Encounters with hairs from browntail moth caterpillars can cause mild to severe rashes and respiratory issues. Browntail moth caterpillars overwinter in webs that may have from a couple dozen to several hundred caterpillars each. Some people say they experience itching with fewer than 10 webs per tree or shrub; others say they have no symptoms from heavier infestations around their yards. 

The Maine Department of Agriculture, Forestry, and Conservation has a Knock Out Browntail factsheet for identifying and removing these nests in winter. Please be careful.

Salt damage occurs on plants when salt is deposited by spray from passing cars on stems and buds of deciduous woody plants and on stems, buds, leaves and needles of evergreen plants. Salt spray can cause salt burn on buds, leaves and small twigs. Salt spray can also cause damage by desiccating the bud scales, exposing tender tissues of the developing leaves and flowers. The unprotected developing leaves and flower buds dry out and are often killed by the cold winter wind. Many times, the damage is not evident until late winter or spring. Needle or leaf browning, bud death, and branch dieback on the side of the plant facing the road or sidewalk is a common sign of salt spray damage. Damage to deciduous plants is not seen until growth resumes in the spring.

Plants are also affected by dissolved salts in runoff water. Sodium and chloride ions separate when salts are dissolved in water. The dissolved sodium and chloride ions, in high concentrations, can displace other mineral nutrients in the soil. Plants then absorb the chlorine and sodium instead of needed plant nutrients such as potassium and phosphorus, leading to deficiencies. The chloride ions can be transported to the leaves where they interfere with photosynthesis and chlorophyll production. Chloride accumulation can reach toxic levels, causing leaf burn and die-back.

What are signs of salt damage and what stretgies can be used to mitigate salt injury to plants? Check out the UMass publication The Impact of Salts on Plants and How to Reduce Plant Injury from Winter Salt Applications

The On Demand Webinars series includes bundles of three to four prerecorded webinars about starting and maintaining a home orchard, gardening with native plants, composting and soil health, and seed selection and starting. The webinars allow viewers to watch and learn at their own pace and include lists of recommended resources. 

The webinar bundles are offered on a sliding scale fee of $0–$30. More information about how to purchase the bundles is available on the gardening webpage. For more information or to request a reasonable accommodation, contact Rebecca Long, 207.743.6329; extension.gardening@maine.edu.

As you are pouring through your seed catalogs and getting ready to place your seed order consider a planting and harvesting schedule for the upcoming year. Having a plan in place will help make your workload a bit more manageable as well as help you plan for those larger food preservation projects.

Here at the UMaine Extension we love local. Local foods, local farmers, and local seeds. Lucky for us, Maine has some great seed distributors worth talking about!.

Click the links to learn more, find a chapter near you, and get involved.

Master Gardener Volunteers

to report their time and activities in the on the Master Gardener Volunteer Reporting Volunteer Hours website.

Did you forget the password? Contact laurie.bowen@maine.edu

Check out Kate Garland's information about the "Take Five" Winter Walk Series for Master Gardeners starting in January that was sent to MGVs in a separate email.