Maine Home Garden News

What are recommendations for low maintenance, ecologically sound replacements for lawns?

Question: What does recent research recommend as alternative, low-maintenance, ecologically sound replacements for lawns. Is there recommended ground covers for shady areas or extra dry areas that can be planted to reduce lawn area? Answer: Jonathan Foster, Special Projects Assistant Some common groundcover alternatives to turfgrass include creeping thyme (Thymus serpyllum), creeping juniper (Juniperus horizontalis), creeping phlox (Phlox […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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