Maine Home Garden News

Is there a guide for growing peach trees in Maine?

Question: I am growing peach trees here in Wiscasset, Maine. I have never grown them and I am learning the hard way. Is there a guide book or publication of what to do and when? Answer: They can be a challenge, but many home orchardists find the effort worthwhile. We have a good amount of […]

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Rain gauge in garden

Episode 6: How to Water Your Garden

In this edition of Victory Garden for ME,  learn about how much and when you need to water your garden, techniques and best practices, drip irrigation and more! Helpful Tips and Resources: Getting water directly to the plant roots is the best way to water. Avoid potential disease issues by not watering the leaves.    Trickle […]

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What caused my sweet corn to be undersized and taste starchy?

Question: Our corn crop was disappointing. We could feel that ears weren’t filling out very well, so we waited a little longer than usual. When we picked them, they were starchy and not very sweet. The few ears that were sweet were about 3/4 filled out. What might have caused this? (Spring/Summer 2020) Answer: There […]

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Weeding the garden with a hand tool

Episode 5: Managing Weeds

In this edition of Victory Garden for ME,  learn about the importance of managing weeds in your garden, how to prevent and manage weeds, the stale seedbed method, and much more! Helpful Tips and Resources: There are many Weed Identification tools and research-based publications are the best place to find information about weeds. Online resources […]

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Maine Home Garden News — June 2020

In This Issue: June Is the Month to . . . Gardener Profile: Herb Crosby Bees of Maine: Family Halictidae Doug Tallamy Invites Gardeners to Create a Homegrown National Park Growing Vegetables and Herbs in Part Sun NEW monthly features: What Is It? Ask the Expert Did You Know? June Is the Month to . […]

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How do I get rid of poison ivy?

Question: I am building on a three-acre piece of land that is covered in poison ivy. The land is surrounded by forest but is basically an open field. What would be my best approach to eradicating it from the field areas, keeping in mind that children and animals will be playing there? Answer: The first […]

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Dried Beans

Episode 4: Get Planting

In this edition of Victory Garden for ME,  learn about different ways to organize your garden, square foot gardening, companion planting, direct seed vs. transplants, proper planting techniques and more ! Helpful Tips and Resources: There are many ways to layout plants in your garden, consider Square Foot Gardening and traditional rows. Create a logical layout of plants […]

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How do I prep my strawberry bed for winter?

Question: How do I prep my strawberry bed for winter? Answer: Much depends on whether you have June bearing strawberries or day neutral strawberries, and how old the planting is. Generally speaking, mulch should be applied over strawberries in the late fall between Thanksgiving and Christmas to protect the plants from extreme winter cold and […]

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Do you recommend adding rock dust to organic home gardens?

Question: Do you recommend adding rock dust to organic home gardens? Over the years I have occasionally added Greensand. How does Greensand differ from Azomite? Do you recommend either or both? This question pertains to my garden in Jackson, NH, and my son’s in Freeport, ME. Answer: I recommend that you and your son submit […]

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