Maine Home Garden News

Why do some of the melons I grew have a bitter taste?

Question: I have had a bumper crop of sweet and delicious muskmelons and charantais melons this summer, but I am noticing that some of the later ripening melons have some parts of the flesh that have a bitter taste. This is the first year I have encountered this. There isn’t anything in the look of […]

Read more

Maine Master Gardener Volunteer Newsletter – Fall 2023

In this issue… Program Updates UMaine Extension Needs Assessment: We need your input! Report your MGV Hours and MHH Donations 2022 Master Gardener Volunteer Success Story New Webpage for MGV Interns Maine Master Gardener Volunteers Facebook Group Upcoming Events and Programs Program Updates It’s been awhile since our last newsletter and we’ve been busy! We […]

Read more

sunflower

Maine Home Garden News September 2023

In This Issue: September Is the Month to . . . Drying Flowers – A Great Way to Preserve Nature’s Beauty Maine Offers Free Collection of Unwanted Pesticides to Protect Natural Resources Spoonful: Bite-Sized Food & Nutrition Information First Occurrence of Mile-a-Minute Weed Confirmed in Maine: Urgent Action Required Backyard Bird of the Month: Hairy […]

Read more

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 […]

Read more

What is causing the leaves to drop off my crabapple tree this summer?

Question: I have a flowering crabapple tree that has been losing its leaves all summer. I am wondering if it has a disease that I need to treat? Answer: Jonathan Foster, Special Projects Assistant I believe what you’re looking at on your flowering crabapple is a disease called apple scab. You can read more about […]

Read more

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 […]

Read more

Should I remove the limb of a cactus that has a brown spot?

Question: I have a Blue Myrtle Cactus that is overall doing well. It is an indoor cactus. Over the past 3-4 weeks it has developed a brown spot at the end of one of its limbs where there had been some new growth. All the other limbs look great. I do not believe it has […]

Read more

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 […]

Read more

What can be done to save large diseased Hemlock trees from pests?

Question: I have some large diseased hemlocks that I’m hoping can be saved. It was suggested that I contact you regarding the possibility of using beetles to try to combat the pests. Can you please provide guidance?  Answer: Jonathan Foster, Special Projects Assistant As you may have told, Hemlock woolly adelgid is a bit of a […]

Read more

What concerns should I have about the wider ecosystem if I’m considering adding Mycorrhizae to the soil around my roses?

Question: What concerns should I have about the wider ecosystem if I’m considering adding Mycorrhizae to the soil around my roses? Answer: Jonathan Foster, Special Projects Assistant As you probably know, based on your question, mycorrhizae are soil-based fungal organisms that form symbiotic relationships with almost all terrestrial plant roots, exchanging their vastly greater surface area’s ability […]

Read more