreadful time […]
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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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