Question: Does soil matter to native plants? Answer: Jonathan Foster, Community Education Assistant As explained in our UMaine resource, Soil and Plant Nutrition: A Gardener’s Perspective, soil is a critical resource for all plant life, providing plants with anchorage, water, and critical minerals and nutrients, among other things. So, in that sense, soil is just as […]
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Question: We are looking to plant two to three evergreens for privacy. They would be planted next to our small “orchard,” mostly crabapples but we want to try grafting them. Our question is whether evergreens can be planted next to an orchard or whether they would make the soil inhospitable for the fruit trees? The […]
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Question: I bought two Anne raspberry plants. Should they be cut down now? Answer: Jonathan Foster, Community Education Assistant I recommend first familiarizing yourself with the plant’s life cycle in our our Extension video (Growing Raspberries), by Extension Specialist David Hanley; the last part of the video specifically deals with “ever-bearing” varieties like your ‘Anne.’ Then move […]
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Question: I have an old apple tree that is a family landmark. It is very overgrown and produces tiny apples. I would like to rejuvenate it. Are there any resources about pruning and care? Answer: Jonathan Foster, Community Education Assistant You’ll find all the answer you need for pruning your apple trees in our UMaine […]
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Question: I grow King of the North bell peppers each year and for the last several years, some of them have spots. The spots start from the inside of the peppers and eventually are on the outside skin and form dark rotted spots. There is no insect damage that I can see, no holes or […]
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Question: I want to best prepare my beds for next spring. I think I’ve missed the boat on cover crop. Should I mulch my raised beds? I have ample access to leaves and pine needles. I also have garlic overwintering in one bed. Answer: Jonathan Foster, Community Education Assistant It is a bit too late […]
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Question: Is it too late to plant roses? Should I not cut back my Brown Eyed Susans to leave the seeds for the birds? Answer: Jonathan Foster, Community Education Assistant We recommend planting roses early in the year rather than late in order to give them ideal conditions to root in–there are some varieties that […]
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Question: A groundhog has taken up residence in a foundation rock wall. What can I do to get rid of it permanently? Answer: Donna R. Coffin, Extension Professor Woodchucks or groundhogs can cause significant damage to a home garden, so you will want to either have this one removed or plan to use an electric […]
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Question: Could you please advise as to the appropriate method of pruning the long lower limbs of my tamarack (aka larch) tree? They are hitting the house. Do I prune them all the way to the trunk or is it healthier for the tree to prune them back halfway or so? Answer: Jonathan Foster, Community […]
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Question: Are there Leopard Slugs (Limax Maximus) in Maine? Answer: Jonathan Foster, Community Education Assistant The leopard slug (also known as the giant or spotted slug) is indeed a frequent inhabitant of our area–typically found along the coast, it is now moving inland as environmental conditions change. This particular garden denizen is less common than the […]
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