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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July 2023
Fellow gardeners of Central Maine,
How you care for your home garden and landscape makes a difference, and the UMaine Cooperative Extension Home Horticulture team is here to support you! Check out this month's Maine Home Garden News for the full articles linked in this newsletter, plus more! Subscribe here to get Maine Home Garden News in your inbox on the first of every month!
Yours,
Laurie and Kate
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By Abigail Griffith, Community Education Assistant; David Handley, Small Fruit Specialist, and Kate Garland, Horticulture Professional
Reviewed by: Naomi Jacobs, Master Gardener Volunteer
Harvesting produce at its peak is the best way to achieve optimal flavor, shelf life, and overall quality. Additionally, many crops have improved yields if harvested in a timely manner. Determining the best time to harvest is not always intuitive, but can be simple with a little guidance. This season, we’re offering practical crop-specific harvest tips for the home gardener each month. Additional growing information can be found in the resources linked after certain crops.
Beans
Snap Beans: Harvest snap beans when the pods are still young and tender, but full and firm, about 3 to 4 inches long, or just before the beans begin to bulge and look overly plump. Bulging pods are past their peak and can be fibrous. Ideally, pick about twice a week to ensure a continuous harvest. Avoid handling or harvesting in wet conditions, as this can encourage disease spread. Bush beans will produce most of their crop over a few weeks, while pole beans can keep producing until frost if regularly picked.
Lima beans: Harvest fresh lima beans for shelling when the pod is bright green and firm.
Dry beans: Harvest dry beans when the pods are dry and the beans inside rattle. If cold or rain comes before the beans are fully mature, cut or pull the plants and hang them upside down indoors to dry. Shell the dry beans and store them in a cool, dry place.
More information: Growing Beans in Home Gardens
Read more...
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Let's Preserve Snap Beans | |
Freezing, canning and pickling are three ways to preserve those delicious green beans that you have either grown yourself or gotten from your local farmer.
If you prefer fresh green beans, UMaine Cooperative Extension has some delicious recipes to try for fresh eating.
When freezing, it is necessary to blanch before freezing in order to slow the enzyme action that can cause texture changes, color changes and also cause a change in flavor. Under blanching stimulates the enzyme and is actually worse than not blanching at all.
For canning green beans also called snap beans, a pressure canner must be used to reach the necessary temperature. There is no safe option for processing snap beans in a boiling water canner.
Last but not least is one of my favorites, the "dilly bean" or the "pickled dill bean." The National Center for Home Food Preservation has a tested recipe for preparing them.
Always use tested recipes from a reputable source such as the National Center for Home Food Preservation or the UMaine Cooperative Extension.
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Hornworms
Hornworms are the caterpillars of a family of moths called sphinx moths or hawk moths (Sphingidae). The caterpillars are so-named for the prominent horny spike that protrudes up from the end of the abdomen, and the hornworm caterpillar most likely to be seen in the home garden in Maine is the tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta. It feeds on the leaves and stems of primarily tomato in our part of the country but there are additional plants from the Solanaceae family that it will eat as well, such as eggplant, pepper, potato, and, of course, in the southern US, tobacco, for which it is named and for which it is very economically significant. It is pale green in color (sometimes brown), and is a master of camouflage, allowing it to go largely unnoticed by human eyes until it is full size or close to full size (roughly three to four inches long).
Another hornworm that is similar enough to the tobacco hornworm to cause a lot of people to confuse the two–and which shares many of the same host plants–is the tomato hornworm, Manduca quinquemaculata (pictured above beside a tobacco hornworm). However, though both species feed frequently on tomato, the tomato hornworm is encountered by Maine homeowners far less often than is the tobacco hornworm, which can be readily identified by seven straight, white lines on its body and a red horn compared to “V“-shaped white markings and a black horn found on the tomato hornworm.
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Growing Sweet Corn (Fact Sheet)
Becky Sideman, UNH Cooperative Extension Professor & Specialist
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Sweet corn is a popular vegetable and is relatively easy to grow. Among market gardeners throughout New England, about half of the vegetable acreage is devoted to sweet corn. The average yield for a home garden is about one-two ears per plant. Varieties & Types Sweet corn ears may have all yellow, all white, or bicolor (a mixture of yellow and white) kernels. Bicolor varieties are most popular in New England, but the quality of all of these are excellent and depend on the specific variety, the growing and handling conditions, and on personal preference. Sweet corn kernels are sweeter than field corn varieties because of a mutation at the sugary locus (su). After harvest, the sugar converts into starches, and the kernels become tougher and less sweet. The traditional (su) sweet corn varieties become starchy relatively quickly after harvest (hence the traditional recommendation to get the pot of water boiling before you harvest the corn!). Sugary-enhanced varieties (se or se+) varieties accumulate more sugar than the (su) varieties, and super-sweet (sh2) varieties are the sweetest of all, with the sugars converting to starches much more slowly than with other types. If super-sweet varieties cross-pollinate other types of corn, the quality of both is reduced. Cross-pollination can be prevented by distance and/or windbreaks, or by planting varieties of very different maturity dates so that they do not bloom at the same time. It is not necessary to isolate sugary (su) or sugary-enhanced (se) varieties from one another.
Read more......
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Bulletin #2063, Growing Garlic in Maine
Developed by David Fuller, Extension Professional and Steven B. Johnson, Extension Crops Specialist
Reviewed by Frank Wertheim, Extension Educator
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Garlic is a member of the Allium family, which includes onions, chives, and leeks. Garlic originated in central Asia and has been grown for 5,000 years in Egypt and India. Found as an important ingredient in many cuisines, garlic is an easy-to-grow crop that is increasingly popular in Maine. Garlic is generally the last crop planted in the fall and the first to emerge in the spring, extending the time you can enjoy being in the garden.
Garlic Biology
Garlic is a perennial bulb that is grown vegetatively from cloves because it rarely produces true seed. The two most common subspecies of garlic seen in Maine are softneck garlic, Allium sativum ssp. sativum, and hardneck garlic, Allium sativum ssp. ophioscorodon — from the Greek words ophis for serpent (after the coiled growth of garlic scapes), and scorodon for garlic.
Hardneck garlic (also known as stiffneck, ophio, or topset garlic) bears a stiff stalk called a scape. The scapes of most hardneck varieties each produce an umbel: a reproductive body bearing round clones called bulbils, and sometimes floral parts, depending on the variety. Softneck garlic does not produce a scape. Elephant garlic, a member of the leek family, is not a true garlic. Softneck garlic and elephant garlic are not reliably hardy throughout Maine so they will not be discussed here.
Read more...
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Coiled garlic scape and closed umbel. Photo by David Fuller | |
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Blooming Now In the Woodlands
Rainy Day Discovery: Ghost Pipe
Maine Department of Agriculture Conservation & Forestry
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The recent rainy days have stimulated the Ghost Pipe (Monotropa uniflora) to emerge from the humus-rich duff of the forest floor. I've been seeing it in small clumps along my woodland walks. And various insects have found it too! Ghost pipe relies primarily on bumble bees for pollination, though flies and others will visit as well.
This white and sometimes pink plant does not have any chlorophyll, so it cannot make food as green plants do. Instead, it takes advantage of a mycorrhizal relationship between fungi and tree roots - a mutually beneficial (symbiotic) relationship between the fungi and tree. The tree roots provide essential nutrients to the fungi while the fungi make the tree more drought tolerant and help it to better absorb nutrients. The Ghost Pipe is a freeloader (parasite) on this arrangement, taking what it needs without contributing.
Look for Ghost Pipe, now through September, emerging after wet weather in moist, shaded Beech woodlands.
Fun Fact! - Emily Dickinson was fond of the Ghost Pipe. A drawing of it adorned her first book of poems (1890).
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Bulletin #2702, Landscapes for Maine: Adding a Rain Garden to Your Landscape
Developed by UMaine Extension Assistant Scientist Laura Wilson and Water Resource Specialist Mary Wicklund of the Portland Water District, with landscape diagrams by Kirsten Reberg-Horton
A rain garden is a depression in the ground that is planted with water-loving native perennials and shrubs. Water from a downspout or other source flows into the rain garden, where it soaks into the ground and is used by the plants.
Rain gardens make sense
Rain gardens help protect the water quality in our lakes, streams, and rivers by reducing the amount of polluted runoff reaching these resources. If designed and installed correctly, rain gardens reduce the amount of runoff from hard, impervious surfaces by up to 98 percent. As this water is no longer running over the surface of the land, it cannot transport pollutants to nearby streams via surface runoff or storm drains.
Rain gardens are easy and inexpensive to install and maintain. Since they are flexible in size, shape, and appearance, they can fit into almost any landscape and lifestyle.
Rain gardens are beautiful
In addition to adding beauty to lawn areas with height and color, rain gardens can replace lawn areas, which would otherwise need mowing, with an interesting combination of native plants. Rain gardens can also eliminate unsightly erosion problems on your property by reducing excess water from rooftops or driveways. They can complement any home style, as there are many choices of shapes and plants that can be incorporated into your garden. Rain gardens can even attract birds and butterflies!
Read more...
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Extension Resources
Timely UMaine Extension Publications
- Webinars & Videos
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Garden Chats: Growing Resilience From the Ground Up- 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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Free Distance Nutrition Education Classes through UMaine Extension Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program is free to income eligible adults with children or your adults and if you are eligible for programs such as SNAP, WIC, or Head Start.
- Other
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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: 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: Charley Armstrong, 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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Extension Programs in other states:
If you find a great program when you're poking around online, let me know so I can share with your fellow gardeners: donna.coffin@maine.edu
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Garden Organizations and Allies
Click the links to learn more, find a chapter near you, and get involved.
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Master Gardener Volunteers
Guidelines for Master Gardener Volunteers (Updated 6/8/21):
Reminder for MGV
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.
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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
Photos: Edwin Remsberg, Donna Coffin, or Laurie Bowen unless other listed.
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Contributors
Donna Coffin, Extension Professor
Kate Garland, Extension Horticulturist
Laurie Bowen, Food Systems Program 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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