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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May 2022
Fellow gardeners of Central Maine,
Yours,
Donna, Kate, and Laurie
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The One TomatoTM Project is a program encouraging people to grow at least one tomato in their garden this year. For the last eight years the Piscataquis County Extension Association has purchased cherry tomato seedlings and distributed them with growing information throughout the county and at our office in Dover-Foxcroft. Look for Extension staff outside grocery stores, town offices, food cupboards, and other locations where we can distribute plants.
to see if we are coming to a site near you. Distribution starts in June and will continue until we have given away 400 cherry tomato plants.
Why just one tomato? One tomato is not expensive to grow, it’s pretty easy, and it can be grown just about anywhere. You can plant a tomato in your garden, in your flowerbed, in a container, a hanging basket or even on your front lawn. If you don’t like tomatoes, that’s okay! You don’t have to be a tomato lover to join in – the goal is to grow some vegetable, so try out any vegetable you like. You can give any extra to local food banks.
For information and ideas on how to grow your tomato or how to manage disease and pests in your garden contact us at the UMaine Extension Piscataquis County Office, 165 East Main Street, Dover-Foxcroft, ME 04426 or email extension.piscataquis@maine.edu or call 207-564-3301 or 1-800-287-1491.
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You know that summer is on its way in Maine when the rhubarb stalks are large enough to gather. This tart stalk, colored deep red and topped with broad, bright-green leaves, grows in backyards and around farm buildings without much attention. Keeping plants well-fertilized is all that’s needed. The plants can usually be ignored until it is time to pick a few stalks for sauce, a springtime treat, or a tart rhubarb pie. The brightly colored stalks can be found in supermarkets as well as in farmer’s markets during the season. Some children even like to chew the stalks freshly picked. For more information on growing rhubarb, see Bulletin #2514 Growing Rhubarb in Maine.
If you are interested in a stewed rhubarb recipe to preserve your rhubarb harvest the National Center for Home Food Preservation has a great recipe. If you would rather just freeze your abundance of rhubarb the University of Maine Cooperative Extension provides instructions at the following link Extensions Food and Health Webpage.
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Stop Browntail Moth Hitchhikers |
Augusta - The Maine Forest Service asks everyone to check cars, trucks, boats, bikes, ATVs, and other vehicles for wandering browntail moth (BTM) caterpillars. Now through late June, BTM caterpillars become expert hitchhikers. When they catch a ride, BTM may set up house in a new area and cause irritation to people and destroy foliage on trees and shrubs at their new location.
If a BTM caterpillar is discovered before leaving an already infested area, it may be left on-site or destroyed. If found after leaving the infested area, the caterpillar should be eliminated. The best method to kill a BTM caterpillar is to move them to a plastic bag or another container, freeze them or soak them in a bucket of soapy water before disposing of them in the trash.
Reduce the chances of picking up browntail by avoiding parking and storing materials and equipment near infested trees.
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Blooming Now In the Woodlands |
Woodland flowers are a special find any time of year, but the annual show of spring ephemerals can be especially rewarding were they find the appropriate habitat and spread across large areas of the forest floor. Once summertime's hot temperatures arrive the show will be over, so get out soon to look for these little wonders that brighten the forest floor.
Photo: MDACF
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Maine's Notorious Black Flies |
Black Flies
Maine is notorious for its black flies. Black flies are generally small, black or gray, with short legs and very short antennae. They belong to a family of flies called the Simuliidae family, of which there are four genera containing species that feed on people. There are additional species that prefer instead to feed either on other mammals, or else birds. Of those that require blood, it is only the females that bite (as is the case with mosquitoes as well), with the males feeding principally on nectar. Black flies need running water in which to breed. By contrast, mosquitoes require much more stagnant water such as ponds and puddles. Some black fly species live in large, fast-flowing streams, while others prefer small, sluggish waterways. However, almost any kind of stream can serve as a home to some particular species of black fly. Some species can even breed successfully in irrigation ditches. Breeding success of black flies is highly sensitive to water pollution, making them an important indicator species for assessing the quality of the water in a given river or stream. But, they are a common nuisance overall, and so many states have programs in place to suppress their populations.
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Consider your Bird Feeder: Risk Management for Bird Flu, Spring 2022
By Anne Lichtenwalner DVM Ph.D., Associate Professor of Animal and Veterinary Science; Director: UMaine Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory
Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) has been in our region this spring, along with the welcome arrival of migrating wild birds. There is an ongoing discussion about the best ways to support our wild birds between regional animal health and wildlife entities. Should you keep your bird feeders filled for those migrants, as well as our normal, year-round resident wild birds?
In many places, there is still some “wild” food available (which is always the best resource, since it’s usually more nutritionally diverse and also does not function to “aggregate” birds unnaturally, an activity that spreads diseases (flu, salmonella, mycoplasma, etc.). So- in some places, feeding birds isn’t a great option for the health of the birds, and may not be needed. Conversely, feeding birds can be supportive for some bird species, and is certainly helpful for people who otherwise would not be able to observe wild birds.
If you have poultry, it’s clear that you should not encourage wild birds (of any kind) and your poultry to mix, for the good of both the wild and domestic birds. So- backyard and commercial flock owners should NOT keep wild bird feeders around.
If you have no poultry, and you routinely feed wild birds, then it’s still better to cease the practice for now (since avian flu is still a potential risk for people). Also, there is always a risk of salmonella or other diseases getting spread by bird feeders. SO- if you decide to keep your feeders up, then clean and disinfect them weekly (wear gloves, soak the feeder in a bucket of very dilute bleach solution, being sure to get all the old debris out).
If you are not sure what to do, please check out the IFW website for updates. If you miss your bird feeder and just want to learn more about birds, please check out the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. There are also some great podcasts (free) for birders to keep up their skills. With time and the return of warm, sunny weather, the risk of HPAI spread will diminish. Despite HPAI, bird populations can rebound when natural forages and cover are available for feeding and nesting. Whether you are a farmer, bird-fancier, or naturalist, please do your best to support our wildlife and to keep our poultry safe.
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Piscataquis Regional Food Center (PRFC) is partnering with the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Piscataquis County Office for the second year to bring the Garden in a Box learning program to the region. Garden in a Box aims to bring gardening know-how and enthusiasm to people with limited mobility, small space, or lack of resources.
Sign-ups to be a Garden in a Box participant are limited but many of the program resources will be available to the general public through local libraries that plan to host the Garden in a Box resource binder and a demo garden. In addition, a 5-part Garden in a Box education series will take place at Thompson Free Library, Dover-Foxcroft. These presentations are free and open to everyone.
Small Space Gardening; June 23th @ 6 pm.
Thompson Free Library, Dover-Foxcroft (Facebook Live Event)
When to Harvest: Harvest time is one of the most enjoyable times spent in your garden. Join us for an overview of when to harvest your vegetables, what to do with your extra harvest. We will also discuss extending your season
To learn more about the program or to sign up to be a Gardener, visit prfoodcenter.org/garden-in-a-box or call Kazia Knepp, PRFC Community Food Services Coordinator at (207) 802-8230. If you are interested in becoming a Garden Coach, please contact Laurie Bowen, UMaine Extension Food Systems Program Assistant at (207) 942-7396.
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Using Row Covers in the Garden
By Nate Bernitz, UNH Home Horticulture Outreach Program Manager, Hillsborough County Office Co-Administrator
Row covers are an important tool for gardeners for season extension and pest control, sometimes dramatically reducing the need for pesticides while opening up weeks of extra growing time and helping speed up early-season plant growth. There’s no one way to use row cover, so it’s important to tailor your practice to the crops you’re growing, the time of year, and how much maintenance time you can invest.
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New Garden Resources to Meet New Needs
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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