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Cooperative Extension: Garden and Yard

Seed Starting and Propagation

How long should it take for true leaves to appear on tomato seedlings?

Question: How long should it take for true leaves to appear on tomato seedlings? Can I rescue these seedlings? I planted tomato and pepper seeds on 3/1 using an organic seed-starting mix & following the instructions of your excellent seed starting video. I placed them on a heat mat. Within 4 days, the tomato seeds […]

Can you propagate Clethra from suckers? If so, when is the best time to do so?

Question: My questions is about transplanting suckers from a Summer Sweet Clethra shrub. I have a source of suckers from an established shrub that needs to be pruned in the spring because it is taking over the bed. It does not leaf out until June. I wonder if I could separate and dig up some […]

Can I plant Forget-Me-Not seeds now for next year’s blooms?

Question: Can I plant Forget-Me-Not seeds now for next year’s blooms? Will they survive the winter? Answer: Jonathan Foster, Special Projects Assistant Forget-me-not (Myosotis sylvatica) is technically a winter hardy biennial, but is often grown as an annual. However, because it is such a prodigious self-sower, once planted it often continues on in successive generations […]

What is causing my beet sprouts to disappear?

Question: I have planted beets multiple times this season, with very little success. What happens is this: I plant the seed (Detroit Red) and a week or so later the little sprouts poke through the soil. I keep them watered, but over the next week or two, almost all of them disappear. I have a […]

How late can I plant peas for a fall crop and expect to harvest any?

Question: How late can I plant peas for a fall crop and expect to harvest any? Answer: Jonathan Foster, Special Projects Assistant The planting calendar from MOFGA (Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners) recommends August 1 for a planting date for fall crop peas. Keep an eye on them toward the end to protect against early frost. […]

Has the rainy weather prevented my seeds from germinating?

Question: Since the constant rains stopped, I have tried to replant crops that were ruined with no success. I have planted lettuce, beans, and peas several times with no germination (visible, anyway). Now, I find a lot of my neighbors have had the same problem. My garden was never under water, but we did have […]

Can you propagate a young crab apple tree with branches that were broken off?

Question: We have a four foot tall crab apple tree in our backyard. Some kids were running around and accidentally sat on the tree breaking off three sizable branches. Can I put the branches in water to root/start new trees or what can I do to save the branches and the tree? Answer: Jonathan Foster, […]

Is it too cold to plant lettuce when the temperatures have been in the low 30s at night?

Question: I live in the midcoast region. I would like to start planting lettuces, but the temps have been low…30’s at night and 40’s-50’s during the day. Is it still too early/cold or can I plant the seeds? What other cold weather vegetables can I plant now? I will be adding compost and 5-10-5 to […]

Will tomato plants produce fruit if the flowers have stayed at the same stage for weeks?

Question: We have raised beefsteak tomato plants from the seeds of a plant that we purchased last year. The plants are doing great, but the flowers are at the same stage for the last three weeks and they have not developed at all. Are they going to be able to produce fruit? Answer: Donna Coffin, […]

When should you remove the bottom heat when starting seeds indoors?

Question: I am doing some seed starting indoors with some seed starting mix, a heat mat, and a humidity dome. If a seed has started germination by breaking out of the seed with its root but hasn’t sprouted up out of the soil, is it ok to remove the bottom heat or will this hinder […]

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