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Cooperative Extension: Garden and Yard

Vegetables

Is it safe to plant vegetables in the blue 55 gallon barrels if they previously contained white vinegar?

Question: Is it safe to plant vegetables in the blue 55 gallon barrels if they previously contained white vinegar? Or will the vinegar kill the plants? The barrels have been thoroughly washed. Answer: Jonathan Foster, Home Horticulture Outreach Professional I don’t think the previous presence of vinegar presents any immediate threat to the plants themselves. […]

Should I rotate my vegetables in raised beds even if I am taking out about half or more of the soil each year and adding new?

Question: Should I rotate my vegetables in raised beds even if I am taking out about half or more of the soil each year and adding new? Answer: Jonathan Foster, Home Horticulture Outreach Professional When possible, crop rotation is always a best practice recommendation to prevent the potential build up of pathogens, though the realities […]

How can I turn my backyard into a new vegetable garden?

Question: I am looking to turn an open area in my backyard into a new vegetable/cut flower garden. It is currently grass and blueberries that haven’t produced fruit in years and have been being mowed back a few time a year most years. I know I need to do a soil test (and am planning […]

Is it too soon to plant radishes in an unheated hoop house?

Question: We have an unheated hoop house that I’m wondering if it’s too soon to be planting radishes in now? I know they are a cool weather crop, but is this too soon? Answer: Jonathan Foster, Home Horticulture Outreach Professional It does depend a bit on your hoop house set up, but if you can […]

What form of sulfur should we add to our vegetable garden to decrease the pH level?

Question: Our vegetable garden shows too high levels of pH (7.3-7.5) in all the beds and rows according to soil samples processed by UMaine Extension. We began to establish the garden nearly 50 years ago on a glacial moraine. The soil type us predominantly Naumberg Sand and Gravel. The advice from UMaine Extension was to […]

What little green worm is eating my kale?

Question: My kale is getting eaten by a little green worm and there appears to be eggs on the plant as well. Do you know what this is and what I can do about it? Answer: Jonathan Foster, Special Projects Assistant There are several types of caterpillars that prey on brassica/cole crops like kale, with […]

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 […]

Why are my asparagus plants turning brown prematurely?

Question: Our asparagus plants are turning brown earlier than usual. Typically we cut them back near first frost time. If it is some type of fungus, should we cut earlier to protect the roots? These are older well established plants. It has been a wet humid growing season which may be the reason. The spring […]

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 […]

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