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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mid-June 2021
Fellow gardeners of Central Maine,
Summer is only just arriving and we've already experienced some extreme heat! Most of us were spared a late frost, and everything seems to be coming a bit early. Did you manage to hold off mowing til June? Rain is in short supply and I need to clean up the water catchment system (gutters and barrels) I have at the Sedomocha School Garden. These are the instructions we followed: How To Build a Rain Barrel. For those with projects that need more technical expertise, Harvesting Rainwater for Use in the Garden from Oregon State University Extension might be helpful. Water is life! We should protect and conserve it.
There is an increasing need for drought-resistant plants for gardens and landscape. Saving seeds is one way to develop locally-adapted strains of favorite vegetable varieties. Check out this month's article on preparing to save seed now. Growing native landscape plants from seed can be very satisfying, as well. Native Seed Project is a great resource (read How to
Be well
-Trisha Smith
Community Education Assistant, Home Horticulture
Piscataquis County
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Regular Feature:
Now Is the Time To...
By Will Larson, Cumberland County Master Gardener Volunteer
Weed your garden! There are many ways to go about weeding in the garden, but persistence often is the common denominator when it comes to keeping your beds clear. Being mindful of weed growth early on in the season helps keep plants from becoming overrun by undesirable visitors, and June is an especially important time for young or transplanted plants to establish healthy roots and shoots. Here are a few suggestions for how to stay on top of weeding this month:
- Use a hoe. Hoes are a valuable asset to any gardener’s toolkit, and there are a variety of different head shapes and sizes to suit your particular weeding style. Some hoes are designed to be used on the push stroke, while others need to be pulled towards the body, and scuffle hoes are used by moving the head back and forth in both directions. For most hoes, weeding can be done early and often, when perennial and annual weeds are still small and poorly rooted. Using a long-handled hoe is often the best weeding method for your body too, as your back and knees are not bent for long periods of time.
- Hand weed selectively. While hand-weeding is more often time-consuming and required for pulling out larger weeds, it also provides a good opportunity to get closer to the plants you are removing; you might find that there are unexpected visitors in your garden that are worth keeping around. There are many native herbaceous perennials that form good groundcovers and help fill in low gaps in the garden; viola species, such as Viola cucullata or V. blanda, or the common strawberry Fragaria virginiana, are worth leaving alone for this purpose. These early-blooming plants are often important sources of sustenance for bees and other pollinators waking up from the long winter. Learning to recognize these plants will also make for quicker weeding in the long run, as you will often find it is more beneficial to simply move along rather than tear out a patch of violets.
- Green-mulch with your weeds. For those plants that you do end up removing from the garden, use bypass pruners to chop up the leafy green plant material into smaller pieces and spread them across the soil surface between and behind plantings, creating a green mulch. This practice recycles the plant material from unwanted weeds back into the garden, helping retain moisture and returning organic matter back into the soil while suppressing the germination and growth of weed seeds. Avoid mulching with weeds that have gone to seed or are aggressive rooters; these are better suited to be turned into a hot compost pile.
As with any task, finding a proper rhythm that works well with how you move in the garden is the best way to go about weeding. For more information about weeds and weeding methods, watch Victory Garden for ME on Managing Weeds, and see the “Helpful Tips and Resources” section below the video. You can also read more in Bulletin #4311, Section 11: Controlling Weeds in the Garden.
Pinch plants for bushier growth. Many plants benefit from having their tip growth cut back early in the season to encourage a bushier growth form. Particularly tall, late-blooming perennials like asters benefit from pinching as they are less likely to flop over from their weight later on in the season.
Direct sow seeds. Many staples are certainly ready to be sown in the garden at this time: spinach, beans, beets, carrots, peas, radishes, turnips, and more are all fair game! A number of herbs and annual flowers are also very easy to direct seed in the garden, such as marigolds, zinnias, cosmos, dill, cilantro, and basil. Keep newly seeded areas moist by watering 3-4 times a week until the seeds have germinated or covering with a moisture barrier, such as a scrap piece of lumber or cardboard, for 4 days.
Remove spent flowers from spring-flowering bulbs. As you trim off tired daffodils and other early blooms, be sure to leave the foliage in place even if it is also starting to look a little worn out. Leaves of spring-flowering bulbs are working hard to put energy back into the bulb for future flower production.
Transplant seedlings. If you feel like you missed the deadline to plant longer-season vegetables, such as tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant, think again. Planting in early June is a great time to get those seedlings in the ground.
Enjoy a fresh-cut bouquet. This is the time to savor the gifts our garden has to offer. What better way to celebrate the season than with a brimming vase on your dinner table and tiny bud vases tucked throughout the house. Harvesting flowers early in the morning and at the proper stage of development for the specific flower type are two strategies to have longer-lasting displays. Learn more about making those fleeting peony flowers last longer in the article below.
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Extending the Peony Season
By Lynne Holland, Community Education Assistant, Androscoggin & Sagadahoc Counties
Few flowers are as recognizable as the Peony (family Paeoniaceae). Blooming generally in very late May to mid-June in New England, peonies are the queen of the late spring garden for a few weeks after the lilacs but before the roses take over completely. From ancient Chinese silk paintings to Japanese ceramics, peonies have been used as decorations, as medicine, and even as symbols of lushness and luxury for hundreds of years. A long-lived plant, the peony has a relatively short-lived bloom period. One storm during that short blooming window and the blooms become bedraggled and drop petals. Capturing the peony in artwork was the only way to enjoy the bloom longer than the weather permitted. If only they could be enjoyed for a longer period of time.
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Testing for Lead in Maine’s Soils
By John Clark, Environmental Steward
The Cumberland County Soil and Water Conservation District (CCSWCD), in partnership with the EPA, is working to spread awareness of soil lead contamination. Part of this includes testing soil and plant tissue to identify lead risks for gardeners in urban areas. As part of this grant, CCSWCD is providing free soil tests to gardeners and anyone interested in gardening in the Bayside, East Bayside, Parkside, or West End neighborhoods of Portland.
Soil tests are highly recommended for anyone growing food in these neighborhoods to identify possible soil contaminants, especially lead.
Based on Portland’s historical use in these neighborhoods, there is a high chance that soils here are contaminated with lead. Lead concentrations over 100 ppm are cause for concern, while concentrations over 400 ppm are deemed hazardous by the Environmental Protection Agency. In 2020, the program collected 80 soil samples from these neighborhoods. Sixty-four percent of tests found lead levels that were higher than normal background levels. The average amount of lead found at these sites was 614 ppm, well over the hazardous level.
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Now is the Time to Be Thinking About Saving Seed
By Mark Hutton, UMaine Cooperative Extension Vegetable Specialist; Photos by Mark Hutton
Introduction by Kate Garland, Horticulturist
Seed saving allows gardeners to play a role in the evolution of their crops by selecting seed from the plants with the most desirable traits such as flavor, ripening time, disease resistance, and color. The act of collecting seed is relatively simple, but the quality of the seed collected depends on the genetics of the parent plant(s) that created that seed. As our crops begin to flower, seed savers will need to pay attention to whether plants are receiving their own pollen or pollen from another plant as well as whether plants are considered hybrids.
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Extension Programs in other states:
For instance:
Heroes To Hives is a unique program offered through Michigan State University Extension that seeks to address financial and personal wellness of veterans through professional training and community development centered around beekeeping.
Food Solutions New England (part of UNH) is a network of people, organizations, businesses and other groups across New England who are committed to a shared vision and values for the regional food system. Anyone doing this work is considered part of the network.
If you find a great program when you're poking around online, let me know so I can share with your fellow gardeners: trisha.smith1@maine.edu
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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
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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University of Maine Cooperative Extension buildings are open, at least part-time, and projects have begun to allow in-person volunteering. The health and safety of the community are still important to us as we re-adjust to unrestricted activities. We have developed a number of online resources for those who have reliable internet connections. Here are a few ways we’re available:
New Resources to Meet New Needs
You may have missed the live Zoom presentations, but we've rounded up fact sheets for each week's discussion for your reference
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Victory Garden for ME series: videos for first time vegetable gardeners
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Growing Maine Gardeners: An initiative led by UMaine Extension’s Home Horticulture team to address the increased demand for gardening education throughout the state of Maine and to provide additional support for beginner gardeners.
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Garden Mentorship Program: direct technical assistance and encouragement via phone or email throughout the season from trained Master Gardener Volunteers
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Maine Farm Products and Pick-Up Directory: The directory provides information on available local farm products and alternative pick-up options developed by farmers statewide to accommodate the recommended social distancing in light of COVID-19.
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Learn at Home: Educational Resources to Use During School Closures: With novel coronavirus closing schools across Maine for several weeks, UMaine Extension has assembled a collection of helpful educational resources for parents and caregivers. From science to financial literacy, whether for toddlers or teenagers, we encourage you to take advantage of these activity books, guides, and other resources to help children remain engaged in educational experiences throughout their school closure.
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Learn at Home with 4-H Friday Fun! Each Friday, watch for a new hands-on activity that you can try out with simple materials you have at home. Watch a short video clip to see how it’s done or download our 4-H Learn from Home activity sheets. Each activity outlines materials needed, easy-to-follow instructions, reflection questions for discussion and activity extensions.
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Social Media: Many of our staff are stepping up efforts to communicate to audiences via social media. For example, see Rogers Farm Demonstration Garden’s short educational Facebook videos (also on Instagram).
Traditional Services Being Offered in New Ways
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Identifying insect pests: Clay Kirby, Associate Scientist/Insect Diagnostician, will identify pest samples via images. See instructions for submitting an insect specimen.
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Identifying plant diseases: Dr. Alicyn Smart will identify plant disease samples via images. See instructions for submitting a sample.
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Tick testing: Ticks are being tested on a limited basis. See instructions for submitting a tick sample.
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Publication orders: We are still processing orders from our publication catalog, including pesticide application training materials.
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Soil testing: The Analytical Lab and Maine Soil Testing Service remains open and is taking samples with a priority on commercial samples. If you need to drop off a sample, you can place it in the box outside of Deering Hall; do NOT enter the building.
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General gardening questions: Contact your county office. Emails are preferred. If it’s necessary to leave a voicemail, please leave your email address (if available) or a mailing address in addition to your phone number.
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Master Gardener Volunteers |
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COVID-19 MGV Policy
Guidelines for Master Gardener Volunteers (Updated 6/8/21):
Master Gardener Volunteers no longer need to receive individual approval to volunteer in-person. All MGVs volunteering in-person are expected to follow these guidelines:
- MGVs will travel solely to and from the destination, unless traveling with a member of your household.
- Physical Distancing: there are no longer any physical distancing requirements for adults, indoors or outdoors, unless otherwise required by Maine civil authorities. Three foot social distancing indoors is required for programs for youth.
- Volunteers should stay at home if:
- They have a cough or a sore throat.
- They have a fever or feel feverish.
- They have shortness of breath.
- They have a loss of taste or smell.
- They have been around anyone exhibiting these symptoms within the past 14 days.
- They are living with anyone who is sick or quarantined.
- Masks:
- Indoors: all youth and adults must wear a face mask
- Outdoors: face masks not required.
- Avoid shared tools when possible. Sanitize shared tools/surfances after use.
- Volunteers should bring their own food to the volunteer activity if needed as sharing of food is discouraged at this time.
- Volunteers must report their hours via the hours reporting form at least once a month.
- Volunteers must follow any site specific guidelines in addition to the above.
For Public Programs: please use the appropriate checklist from this page.
Guidelines for Projects:
- Project coordinators are responsible for tracking volunteers and making it available to UMaine Cooperative Extension staff, in the event contact tracing information is necessary.
- Hand washing stations and sanitizer should be available on site.
- Have materials on hand so volunteers can sanitize shared tools/surfaces as necessary.
- Communicate any site-specific guidelines to volunteers, in addition to the above requirements.
If you have any questions about the status of a specific project, please contact your County MGV coordinator.
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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 Professor
Kate Garland, Horticulturist
Brian Erickson, Sustainable Agriculture Professional
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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