Question: I have mature highbush blueberry plants. This year there is FAR fewer berries than in the previous 26 years. I’ve also noticed that several berries (but not all) are dying before they ripen. This seems to happen when they are still white, before turning purple. Answer: Jonathan Foster, Home Horticulture Outreach Professional I’m sorry […]
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Question: My vegetable garden is overwhelmed with voles. They are living in three of my four raised beds. I’ve tried Mole Max repellent to keep them out of the garden but they are still coming in. What can I do to get rid of them? Answer: Jonathan Foster, Home Horticulture Outreach Professional I’m very sorry […]
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Question: The UVM Extension services appeared to indicate that I might be able to get plant materials tested (for a fee of course) through the Maine Extension services. I have plants growing where there is known to be lead. I would like to test parts of the plants to see if lead is showing up […]
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Question: I’ve planted flowers and left my yard unmown for several years for a pollinator garden. Some of my neighbors think I should mow it this year. Should I? If yes, how short? Answer: Jonathan Foster, Home Horticulture Outreach Professional I’m assuming the issue is whether mowing is beneficial to the pollinator garden, and not […]
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Question: Can you give me recommendations on how to control purple loosestrife? Answer: Jonathan Foster, Home Horticulture Outreach Professional This is purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria), the pretty, but wildly aggressive colonizer of fields, wetlands and roadsides all across Maine. The bad news is that it’s extremely difficult to control–it seeds prolifically, forms dense and resilient […]
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Question: I have two 20-year-old lilac trees that have a gray-white fungus all over it’s bark, both old and new growth. It is silky to touch. I have taken out some dead branches and it seems as though some of the foliage is dying in places. Is this something I should be concerned about? Is […]
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In This Issue: August Is the Month to . . . What Can Devoted Gardeners Do When We Just Cannot Garden Anymore Like We Want To? Collecting Ash Seed in Maine Featured Tool: Say Hello to the Homi The Best Salts for Canning & Pickling Backyard Bird of the Month: Scarlet Tanager Maine Weather and […]
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Question: I have wildflower gardens that wraps around my house. In one section, I am battling what I believe to be Canada thistle. Initially, I was cutting off the stems at the base and spraying the remains with 30% vinegar. However, because I have such a large patch of it I found that to be […]
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Question: How do you deal with June bugs/asiatic beetles? They’re targeting our basil, and any fresh transplants in our garden. We have made light and soapy water traps, but curious if there are any organic methods for getting them at the larval stage so they don’t emerge and cause damage? Answer: Jonathan Foster, Home Horticulture […]
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Question: Some branches of leaves are turning brown on my Sunburst Locust tree. There are no webs so I’ve kind of ruled out the webworm. What could be causing the problem? Answer: Jonathan Foster, Home Horticulture Outreach Professional There are a number of reasons why tree leaves can brown, both biotic (e.g., pests and pathogens) […]
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