Maine Home Garden News

How can I bring my Arborvitae back to good health?

Question: My Arborvitae has some brown branches on one side. What can I do to stop the spread and bring it back to health? It was transplanted last August and wrapped in burlap over the winter.  Answer: Liz Stanley, Horticulture Community Education Assistant It looks like an environmental problem rather than a pest or disease […]

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Is it too late in the season to move a fringe tree?

Question: I have a small fringe tree that I may have planted in too small of a hole. I think it has hit marine clay and may be root bound. I am interested in digging it up, perhaps clipping it back, and replacing it in a much bigger hole. Is it too late in the […]

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What is eating my green bean seedling? The leaves look like lace.

Question: My 4-inch green bean seedling leaves are being eaten. The leaves look like lace! I can’t find the culprit but the crop is being destroyed. Any ideas what this could be? Answer: Lynne M. Holland, Horticulture and Social Media Professional Without a photo it is really just a guess. You have to know what […]

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Can you transplant echinacea in early June?

Question: I’d like to move some of my echinacea to a new spot to help establish another pollinator garden. Is it too late to dig some up to transplant them. They’re about a foot tall. Answer: Liz Stanley, Horticulture Community Education Assistant Thank you for your question about transplanting echinacea in early June. Echinacea is […]

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Should pepper blossoms be pinched off before transplanting into the garden?

Question: If pepper seedlings have blossoms, should the blossoms be pinched off before transplanting into the garden? Answer: Pamela Hargest, Horticulture Professional Yes, pepper blossoms can be picked off before or when you transplant your pepper seedlings into your garden. This will help redirect the plant’s energy to developing healthy roots!

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Is Hawkweed a native plant? Is it beneficial to pollinators?

Question: We are working to transform our yard to a native plant meadow. Several large patches of hawkweed are growing well. My reading says these are not native and invasive.  Are they beneficial to pollinators?  Do the benefits outweigh any harm? Answer: Rebecca Long, Sustainable Agriculture and Horticulture Professional Sounds like a wonderful project! There […]

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What is wrong with my Chestnut Crabapple tree?

Question: Our young Chestnut Crabapple has been hit by two things at once.  At the base, the trunk looks and feels rotted out when you scratch it a bit as if a fungus or borer has gotten in and is damaging it. And up in the foliage, I noticed one or two of the leaves […]

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