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 […]
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Question: I have a low level of arsenic in my well water (between .01-.015 mg/L). I understand that I can use water with up to .1 mg/L arsenic to irrigate outdoor crops, but so far have been using rainwater to irrigate my outdoor garden. I am thinking of planting fruit trees in my yard. I […]
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Question: Two years ago I made a small raised bed garden approximately 10×6 ft. I regret that I filled it with several cube feet of Pro-mix soil. Last year not much grew, not even Zucchini! Do you have any suggestions for me to improve the soil? Answer: Abi Griffith, Horticulture Community Education Assistant Sorry to hear […]
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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 […]
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Question: I want to start planting perennials and some bushes and I need advice with: 1. Overall landscaping plan 2. What kind of soil to get delivered for the plants? Answer: Abi Griffith, Horticulture Community Education Assistant Start here – Designing Your Landscape for Maine. This Bulletin will walk you through all the things you want […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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Question: For the past few seasons, I have observed hawkweed taking over my yard. I would like to stop it and plant a native ground cover, but I have no idea what to plant or how to go about removing the hawkweed. My yard gets fairly full sun. What would you advise? Answer: Abi Griffith, […]
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Question: I am thinking of making some raised beds out of some old (60+ at least!) galvanized metal roofing we took off our cape in the 80’s. Should I worry about lead or cadmium leaching into my organic garden soil? Answer: Lynne M. Holland, Horticulture and Social Media Professional Since the panels you plan to […]
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Question: I am researching potato varieties for my home garden. I’m wondering if there is any protein difference in different types of potatoes and/or if there are other factors (soil make up, weather, etc…) that would effect the nutrient quality of potatoes. Answer: Abi Griffith, Horticulture Community Education Assistant There are lots of things to […]
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