(Mostly) Monthly News for Gardeners
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News and events for gardeners from Penobscot, Piscataquis, and Somerset Counties from University of Maine Cooperative Extension, Soil and Water Conservation Districts, Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry, Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association, and other trusted partners
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Regular Features
- This is the time to...
- Pest Reports
- Plant Picks
- Skill Share
- Volunteer and Project Profile
- Food and Nutrition
- Organizations and Resources
- Upcoming Events
- Mission and Quick Links
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This is the time to...
By Rebecca Long, Agriculture and Food Systems Professional, UMaine Extension Oxford County
Take advantage of your last chance to remove
browntail moth webs! The caterpillars will begin to emerge in mid-April. With 25 – 400+ per colony, every web removed can make a big impact. Webs are found most often on red oak and apple trees. The invasive browntail moths not only defoliate hardwood trees and shrubs, but also pose a health risk to humans. Contact with poisonous hairs from the caterpillar can cause a poison ivy like rash and trouble breathing. This
Browntail Moth Risk 2018 Map (PDF)
shows the current distribution of browntail moths in Maine. To find out how to identify webs and distinguish them from old fall webworm webs, read
Browntail Moth (PDF)
. This video from the Maine Forest Service on
Browntail Moth
demonstrates how to remove the webs. Make sure to dispose of them properly by burning nests or putting them in soapy water. Wear gloves and rinse or shower after handling webs. The Bowdoinham library has purchased a pole pruner to borrow for folks in that region. For professional help, these lists include
licensed arborists willing to prune (PDF)
and
licensed pesticide applicators willing to spray (PDF)
nests.
Purchase and begin setting up your irrigation system
. With the increasing frequency of summer droughts, having a way to irrigate your garden is becoming more important. Although startup costs add to your gardening expenses, this publication from Vermont Extension explains that
drip irrigation (PDF)
is an excellent way to efficiently deliver water to your plants — saving time, increasing yields, and reducing overall water use. Sprinklers offer a more affordable way to deliver water, but make sure to run them early in the day. Running sprinklers midday can result in excessive evaporation loss and running them in the evening risks leaving leaves wet overnight which can promote disease. Lastly, set up a rain gauge to keep track of precipitation so you know when to water. On average, plants need approximately 1” to 1 ¼” rain per week
Look around your landscape
for early pollinator resources. Early in spring, pollinators rely heavily on flowering shrubs and trees like willows (Salix species) and serviceberry (Amelanchier species). Even plants considered to be weeds, like dandelions (Taraxacum spp.) and coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara), can be important sources of early season forage for pollinators. For bees that produce multiple generations per year, early forage sources can encourage more nests nearby and increase the success rate of those nests.
Start seeds!
Beets, peas, radish, and spinach can be direct-seeded outside in mid- to late April; for lots of other crops see
Planting Chart for the Home Garden Vegetable Garden
and
Startintg Seeds at Home
indoors! Make sure plants started indoors are in big enough containers to avoid becoming pot-bound and ensure plants are hardened off before transplanting outdoors.
Sanitize
pots, hand tools, equipment, trellises, and supports from previous years. Start the year off on the right foot by making sure you’re not introducing pathogens from the previous year! If you haven’t cleaned your tools before you put them away in the fall (the ideal approach), there’s still time to do it now:
Cleaning Gardening Tools
. First, determine if sanitizing is even necessary; this fact sheet from WSU on
Sterilized Pruning Tools (PDF)
explains that disinfection is important if you are dealing with diseases of the vascular system or those that form oozing cankers. As for determining how to disinfect, this article,
The Myth of Cloroxed Clippers (PDF)
questions the traditional wisdom of using bleach and instead advocates for Lysol-like products as an option that is safer for both you and your tools.
Consider the
trend
of including edible plants
in decorative plantings when designing your ornamental beds. Rainbow swiss chard or okra look equally at home in a flower bed or a vegetable garden!
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Crazy Worms in Maine
By Gary Fish, State Horticulturist Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry
Due to our history of glaciation, there are no native earthworms in Maine. Non-native earthworms from Europe, such as night crawlers, became well established in Maine through early colonial trading with Europe. While beneficial to gardens, earthworms are known to have destructive effects on our forests.
Crazy worms, (Amynthas agrestis), are invasive earthworms native to East Asia. Originating in Korea and Japan, the crazy worm is now found from Maine to South Carolina. Although first collected from a Maine greenhouse in 1899, an established population of this active and damaging pest was not discovered until 2014 when populations were discovered at the Viles Arboretum in Augusta, one other Augusta location, and two Portland sites. We believe crazy worms are not yet wide-spread here, but they have been discovered in many new locations since 2014, including nursery settings. If allowed to spread, crazy worms could cause serious damage to horticultural crops and forest ecosystems in Maine. It is illegal to import them into Maine (or to propagate or possess them) without a wildlife importation permit from the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (MDIFW). For more information, visit the
MDIFW’s Fish & Wildlife in Captivity
webpage.
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Caulophyllum thalictroides: A Native Plant for Pollinators and Gardeners
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By Leala Machesney, Environmental Horticulture student, University of Maine
Blue cohosh (Caulophyllum thalictroides) is an herbaceous perennial native to the eastern United States with a long history of medicinal use by Native American tribes. Here in Maine, blue cohosh has been historically documented in Somerset, Penobscot, Aroostook, Kennebec, Waldo, Oxford, and Franklin counties. Indigenous peoples would use the plant’s rhizome to treat a variety of health concerns including stomach pain, rheumatism, and painful menstruation. While blue cohosh is still used in alternative medicine, it has not been proven to be medically effective and research suggests consumption by pregnant women may cause birth defects. Medicinal use aside, the ecological and ornamental value of blue cohosh is considerable.
cise as people tend not to read much more than a couple of paragraphs. Place article copy here.
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By Thomas Hoerth, Southern Maine Community College Instructor, Retired Bath City Arborist, Middle Hoerth Winter Gardens
Do you have a cider blend that you’d like to grow on just one tree? Have you eaten an apple that you’d like to add to your orchard? Is there an old, abandoned apple tree on the edge of your woods you’d like to bring back into production? Have borers and voles girdled a prized fruit tree? Has a tree been damaged by excessive string trimming or plow damage?
Many homeowners experience these kinds of situations and are unaware that they can utilize techniques that were known to the Chinese, as far back as 1560 B.C., themselves. The art and practice of connecting two pieces of living plant tissue together in such a manner that they will unite and subsequently grow and develop as one composite plant is what is referred to as grafting. There are innumerable procedures that have been developed, and through the years several distinct methods have become established for practitioners and the nursery industry to deal with almost any grafting problems or to expedite propagation of specific plant varieties. For the homeowner, who is comfortable using a sharp knife, several techniques, described here, can be used to accomplish the goals identified in the above questions. Success is achieved in using the correct technique, preparing the plants for joining, and the timing of the grafting.
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Adopt a Family: A Unique Approach to Matching Small-scale Growers with Young Maine Families
By Kate Garland, Horticulturist, UMaine Extension Penobscot County
We’re all familiar with the trees adorned with tags listing a child’s name and their holiday wishes that pop up in shopping centers, businesses, and banking institutions in early December. This concept served as the inspiration behind a new UMaine Extension Maine Harvest for Hunger initiative called Adopt-a-Family. Here’s how it works:
Partnering with Maine Families, a home visiting program serving households with children from birth to age 3, we asked five families to create a small wish list of produce items they’d like to receive. Small-scale growers (mainly Master Gardener Volunteers) were emailed wish lists and asked if they’d be willing to commit to donating enough produce to fill at least two grocery bags that season. Wish lists were completely anonymous, but did give some basic information about the household. For example, family #1 would be listed as 1 adult and 3 children wishing for beans, tomatoes, carrots, and onions. Throughout the growing season, donors would drop off produce at the Extension office. Extension staff would then contact Maine Families staff who would deliver the produce along with Extension recipes and food handling tips.
This approach to engaging volunteers and donor families addressed some important barriers that often get in the way of involvement for both audiences.
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Food & Nutrition: Food Safety and Backyard Flock
By Kathy Savoie, MS,RD, UMaine Extension Cumberland County
Owning backyard chickens and other poultry can be a great experience. However, children and other groups of people have a greater chance of illness from handling live poultry or anything in the area where they live and roam. Even handling baby birds displayed at stores can cause a Salmonella infection.
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Organizations and Resources
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Click the links to learn more, find a chapter near you, and get involved.
Bangor Land Trust
is a nonprofit organization that has conserved over 800 acres of land with public access in the Bangor area. Our mission is to protect for public benefit land and water in the Bangor region that have special ecological, natural, scenic, agricultural, or recreational significance; and to increase public understanding of the value of land and water conservation.
The Garden Club Federation of Maine
National Garden Clubs, Inc. provides education, resources and national networking opportunities for its members, to promote the love of gardening, floral design, civic and environmental responsibility.
Good Shepherd Food Bank
In addition to distributing food to Mainers in need, the Food Bank is leading a statewide effort to combat the root causes of hunger by engaging in advocacy, nutrition education, and strategic partnerships. Good Shepherd welcomes you to join in this effort.
Maine Audubon
is a member-based organization that engages people in conservation, education and advocacy to advance wildlife and wildlife habitat conservation in Maine.
Maine Federation of Farmers' Markets
' mission is to cultivate a vibrant, sustainable farmers' market community as a vital part of Maine's local food network. The Federation works with farmers, consumers, and communities to make wholesome, locally-grown foods available to all residents, to educate consumers about food resources, and to support farm viability.
Maine Gleaning Network
A collaborative farm surplus rescue effort gathering crops from Maine's fields and engaging communities in resourceful and equitable food system activities.
Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA)
The purpose of the Association is to help farmers and gardeners: grow organic food, fiber and other crops; protect the environment; recycle natural resources; increase local food production; support rural communities; and illuminate for consumers the connection between healthful food and environmentally sound farming practices.
The Grange provides opportunities for individuals and families to develop to their highest potential in order to build stronger communities and states, as well as a stronger nation.To inquire about finding a nearby Grange, contact Walter Boomsma at
grange@boomsmaonline.com
Transition Towns
The Transition Movement is comprised of vibrant, grassroots community initiatives that seek to build community resilience in the face of such challenges as peak oil, climate change and the economic crisis. Transition Initiatives differentiate themselves from other sustainability and "environmental" groups by seeking to mitigate these converging global crises by engaging their communities in home-grown, citizen-led education, action, and multi-stakeholder planning to increase local self reliance and resilience.
Transition Skowhegan meets every 1st Thursday at 6 pm, Skowhegan Public Library.
Contact Iver Lofving 474-7370 or Jason Tessier 474-4380
Dexter Dover Area Towns in Transition (DDATT) meets every first Friday at 6 pm, Abbott Memorial Library, Dexter. Contact Sam Brown 277-4221 or email
info@ddatt.org
Wild Seed Project
works to increase the use of [Maine] native plants in all landscape settings in order to conserve biodiversity, encourage plant adaption in the face of climate change, safeguard wildlife habitat, and create pollination and migration corridors for insects and birds. Check out their
Native Plant Blog
.
Maine Agriculture in the Classroom
promotes the understanding of agriculture and natural resources among students, educators, and the general public. Curricula and resources for educators and others working with young people. Check out newsletters and/or subscribe
here
.
Maine Farm to School Network
supports the rapidly spreading farm to school movement in Maine. This network knits together a wide diversity of students, teachers, school nutritionists, parents, farmers and groups who support child nutrition and Maine agriculture.
Search
their resource database,
join
the network.
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Upcoming Events
April 14-
Frog Calling.
Hirundo Wildlife Refuge, 2-5 pm. $10 includes admission for adult and child.
April 22
HEAL our parks
.
Clean-up crews meet and depart from HEAL for 2-hour shifts. To
volunteer or learn more about the event, please contact Health Equity Alliance at 207-990-0144
April 22-All Things Soil Testing,
Part of the Old Town Public Library's Garden Workshop series. Free and open to all. Please RSVP at 827-3972. 5:30pm, refreshments served.
April 22-Food Sovereignty Panel
-Learn how we're feeding and caring for each other in Piscataquis County. Bring questions about gleaning, small-scale farming, permaculture homesteading, and food cupboards.
The Commons at Central Hall
, Dover-Foxcroft, 7-8:30pm. Free.
May 6-Choosing Nursery Plants
Part of the Old Town Public Library's Garden Workshop series. Free and open to all. Please RSVP at 827-3972. 5:30pm, refreshments served.
May 18-Perennial Plant & Pie Sale.
Hampden Garden Club's annual sale at Harmony Hall, 24 Kennebec Rd, Hampden, 8 am-12. Hundreds of perennials dug & potted by club members.
May 20-Cooperative Extension Offerings
Part of the Old Town Public Library's Garden Workshop series. Free and open to all. Please RSVP at 827-3972. 5:30pm, refreshments served.
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Master Gardener Volunteers
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It's re-enrollment season! All required "paperwork" is available and accessible online. Contact your county coordinator for the password.
Report your volunteer hours online anytime:
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Mission
The University of Maine Cooperative Extension is the major educational outreach program of the University of Maine with offices statewide. UMaine Extension provides Maine people with research-based educational programs to help them live fuller, more productive lives.
Mention or display of a trademark, proprietary product, or firm in text or figures does not constitute an endorsement and does not imply approval to the exclusion of other suitable products or firms.
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The goal
of the Central Maine Gardening Newsletter is to connect gardeners with resources and events that encourage and inform.
Quick Links
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Local Weather Anytime
Most outdoor activities are driven by the weather. Our local National Weather Service in Caribou has meteorologists on staff 24 hours a day. They are willing to talk with you about predictions for your town. Give them a call at 492-0180. Or check out their online detailed maps at
http://www.weather.gov/car/.
Need Pesticide Credits?
Interested in Volunteering with UMaine Extension?
Nearly 8,000 volunteers devoted more than 150,000 hours to their communities last year through the University of Maine Cooperative Extension! Look around our
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Contributors
Donna Coffin, Extension Educator
Kate Garland, Horticulturist
Kathy Hopkins, Extension Educator
Trisha Smith, Community Education Assistant
The goal of the Central Maine Gardening Newsletter is to connect gardeners with resources and events that encourage and inform.
The University of Maine does not discriminate on the grounds of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, including transgender status and gender expression, national origin, citizenship status, age, disability, genetic information or veteran status in employment, education, and all other programs and activities. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies: Director, Office of Equal Opportunity, 101 North Stevens Hall, 207.581.1226.
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Piscataquis County Office
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Open Monday - Friday 8 am to 4:30 pm
307 Maine Ave Bangor, ME 04401 207.942.7396 or 800.287.1485
Piscataquis County Office -
website
Open Monday, Thursday, Friday 8 am to 4:30 pm
165 East Main St Dover-Foxcroft, ME 04426 207.564.3301 or 800.287.1491
7 County Drive Skowhegan, Maine 04976-4209
Tel: 207.474.9622 or 1.800.287.1495 (in Maine)
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