Question: Should I rotate my vegetables in raised beds even if I am taking out about half or more of the soil each year and adding new? Answer: Jonathan Foster, Home Horticulture Outreach Professional When possible, crop rotation is always a best practice recommendation to prevent the potential build up of pathogens, though the realities […]
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Question: We live on the coast and after this year’s winter storms, we are considering planting more native sea grasses in the yard. We are hoping they could survive near the tide but out of it and then help hold soil when it is inundated during larger storms. What advice could you provide on this? […]
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Question: One of our garden areas was planted with lavender plants. They have all died off and we want to replant more lavender. Can you tell us what variety of lavender is the hardiest, lasts the longest and is most disease resistant? Also , is there such as thing as using too much peat moss? […]
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Question: We have two ducks and to keep them happy and healthy, this winter I dug out a small pond for them. The pond is approximately 10′ by 18′ with varying depths of 12 to 30+ inches. It’s in a naturally low lying area that tends to be wet for a good part of the […]
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Question: Can unbleached coffee/tea filters and paper bags, such as LunchSkins, be placed in a home compost pile? I attended a lecture that said these items may contain PFAS. Answer: Jonathan Foster, Home Horticulture Outreach Professional I asked my colleague, Nick Rowley, who is our in-house expert on compost, and I’ll provide his response in […]
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Question: Alleghany Viburnam dropped leaves which turned brown and curled up. I don’t know if this is an insect or fungus problem or something else. How can I fix? Answer: Jonathan Foster, Home Horticulture Outreach Professional I’m not sure from the wording of your question if the leaves browned and curled before or after dropping. […]
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Question: When is the the last spring frost in Hancock County and first fall frost? Answer: Jonathan Foster, Home Horticulture Outreach Professional The short answer is somewhere in the neighborhood of May 6th for last and October 2nd for first. Longer answer: as you no doubt know, frost dates are always an informed guess kind […]
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Question: I am looking to turn an open area in my backyard into a new vegetable/cut flower garden. It is currently grass and blueberries that haven’t produced fruit in years and have been being mowed back a few time a year most years. I know I need to do a soil test (and am planning […]
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Question: We are looking for a native vine that will grow on a trellis and be attractive to hummingbirds and pollinators. Most of the native vines we have seen have white flowers and therefore won’t help the hummingbirds. Early season bloom when food is scarce is ideal but any suggestions for anything suitable that would […]
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Question: I recently discovered this growth/cocoon on a young beach plum. It is only about 5/8″ long and at first assumed it to be some kind of cocoon given the perfectly round opening, only it appears to the be the same woody material as growing on the beach plum (or perhaps very well camouflaged). Any […]
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