Master Gardener Volunteers Hancock and Washington County Newsletter – May/June 2025
Table of Contents
OPEN HOUSE / TICK INFORMATION / GARDEN WORKOUT / NGBH ACCESSIBLE TRAIL CELEBRATION / BOOK REVIEW – WEEDLESS GARDENS/ STERILIZE GARDEN TOOLS / BOOK CLUB / UPCOMING EVENTS – garden tours, plant sales
DATES TO REMEMBER!
May 31 NGBH Native Plant Sale
June 2 MG Advisory Meeting
June 14 Wild Gardens of Acadia Plant Sale
June 19 Juneteenth – Extension Office Closed
July 4 Holiday – Extension Office Closed
July 19 NGBH Open House. 10 AM -2 PM
(See more gardening-related opportunities below)
Greetings MGVs!
Spring seems to have finally arrived. Good grief, it’s been a long wait.
An apt quote from Kin Hubbard (1868-1930): “Don’t knock the weather: nine-tenths of the people couldn’t start a conversation if it didn’t change once in a while.”
Appropriate for gardeners, May is National Asparagus Month, also National Strawberry Month (although we may have to wait until June), and National Miniature Garden month (who knew?). Also, it is National Skin Cancer Awareness month – time to make an appointment with the dermatologist? – and National Posture Awareness month. See our article in this issue about Garden Workouts. It is also Lyme disease Awareness Month.
OPEN HOUSE ~ UMAINE COOPERATIVE EXTENSION HANCOCK COUNTY OFFICE
by Sue Baez ~ Extension Staff
Thank you to the many Master Gardener Volunteers who helped with seedlings, prepared the garden beds the day before, assisted with greeting visitors, or simply stopped by to visit us on Saturday, May 17th. It turned out to be a drizzly and cool day, yet a very successful event!
In addition to Master Gardener Volunteers, 4-H Youth, 4-H Volunteers, Extension Board Members, and Extension staff were on hand selling seedlings grown here at the extension office, and showcasing our wonderful programs. Highlights included ~ the Touch Tank, which is part of our 4-H Aquaculture program ~ 4-H Bake Sale ~ (4-H) Making Seed Bombs ~ a Seed Saving Display ~ a Community Garden Informational Display ~ Lots of Tick Info, including seeing a Tick up close and personal under the microscope, and livestock Information. Terry VanPraet won the Worm Compost!
Seedlings that were not sold were given out to several MGV community garden projects throughout Hancock County.
Thank you to all who helped make this a great Open House event!
TICK TESTING AND TICK BITE TREATMENT
by Betsy Adams – MGV 21′
The Continuing Ed Committee is planning a field trip to the UMaine IPM (Integrated Pest Management) Lab and the Tick Lab, date to be announced. In the meantime, if you are not aware of the tick testing available for Maine residents, visit the Tick Lab’s website to find out how to submit a tick for testing. It’s easy and relatively quick. Simple identification of the type of tick you submit is free, but I highly recommend getting it tested and then getting treatment if needed. Testing costs $20/tick. There is still a lot of conflicting information around about the proper treatment protocol after being bitten by a tick. Personally, I subscribe to the single prophylactic dose ASAP after removing an embedded tick, regardless of symptoms or the presence of a rash. It has always worked for me, and it is the protocol recommended by my PCP. That is not the case with all doctors.
The ticks are bad this year. So, if you are gardening or hiking, or just enjoying the outdoors and playing with your dogs, do a tick check before you go to bed. If you don’t have a partner to do the check, buy a large hand mirror and stand in front of another mirror so you can see your back.
Prevention: Wear long sleeves and tuck your shirt into your pants. Put your (preferably white) socks over your pants. Use an insect repellent that works for ticks on shoes, socks, hats, gloves, and any exposed skin. Wash your hands before eating and reapply repellent afterwards. There are repellents with DEET as well as some natural repellents that I have found work well. In addition to the information found on the UMaine website, there is some good information at Johns Hopkins Medicine Lyme Disease Research Center. Many people use permethrin on their clothes or gear (not on the skin). Although it works well as a preventative, it is not without a number of downsides. See this article from the National Pesticide Information Center.
Colors of clothing: You can find an equal number of articles from reputable sites that espouse opposite opinions. The best reason for wearing light-colored clothing is that it is easier to see the ticks before they get on your skin.
GARDEN WORKOUT
by Pier Carros – MGV 22′
As it finally begins to warm up, my mind turns to nurturing the garden beds, which will host the delicate greens of seedlings. Amending the soil, planting seeds, weeding, pruning, harvesting… AND toting gallons of water, repairing a trellis, hoisting a wheelbarrow loaded with compost, digging holes, hauling brush. Sometimes gardening is a meditation; other times it’s a workout. Here are some tips for a daily garden workout, and some resources designed to keep you gardening through the growing season without physically overdoing it.
The warm-up
University of Maine’s AgrAbility Program staff suggests stretching for 5 minutes at a time throughout the day. In the morning to stretch your muscles for garden tasks, during the day to take a break and recharge, and before bed to release muscle tension for better sleep. They provide a one-page PDF with pictures of yoga stretches for farmers, also suitable for gardeners.
University of Wisconsin Extension offers a PDF chart illustrating gardening exercises and body mechanics (how to lift, turn, bend, etc., properly to avoid injury). See resources below for links to both documents.
The workout
(Some tips from the UMaine-Ext Victory Garden for ME video series):
~List the tasks you want to accomplish
~Gather your gear: hat, sunscreen, water, bug spray, garden tools
~Divide garden work into smaller tasks
~Consider interval gardening to rotate through your task list, where you change tasks every half hour with a rest in between
~Change positions often
~Take stretch breaks
~Know your heat tolerance
~On hot days, follow the shade to work on tasks in those areas of your yard
~Be mindful of staying hydrated and avoiding heat stroke and heat exhaustion
~When possible, garden in the morning or late afternoon
~Remember to sip water every 15 minutes
For more useful tips, watch the University of Maine’s video, “Victory Garden for ME: Pain-free Gardening” (see link below)
The Cool Down . . . or Post Workout
~Brush dirt off garden tools and rinse them. Lay them in the sun to dry before putting them away.
~While the garden tools are drying, return other items to their respective storage places.
~Now is a good time to check for ticks, before showering, hydrating, and taking a well-deserved rest.
Resources for Healthy Garden Practices
PDF: AgrAbility: Yoga Stretches for Farmers (University of Maine Extension)
PDF: Gardening Exercises and Body Mechanics (University of Wisconsin Extension)
Video: Victory Garden for ME: Pain-free Gardening (University of Maine Extension)
NATIVE GARDENS OF BLUE HILL ACCESSIBLE TRAIL Celebration
On May 17th, Native Gardens of Blue Hill had a celebration to open the Accessible Trails. There is now an ADA boardwalk trail dedicated to Victoria Mekras, the late daughter of MGV Greg Mekras and his wife Valerie. There is also a trail with an ADA-compliant surface, leading to a lovely pond. Hancock County MGVs Greg and fellow MGV MJ Penn built the trail nearly single (double?) handedly with occasional help from MGV Betsy Adams and many others. Despite the drizzle, it was a wonderful celebration with live music provided by Bagaduce Music.
HOW TO STERILIZE GARDEN TOOLS AND KEEP PLANT PROBLEMS FROM SPREADING
by Lauren Landers ~ MGV 22′
Whether you grow vegetables, herbs, flowers, or fruit trees, gardeners have to contend with a number of plant pests and pathogens that can affect gardens and houseplants too. Some of these plant problems spread on the wind or are transported into gardens and homes on new plants or store-bought soil, mulch, or compost. However, many plant issues can also be transmitted between plants on the very tools we use to tend our gardens!
Powdery and downy mildew spores are especially likely to spread between plants if you prune in wet weather. But blight, damping off, spider mites, and even invasive jumping worms can also be transmitted from plant to plant if you don’t clean and sterilize gardening tools as often as you should.
To keep these issues from affecting your garden, here are 4 ways to sterilize garden tools and other supplies!
- Rubbing alcohol is the fastest and most effective way to sterilize garden tools on the go. Just wipe tools with a rag soaked in 70% isopropyl alcohol, or fill up a small spray bottle with the stuff and spray your tools down. Tools will be properly sterilized in about 30 seconds, or as soon as the rubbing alcohol dries!
- Like rubbing alcohol, bleach is also effective against most plant pathogens and small pests, but it doesn’t work as quickly. As a result, this sterilization technique is usually used to sterilize large tools or tools in bulk, but it’s not as handy for in-garden sterilization. To sterilize tools with bleach, fill up a tub with 1 part bleach and 9 parts water, soak the tools you want to sterilize for at least 30 minutes, and then let them fully dry before use.
- Hydrogen peroxide also takes longer to fully sterilize tools, but it can be used as either a soak or spray. If you want to go this route, spray or soak your tools in undiluted 3% hydrogen peroxide for 5 to 10 minutes and allow them to dry before you use them. Hydrogen peroxide may not be as effective against some pests as rubbing alcohol, but it’s especially handy for removing damping off spores from seedling pots and plant labels!
- Heat is one of the best ways to reduce jumping worm issues, but it can be hard to manage in the garden. If you’re concerned about jumping worms in bagged or bulk soil or mulch, heat-treat it by wrapping the soil or mulch in clear plastic and allow it to cook or “solarize” in a hot driveway for a few weeks. Check the temperature with a compost thermometer regularly too. If the temperature stays above 105°F for a few days, you should be good!
3 More Sterilization Tips to Know
~ If you’re new to sterilizing tools, here are a few more tricks that you can use to keep plant pest and pathogens in check!
~ When to sterilize tools. Tools should be sterilized in between each plant if you’re working with diseased or pest-ridden plants. If there’s no visible disease in your garden, sterilize tools regularly and before you put them away for the season.
~ How to manage jumping worms. Heat treating soil and mulch can reduce jumping worm problems. But it’s still important to clean tools that may have come in contact with jumping worms and their cocoons with soap and water. Then, spray the tools with rubbing alcohol!
Source: Invasion of the Jumping Worms: University of Vermont
How to keep tools from rusting. Make sure to thoroughly dry all metal tools after sterilizing!
BOOK REVIEW
Weedless Gardening: The Hassle-Free All-Organic System
Whether you grow vegetables, herbs, or flowers, Weedless Gardening by Lee Reich is a must-have book that’s bound to save gardeners a lot of time and
frustration.
I found my copy of Weedless Gardening at the end of my first year of keeping a garden. I had started the growing season off with stars in my eyes and big plans for a massive vegetable garden that would produce all the food I’d eat that summer. But what I hadn’t counted on was all the weeding that a garden of the size would require. And by the end of the summer, I was desperate for a solution that would allow me to keep a big garden without the backbreaking work of pulling weeds every day. To say I was a little excited when I found Reich’s book is an understatement!
The book is a slim 176 pages, but it includes just about everything you need to get rid of existing weeds and prevent weeds from returning. All without herbicides. Reich, however, is quick to warn readers that there is no such thing as a truly “weed-free” garden — just a “weed-less” one. After all, weeds are a part of nature and they’re everywhere. But by following his simple weeding protocol, gardeners can reduce weeds enough that weeding becomes a quick and easy task that can be managed in just a few minutes a week.
Reich’s basic system for dealing with weeds begins with a no-till gardening protocol. He notes that tilling gardens or even rough weeding can increase weed issues by bringing buried weed seeds to the soil line where they sprout. To avoid this, Reich suggests building soil health from the top down by applying regular applications of compost and mulch.
Compost is, of course, a great way to build soil health, but keeping the soil covered with mulch also prevents weed seeds from sprouting. However, composting and mulch aren’t Reich’s only tips. He also emphasizes the importance of avoiding soil compaction in no-till gardens, and suggests adding walkways through garden beds or even laying boards across raised bed gardens to avoid compacting the soil so there’s no need to till. Reich adds that keeping garden beds under 4-feet wide also makes them easier to reach across and ensures that you won’t need to stand on garden beds when weeding or planting!
Reich’s book is packed with tons of other helpful tips, such as how to grow cover crops for weed suppression, how to weed gently to avoid sowing more weed seeds, and how to plant intensively so weeds can’t take root. But one of the tips that stuck with me most was his recommendation to switch from sprinkler systems and hand-watering to drip irrigation lines.
When I had my first weedy garden, I was watering it with a sprinkler system. But upon Reich’s advice, I installed drip irrigation lines the following year, and the results were impressive. By directing water straight to plant roots, drip irrigation reduced the amount of water the weeds in my garden received and naturally kept weeds from growing.
Reich’s book revolutionized the way I personally deal with weed issues, and my garden has definitely changed for the better since utilizing Reich’s tips. I still need to weed regularly, but the task is never overwhelming, and it’s much easier to keep weeds in check. I recommend this book often at my workshops and on my blog, and I think any gardener can benefit from reading it. By keeping the soil covered, reducing soil compaction, utilizing no-till gardening techniques, and watering more precisely, weed problems can be a thing of the past — and it doesn’t require any herbicides!
BOOK CLUB NEWS
We have finished last season’s books. See our new list below and join us in the Fall
September- The Light Eaters: How the Unseen World of Plant Intelligence Offers a New Understanding of Life on Earth by Zoe Schlanger, Pub: 2024, 304 p.
October- To Speak for the Trees: My Life’s Journey From Ancient Celtic Wisdom to a Healing Vision of the Forest by Diana Beresford-Kroeger Pub:2019, 283 p.
November- The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World by Robin Wall Kimmerer, Pub: 2024,124p.
January- Birding to Change the World: A Memoir by Trish O’Kane, Pub:2025, 384 p.
February- Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard, Pub: 1975, 302 p.
March- Raising Hare by Chloe Dalton, Pub: 2025, 317p.
April- Notes on the Landscape of Home by Susan Hand Shetterly, Pub: 2022, 197 p.
PLANT SALES, PUBLIC GARDENS, AND GARDEN TOURS
There are plenty of upcoming gardening events in and around Hancock County. Checkout the
Some happenings on our radar and put them on your calendar.
- Asticou Azalea Garden, Northeast Harbor
Open Now Dawn to Dusk, seven days a week
https://www.gardenpreserve.org/asticou-azalea-garden
- Native Gardens of Blue Hill Native Plant Sale
Saturday, May 31, 9 a.m – 12 p.m
https://www.nativemainegardens.org/2025-spring-plant-sale
- 2025 Native Plants Sale and Festival at Gilsland Farm, Falmouth, ME
June 7, 2025, 9 am to 3 pm
https://maineaudubon.org/projects/plants/
- Thuya Garden, Northeast Harbor
Open for the season on June 14, Open Dawn to Dusk, seven days a week
https://www.gardenpreserve.org/thuya-garden
- Wild Gardens of Acadia Plant Sale
Saturday, June 14, 2025
https://friendsofacadia.org/get-involved/events/wild-gardens-acadia-plant-sale/
- Belfast Open Garden Days
One garden in Greater Belfast is open on Saturdays, rain or shine
10 am-4 pm Saturdays, June 14, 21, 28; July 5, 12, 19, 26; August 2, 16, 2025 - Native Gardens of Blue Hill Open House (may not be on the website yet)
Save the Date: Saturday, July 19th, 10 am – 2 pm. More info in next issue
- Gardens by the Sea Tour, Bar Harbor Garden Club
Save the Date: July 19th, 10 am – 4 pm, tickets on sale beginning June 1st.
- Abbe Aldrich Rockefeller Garden
Save the Dates: July 8-Sept. 7, 2025; noon-4 pm Tuesday-Thursday and Saturday for the public; reservations open May 20. Members can schedule visits noon – - Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Garden Open Garden Days