In this Issue: July Is the Month to . . . A Love Letter to Mulch How to Freeze Fruits and Vegetables Safe Harvesting Techniques (video) Spotlight on Research: can hand-picking Japanese beetle really help?? Native Plants for the Maine Garden by Maureen Heffernan, with photographs by William Cullina. Down East Books, 2010 and 2023. […]
Read more
Question: We have a dark purple lilac that had this fungus show up this spring on it, or at least that’s when we noticed it. It is well blossoming, plenty of leaves, etc. I am afraid this may be a death sentence for it but have learned not to necessarily rely on the internet. If […]
Read more
Question: I have five large ninebark shrubs. They are all close to six-feet tall with very thick growth. The branches on several of them have collapsed to the ground leaving the middle empty and unsightly. In the past this was apt to happen after a heavy rain and have always bounced back after a day […]
Read more
Question: What could have eaten my cucumber seedlings? I planted eight and i only have two left. Answer: Liz Stanley, Horticulture Community Education Assistant There are a number of possible culprits, some of which work at night. Here are some possibilities and how you can avoid them going forward. Cutworms. These species have four categories: […]
Read more
Question: I have an asparagus bed of many years’ duration. Although I tried to plant all males, I have plenty of female plants. I assume they are the ones responsible for some self-seeded small asparagus popping up in other places. My obscure question is, what is the likelihood that the self-seeded plants will be females, […]
Read more
Question: This year, we had a huge amount of little green caterpillars in the oak tree in our backyard. If you sat under the tree for any length of time, you would have caterpillars all over you, because they were dropping down on little silks. The caterpillars seem to be gone now, but they ate […]
Read more
Question: I wanted to get a lawn weed killer that would be safe for the clover growing in my grass…any recommendations? Answer: Jonathan Foster, Special Project Assistant Unfortunately, there aren’t great chemical options for weed control in turfgrass that will leave clover unaffected. Most lawn pesticides are targeted at broad-leaved plants, while leaving grasses unaffected. […]
Read more
Question: What is the best way to “accelerate” the decay of several hardwood tree stumps in our heavily wooded yard? We plan to drill several deep holes to allow “quicker” water/oxygen/worm/bug penetration but are there any “safer” additives that won’t have untoward ecosystem downsides? Maybe honey, for example? Answer: Jonathan Foster, Special Project Assistant Unfortunately, […]
Read more
Question: I want to add to our perennial beds at our lakefront property but want to plant native plants. In there now are a bunch of hydrangea and peony and sea pea and bee balm and bleeding heart. There is a big bush with a trumpet like purple/pink flower that the hummingbirds are loving. What […]
Read more
Question: I have an area of approximately 120 square feet that only gets about 3-5 hours of full sunlight a day. Are there any veggies or fruits that will grow in this area? Answer: Jonathan Foster, Special Project Assistant Ah, the vegetable-loving shade gardener. I struggle with this particular issue in parts of my own […]
Read more