Question: Can I use cedar shavings as mulch in my vegetable garden around squash or tomatoes specifically? Answer: Jonathan Foster, Home Horticulture Outreach Professional Cedar has at times been a controversial choice for mulch, due to concerns over 1) its naturally occurring biochemical properties having what’s known as allelopathic effects (that is, inhibiting the normal […]
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Question: There are yellow dots on the leaves of my Turtlehead plant. I sprayed neem oil solution but not sure if that will prevent more from spreading. Should I prune infected leaves? Answer: Jonathan Foster, Home Horticulture Outreach Professional I’m sorry to say I don’t immediately recognize these spots, nor did a quick bit of […]
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Question: After a severe rain storm the other day, this white area developed under a grouping of trees, on some mulch. The next day it began turning black. What would be happening and are the plants near by or the trees in jeopardy of getting some form of fungus or disease? Answer: Jonathan Foster, Home […]
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Question: I had a mint plant that was spreading and I noticed that all of it seemed to have black speckles on it. I think it might be rust? So I pulled up what I could, bagged it and threw it away. Could it have been something else? Should I be concerned? Answer: Jonathan Foster, […]
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In This Issue: July Is the Month to . . . My Battle With Bishop’s Weed Maine Summer Events Celebrating People, Places and Food Book Review: Lawns Into Meadows Ask the Expert: Planting Strategies for Erosion Control Fresh From the Garden: How to Enjoy Green Beans Backyard Bird of the Month – Song Sparrow Maine […]
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Question: Many of my pine trees and many others in the area have turned unusually yellow and are dropping huge amounts of needles. I don’t remember ever seeing it this bad. Is this something I need to be concerned about? Answer: Jonathan Foster, Home Horticulture Outreach Professional There are numerous reasons why a white pine […]
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Question: My usually healthy lilac has been wilting. It flowered as usual, but the wilting is getting worse. Do you have any ideas what would cause this and how to treat it? Answer: Jonathan Foster, Home Horticulture Outreach Professional I’m sorry to hear your lilac is under the weather. Unfortunately, there are a number of […]
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Question: I bought a Baldwin semi-dwarf apple tree not realizing I needed two trees to produce fruit. Can you suggest a source and type? Answer: Jonathan Foster, Home Horticulture Outreach Professional Baldwin apples are triploid and have sterile pollen, so they can’t pollinate other trees–but they can be pollinated in return. I would reach out to […]
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Question: We have a self pollenating peach tree that was damaged with our last snow storm. It was spilt in half. I put back together with bolts. It seems to be doing okay but I’m not sure what else to do to make sure it better. Answer: Jonathan Foster, Home Horticulture Outreach Professional Fruit trees […]
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Question: I’m trying to figure out what is going on with the leaves of my tomatillos. They were started from seeds inside a friend’s home and leaves started looking damaged about two weeks before they were given to me to transplant. Is it a fungus, or blight? It doesn’t seem to be bugs. Regular tomatoes […]
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