Question: Can you recommend a dwarf or standard hardy sweet or tart cherry tree for Bar Harbor? Answer: Rebecca Long, Sustainable Agriculture and Horticulture Professional Bar Harbor is a mild Zone 5b, so you will want not only a plant that is hardy, but also one with good spring bud hardiness so you are less […]
Read more
Question: I believe that my tree has Apple Cedar Rust. Is there anything I can do to treat it? Answer: Katherine Garland, Horticulturist You are correct in that it’s a type of Gymnosporangium rust, but it could be one of three distinctly different species of rust. Without a sample to look at more closely, I can’t […]
Read more
Question: I am growing lettuce and parsley in a salad table. The growing medium is Pro Mix with Milorganite. There has been recent news about PFAS in sludge based fertilizers. According to a Sierra Club and Michigan Ecology Center study of two PFAS chemicals, PFOA and PFOS, showed that these chemicals are present in Milorganite. […]
Read more
Question: What are the best blight resistant tomatoes for our Maine climate? Answer: Pamela Hargest, Horticulture Professional I wouldn’t say there is one tomato that has the best blight resistance since there are several factors to consider, such as what’s available to you locally. If you plan on purchasing tomato seedlings locally, I’d recommend connecting […]
Read more
Question: I have decided to grow potatoes in half whiskey barrels because my garden soil has wire worms in it and is not good for growing potatoes. If I plant them in the barrels, what kind of soil should I use? What should I fertilize them with? Compost? If there is a way to get […]
Read more
Question: How can I get an insect identified? Answer: Pamela Hargest, Horticulture Professional You can mail in a sample to our lab. Here are instructions for how to do so: https://extension.umaine.edu/ipm/submitting-insect-specimens/
Read more
Question: What is a responsible way to get rid of invasive ferns in your lawn? Answer: Rebecca Long, Sustainable Agriculture and Horticulture Professional I suspect the reason you have ferns and Canada-mayflower, Maianthemum canadense (which is actually native to Maine and therefore beneficial for pollinators and wildlife!) encroaching on your lawn is a combination of things; the […]
Read more
Question: We would like to grow a variety of sunflowers, from the tall ones like Burpee Mammoth to shorter ones like Santa Lucia as well as smaller multi-stemmed which we can put in vases at an event. We’d like the flowers at the stage where their yellow ray petals are in best appearance (i.e., ornamental […]
Read more
Question: Last season, leaves on some of my rhododendrons show notching that may be due to root weevils. What stage of growth are weevils at now and what is effective treatment for this stage? Answer: Katherine Garland, Horticulturist Our entomologist shared that it’s either the Black Vine Weevil or the Raspberry Weevil doing the damage. […]
Read more
Question: When is it safe to plant perennials in Bangor? Answer: Katherine Garland, Horticulturist Hardy perennials, meaning plants that will survive our winters, are safe to plant anytime the soil can be worked. In Bangor, this is typically sometime in early to mid April depending on weather. This helpful resource offers a very succinct overview of […]
Read more