Stop Mosquitoes at the Source | At the height of the summer gardening season, we all want to stop mosquitoes from taking a bite out of the fun! In Maryland, we have a couple of mosquito species that are out and ready to bite from dawn to dusk. The best way to deal with them is to stop them at the source. Reduce their breeding habitat in 4 steps: Eliminate, Exchange, Empty, and Emaciate. If you're itching to know the details, read on! | |
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Using a few basic materials, you can build a self-watering bucket garden to grow food or other plants in a small space. Five-gallon buckets can be found at local grocery stores and bakeries for free -- just ask! | |
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Tomato Season Is Here!
It's the most wonderful time of year... until problems strike your favorite tomatoes. We have a new diagnostic guide to help you identify and manage the most common problems of home-grown tomatoes.
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Soil Health Matters
Improving soil health is one of the most important things we can do to make our gardens more climate-resilient. The Soil Health Institute presents an inspiring, award-winning documentary on soils.
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A group of UME Master Gardeners visited the University of Maryland Community Learning Garden as part of the Campus Food Gardens Tour on June 24, led by Arboretum Outreach Coordinator Meg Smolinski. There are many different beautiful gardens on the 1,250-acre campus. Interested in having your group come for a tour? Contact Meg at arboretum@umd.edu. | | |
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Water Barrels for a Vegetable Garden? | |
Q: We have no water source near our vegetable garden. We purchased a water barrel and keep it filled with water from a hose and also fill up food-grade plastic buckets without a top for watering. Water may sit for several days before being used. Is it safe to use this water in our garden?
A: The water sitting for a few days is fine. You may want to have...
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Do you have a gardening question? Our Certified Professional Horticulturists, faculty, and Master Gardener Volunteers are ready to answer! | |
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Native Plants Program
House Bill 950 will establish a Maryland Native Plants Program to promote the use and sale of Maryland native plants and educate the public on native plants. University of Maryland Extension will have a new Native Plants Agent, with funding to begin in July 2024.
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Invasive Bamboo Regulations
House Bill 90 authorizes the governing bodies of counties and municipalities to adopt ordinances to regulate invasive bamboo, beginning in October 2023. This may include prohibiting people from selling, planting, or allowing it to grow uncontained.
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Maryland Cannabis Law
The new Maryland cannabis law went into effect on July 1, 2023, allowing adults 21 years and older to cultivate up to two plants per household. UMD Extension receives federal funding and cannot advise home or commercial cannabis growers.
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In weekly posts on our blog, learn about pollinator conservation, growing native plants and food, and how to solve plant pest and disease problems. | | |
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In a Flash: How You Can Help Fireflies
Dr. Anahí Espindola from the University of Maryland Entomology Department offers ways you can support these special insects that light up the summer nights to the delight of children and adults alike. Read her post
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Other Timely Topics on the Blog
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Working the Night Shift: Pollination After Dark
Thursday, August 3 | 12:00 - 1:30 pm | Online via Zoom
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Join Emily May, a pollinator conservation specialist with the Xerces Society, to learn about the pollinators that come out to work as others turn in for the evening. Moths, flies, beetles, and other dusk and night-time pollinators can play important roles in pollinating wild and managed plants. Emily will talk about the ecology, diversity, and importance of these hidden pollinators, and how we can best support them. If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in this event, please contact Stephanie Pully at pully@umd.edu or (410) 531-1754 on or before July 20. | |
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Losing Your Trees to the Sea?
Increasingly wet and salty conditions are impacting woodlands along Maryland's Lower Shore. This fact sheet explains how landowners can determine if their trees are affected and what to do.
Photo: Ghost Forest, Chesapeake Bay Program
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5 Million Trees Initiative
Maryland's goal is to plant and maintain 5 million native trees by 2031. There are various ways you can get involved - plant trees and register them -- or volunteer! A number of tree-planting assistance programs are available at the municipal, county, and state levels.
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Water Conservation
The Maryland Department of the Environment has issued a drought watch for Western Maryland and portions of Central Maryland based on lower-than-normal stream flows and groundwater levels for this time of year. Here's how to
conserve water in your landscape.
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