Cooperative Extension: Garden and Yard

Question: I am an avid backyard gardener and am familiar with the big three nutrients, Nitrogen, Potassium and Phosphorous, the differences between full, partial shade, etc. I also know the importance soil testing and proper pH. What I don’t know is when to fertilize? I generally buy Neptune’s Harvest and Espoma products as well as use […]

Question: Is the absence of earthworms in or at the bottom of a two year old compost pile with a bottom made up of a tangle of small tree branches a concern? Answer: Frank S. Wertheim, Extension Educator – Agriculture/Horticulture If the compost is old, which it likely would be at the bottom of the […]

Question: Do you offer soil testing kits? Answer: Lynne M. Holland, Horticulture and Social Media Professional There are two ways to get soil test kits.  The first is to visit your local county UMaine Extension office. (the underlined blue text is a hyperlink to the office directory). The other way is to contact the UMaine Soil Testing […]

Question: Regarding sheet mulching: Should seeds be directly planted in compost or should I dig through the compost into the ground and plant them into the soil below. If in the ground, how deep should I dig? Answer: Abi Griffith, Horticulture Community Education Assistant The overall idea with sheet mulching (aka lasagna gardening) is that […]

Question: We recently moved to Maine. I want to get my soil tested. I have a collection kit. The soil is pretty frozen. I’m going to do a minimum till and and cover with about 6″ of compost. Is it worth testing the soil now?  Answer: Abi Griffith, Horticulture Community Education Assistant It’s a great […]