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Cooperative Extension: Garden and Yard

Managing Insect, Diseases, and Animal Pests

Will beneficial overwintering insects be okay if raked materials are set aside and not burned?

Question: I saw advice not to clear old plants from gardens too early because beneficial bugs like bees and butterflies overwinter in them. I shared this and my gardening friend, who said she has to clear earlier because she grows fragile daffodils. Will the good bugs be okay if she sets the raked materials aside […]

What best practices should I suggest to Annual Plant Sale donors?

Question: I am working on an Annual Plant Sale and am seeking guidance about best practices to share with our plant donors — some of whom will be digging from their gardens — to reduce the likelihood of transferring crazy worms, invasive moths, or other general hangers-on. We always require that plants be potted in […]

My neighbor’s cat used my vegetable garden as a litter box. Is it safe to plant and eat the vegetables from this garden?

Question: I am writing with a question about gardening in cat poop. I have a neighbor whose cat (which I consider feral due to negligence both medical and otherwise) used my newly expanded garden as his litter box all last fall, and will likely this spring. I am concerned about parasites and toxoplasmosis as well. […]

How do I deal with wilt and powdery mildew?

Question: I grow cucumbers and tomatoes indoors and can not feel if the surface is dry. The digital meter did not give a percentage and websites go from 10 to 80%. The problem is wilt and powdery mildew, both do better at 30-35% with treatments, but plants are slow growing at that level. Answer: Lynne […]

Which apple and stone fruit tree pests and diseases should I proactively spray for?

Question: I have a few young apple and stone fruit trees. Which pests and diseases should I spray proactively and which should wait until I see activity or damage? Answer: Renae Moran, Fruit Tree Specialist, Highmoor Farm We have a website on spraying fruit trees. Insect Pests – Cooperative Extension: Tree Fruits Pests that are […]

My tomato plants all got early blight; will my soil be safe to use again next spring?

Question: My tomato plants all got early blight. Wondering if my soil will be safe to use again next spring? Answer: It’s a very common disease of tomatoes in Maine. Here’s an excerpt from our Early Blight of Tomato fact sheet that offers some next steps: Survival and Dispersal The fungus spends the winter in […]

Can beneficial nematodes help control Japanese beetles?

Question: I have read that beneficial nematodes may be helpful in controlling a Japanese beetle infestation that is attacking my vegetables, flowers, and shrubs. If so, what kind should I be looking for? Where can I get them? How are they applied? Answer: Here’s information from Maine’s YardScaping Program, including links to a nematode fact […]

Can aerated compost teas be used on the foliage of my tomato plants to help protect against leaf spot?

Question: I have been reading a lot about aerated compost teas and how they can be used on the foliage to help protect against things like fungus and insects. Do you agree with these type of statements? If so, could application on my tomato plants help with leaf spot? Answer: The short answer to your […]

How do I control Verdolaga (pigweed)?

Question: My vegetable garden this year was taken over by Verdolaga (pigweed) to a point where I did not enjoy my garden. Is there anything I can do now to help me next year? I don’t mind weeding, but this year was awful, I just couldn’t keep up with this weed. Answer: At this point, […]

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