Question: Last year many of our pear trees (we have about 10 varieties) had fruits with pits or knots in them making lots of the fruits nearly inedible. What causes this, and is there anything I can do to correct it? I always prune my trees in the same way, and also thin the fruitlets […]
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Question: I have a large 15 x15 foot cranberry bush viburnum that is heavily infested with viburnum leaf beetle. I am going to cut it down before spring but want to know how I should dispose of it so that the beetles do not spread. I do not think that it would be wise to […]
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Question: My river birch is dropping deep segments of bark from the ground up to about three feet. It is not the normal sloughing off of the outer layer. What is coming off leaves bare wood underneath. Could this be a vole or a disease? I sprayed the base of tree with a hot pepper […]
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Question: I have raised beds. The last two years my tomato plants, started from seed, have developed what we think is septorium (the fungus. It could be blight, I guess) starting from the lowest leaves and moving up the plant till all the plants are decimated. I have tried using different beds, digging out the […]
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Question: Thrips ruined our Gladiolus entirely. The Patterson onions that were growing nearby looked healthy. We harvested the onions and placed them for storage in the cool cellar. Now it seems, 100% of the bulbs are rotting from the top down. The Ebenezers seem unaffected. What is the issue? Answer: Jonathan Foster, Community Education Assistant […]
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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: 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: 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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Question: I’m trying to determine if my smoke bushes are infected with something or just going into dormancy in an unfamiliar way. 1/4 of the leaves on one of my bushes is affected. I’ve since pruned them off with clean sheers. I think this happened in just a few days. The spots are becoming but […]
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Question: Our newly planted Japanese Maples (Red Emperor) has signs of insect damage to its leaves. Do you know what could cause this and how best to treat it? Answer: Jonathan Foster, Community Education Assistant After bouncing the photos you sent along around among my colleagues to confirm first impressions, we are collectively of the […]
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