University of Maine Cooperative Extension
fruits and veggies

Piscataquis & Penobscot

Gardening Newsletter

Volume 8 Issue 9                                              September 2010
In This Issue
Harvesting Pumpkins
Milo 4-H Learning Garden a Success
Question of the Month
Obsolete Pesticide Collection
Storage of Garden Produce
Items of Interest
Monthly Garden Activities
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Thanks.
Mission
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.
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Goal
 The goal of the Piscataquis & Penobscot Gardening Newsletter is to provide timely information on practical, sustainable, research-based horticultural practices, tools and techniques which will improve home gardening success in our two counties.  Upcoming events and programs of interest will also be included.
with articles from other Extension staff
 Harvesting pumpkins
by: Mark Hutton, Extension Vegetable Specialist
 
Pumpkins and winter squash are maturing early this year causing a lot of head scratching and wondering what to do with orange pumpkins just in time for Labor Day.  If the vines and foliage are in good condition it may be best to leave the fruit in the field. However, early harvest and storage may be preferable to leaving the fruit in the field particularly if the vines are in poor condition.  Appropriate application of protectant fungicides such as chlorothalonil prior to harvest will help protect the fruit, stems, and foliage from powdery mildew, black rot and other fruit rots and should increase storage life.
Leaving the pumpkins in the field once foliage cover is reduced or after the vines have died may lead to extensive losses of otherwise marketable fruit.  Foliage cover is needed to prevent sunscald of the fruit and dead, decaying vines can reduce the quality of pumpkin stems.  If the field has a history of Fusarium or Phytophtora, leaving mature fruit in the field will increase the likelihood of losses due to fruit rot.  If you do plan to store the fruit in the field cut the fruit from the vine and windrow the fruit in drier sections of the field. Cutting the fruit from the vine will help protect the stem from the spread of powdery mildew along the vine and can reduce shriveling and shrinkage of the stem. It is important to scout for insects feeding on the fruit and stems, the most common and serious pests are squash bug nymphs and adults and the striped cucumber beetle. Insect feeding on the fruit or stems will result in unsightly scarring and pitting which can also allow entry of diseases. Control these insects with appropriate insecticides (consult the latest edition of the New England Vegetable Management Guide for a list of available insecticides).
Ideally, pumpkins should be harvested when fully mature, with a deep orange color and hardened rind. However, as long as pumpkins have started to turn color, they will ripen off the vine if held under the proper conditions. While not ideal, this may be preferable to leaving them in the field if conditions are not favorable. Only bring in injury and , disease free fruit to cure and store. If necessary, pumpkins can be ripened in a well-ventilated barn or greenhouse. The best temperatures for ripening are 80-85�F with a relative humidity of 80-85%. Night temperatures should not drop below the sixties. Even if pumpkins are ripe, a period of curing can improve storage life. The curing period should be about 10 days. During this process, the fruit skin hardens, wounds heal and immature fruit ripens - all of which prolongs the storage life.
Pumpkins should be stored in a cool, dry place. Ideal temperatures are between 50� and 60� F and relative humidity of 50 - 70%. Higher humidity allows condensation on the fruit with risk of disease, and lower humidity can cause dehydration. Higher temperatures increase respiration and can cause weight loss. Store fruit on pallets or in large bins being careful not to overfill or stack pumpkins too high.  Pressure bruises can reduce storage life.  Stacking pumpkins on dirt or concrete floors can result in significant fruit losses to fruit rots. Even if it is difficult to provide the ideal conditions, storage in a shady, dry location, with fruit off the ground or the floor, is preferable to leaving fruit out in the field.
 
Thanks to--R. Hazzard, J. Howell, A. Carter, and Robert Wick. University of Massachusetts; Dale Riggs & Robert Rouse, Pumpkin Production Guide, NRAES; Maurice Ogutu, University of Illinois Extension, in Veg­etable Growers News, August 2004; and Liz Maynard, Purdue University; Andy Wyendandt, Wes Kline, Rutgers Univ.
 
UMaine Cooperative Extension Collaborates to "Grow" a Successful Learning Garden
by Hannah Todd, Extension Home Horticulture Coordinator 
Welcome to the Learning Garden, and you will feel welcome here, because it is located in "The Friendly Town" of Milo, ME.  Nested at the edge of an established field, children from local towns gather every Wednesday from 3pm to 5pm.  They come under the auspice of the UMaine Cooperative Extension 4-H Summer Garden Program, with the goal to develop gardening skills, such as, learning to identify a Colorado Potato Beetle, and the difference between weeds and seedlings! 
 
But really so much more takes place at the Learning Garden, after all this project started as a 4-H project, and the 4-H motto is: "I pledge my Head to clearer thinking, my Heart to greater loyalty, my Hands to larger service, and my Health to better living for my club, my community, my country and my world."  In this garden you can find a sense of the importance of community, what it means to eat nutritiously, and self confidence as tall as Jack's Bean Stalk.
 
Andrew Barnes, 4-H VISTA Volunteer, spear headed the project when the first daffodils were just starting to grow.  With the help of some very dedicated and enthusiastic volunteers and 4-H parents he was quickly moving from attending selectmen meetings, where he got town approval for a community garden, to facing the challenge of finding someone with a rototiller.  He essentially extended the Milo 4-H Afterschool Program into the 4-H summer Garden Program and invited all the participants. 
 
By early June, the program was blossoming, so Andy, as the children know him, called in other UMaine Cooperative Extension employees to help with the effort.  Susan Henner, an EatWell Associate, came and taught the children about healthy snacks that also taste good!  The group made chive, dill, and curry dip and on one of those high eighty degree days the children relaxed under the pop up tent and sampled their dip with zucchini, and cucumber slices.  The "yum, yums", were abundant as the 4-Her's marveled at how great fresh veggies taste and the potential "fruits of their labor" to come (they had not harvested their zucchini or cucumbers at that point).
 
Next I was called in, my name is Hannah Todd and I'm the Home Horticulture Coordinator in Piscataquis and Somerset Counties, I attend every Wednesday that I can, teaching sometimes, and sometimes just helping the children in the garden.  The one formal class I taught was on garden insect pest.  The children loved the challenge of trying to identify "bugs" and even knew some of them already, from having discovered them earlier in the season!  I will be teaching a season extension class during one of the up-coming Wednesday time slots.  We have a tally going on what date the first frost will hit our garden spot.  The child closest to the day gets a pumpkin!  Hands-down, this is one of the most successful garden projects I have had the privilege to be involved with during my time with the UMaine Cooperative Extension.
 
The combined efforts of the different program areas under the UMaine Cooperative Extension umbrella have benefitted the children and the program tremendously.  The Children have received a full understanding of planning a community garden, growing food, healthy eating, and giving back to the community (some produce was donated to the Brownville Meals on Wheels and the rest they plan to donate to Milo Methodist Church's Food Pantry).
 
Please feel free to join us!  We invite you to any and all of the first three Wednesday's in September; come help us get the garden ready for winter and you never know you may just get the "gardening bug" and return with us in the Spring to, ya know....till, plant, weed, water, have some fun, and of course learn and develop as an individual, and as a community member!
 
For more information please contact Barbara Baker, 4-H Extension Educator in Penobscot and Piscataquis County, at: University of Maine Cooperative Extension Penobscot County Office, 307 Maine Avenue
Bangor, ME 04401-4331or by Phone: (207) 942-7396
800-287-1485 or by e-mail: [email protected] .
Photo: Dana Rickman
Tomatoes with blossum end rot
 Question of the Month 
 
 Why are my tomatoes rotting on the bottom (see picture)?
Answer of the week:  Blossom end rot.
 
Blossom end rot is a common problem associated with tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant.  Symptoms start out as a water soaked spot on the bottom (i.e. blossom end) of the fruit.  The spot gradually develops into a blakened, rotten area that is not edible.  For more information see the Blossom End Rot Factsheet. Contact us at the extension office for a copy.

Obsolete Pesticide Collection - Sign-up by October 1st!

The Board of Pesticides Control (BPC) and the Department of Environmental Protection provide citizens with a responsible, free solution to their obsolete pesticide problem.Once a year, these agencies collect obsolete pesticides brought to sites across Maine. The materials are then shipped to out-of-state disposal facilities.Only banned pesticides and pesticides that have become caked, frozen or otherwise rendered unusable can be accepted. Pesticides that can be used legally are not eligible for collection.The program is available to homeowners as well as non-corporate farmers and greenhouse operators. Others should contact the BPC for arrangements.

For on-line forms go to Maine Board of Pesticides - Obsolete Pesticide Program or call 287-2731 to have the form mailed to you. 

Storage of Garden Produce 

             Many fruits and vegetables can be stored for extended periods of time provided they are given the proper temperature and moisture conditions that will not allow them to freeze, or to complete their natural cycle to decomposition.  Crops held in storage are still living plants that are made dormant by their environment. 
Products suited to storage can be grouped according to the conditions best for each: Cold (32 - 40o F) & Very Moist (90 - 95% relative humidity); Cold (32 - 40o F) &  Moist (80 - 90% relative humidity); Warm (50 - 55o F) & Dry (60 - 75% relative humidity); Cool (32 - 50o F) & Dry (60 - 70% relative humidity). 

It is important to separate fruits and vegetables.  Ethylene gas produced by apples can cause potatoes to sprout, while cabbage and turnip can give odors to pears and apples. 
Once produce is in storage it is important to check on it regularly and remove any produce that starts to lose condition.  Remember the old saying "One rotten apple can ruin the whole barrel".  One vegetable or fruit that starts to go by can affect all the produce that is in close proximity. 
 
Storage conditions for some specific produce include:
Cold & Very Moist: Celery, Leeks, Beets, & Pears
Cold & Moist: Apples & Potatoes
Warm & Dry: Pumpkins & Winter Squash
Cool & Dry: Onions

 Source: MacKay, S., Home Storage of Fruits and Vegetables, Cooperative Extension, Northeast Regional Agricultural Engineering Service, NRAES - 7, 1984. Please note we have limited copies of this publication in the Piscataquis Office.  Contact us if you would like a copy. 

Items of interest

People's Garden School Pilot Program - Request For Proposals due November 8th, 2010: The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has $1 million available in Fiscal Year (FY) 2010 for a People's Garden School Pilot Program. FNS is requesting applications to enter into a cooperative agreement for the purposes of awarding grants to develop and run community gardens at eligible high-poverty schools; teaching students involved in the gardens about agriculture production practices, diet, and nutrition; contributing produce to supplement food provided at eligible schools, student households, local food banks, or senior center nutrition programs; and conducting an evaluation of funded projects to learn more about the impacts of school gardens. Grant Information Link
 
Hunters for the Hungry Program

Attention hunters! Hunters for the Hungry, a cooperative program between Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and The Food Assistance Program, provides a means for hunters to donate all or a portion of their hunt to a local food pantry.
This program has been a great contribution to our citizens, providing meat to those who may no longer be able to hunt, to those who have a medical necessity of having natural low fat meat and to others who visit their local emergency feeding organization.
Those wishing more information on this program may call toll free 1-888-4DEER-ME (433-3763). 
 
Excess Garden Produce?
 
Despite the hot dry weather conditions many gardens have been producing abundant crops.  If you are a gardener that finds they have too much produce for your families needs please consider donating to your local food cupboard.  Gardeners in the Dover-Foxcroft area can contact Reverend Tom Bruce at 564-2586 or 717-5317, for the best time to drop off garden produce.  They serve hundreds of families in our area and welcome the chance to give these families some fresh produce.  Gardeners in other towns can check with your town office for a food cupboard near you.
Monthly Garden Activities & Tips
  • Stop, don't fertilize any woody plants. Don't prune any woody plants either.  Pruning promotes growth that will not harden off in time for winter.
  • Harvesting and preserving will continue until a hard frost. Be sure to use recommended canning and freezing techniques to protect your family from food borne diseases. Check out our publications on preserving the harvest.
  • Sweet Corn will continue to grow and mature until frost. If you plan to use the stalks for your compost pile be sure to chop them up so they will break down quicker. You may want to save some for fall decorations.  
  • Apples are ripening quickly.  Some have not colored up since we haven't had the cold weather, but they are ripe.  How do you tell? Give them a taste. Apples that are left ripe on the tree too long will drop on the ground.
  • Protect late crops from frost by putting on your row covers or by covering them with a tarp in the evening when the metrologist calls for frost. Sometimes you can save plants from a light frost by irrigating in the morning at sunrise.
  • Mature green tomatoes (blossom end has lightened) can be ripened indoors.  Individually wrap fruits in newspaper, or leave them on the vine, pulling the entire plant out of the ground. Store in a cool location, about 55 F to 60 F.
  • Plant spring flowering bulbs this fall to enjoy early color next spring.  
  • Great time to do a soil sample to get results back by fall so you can amend the garden with needed nutrients.
  • Fall will be the best time to apply manure to your garden, try to line up a source now.
Featured Extension Publications
The following agriculture related Extension publications are available or can be ordered at the Extension Office nearest you.  You will notice that some publications are free and some have a cost recovery charge.  Many other publications are available for free online or may be purchased at our secure publications web site.
 
  • Trickle Irrigation: Using and Conserving Water in the Home Garden, Item #2160, Publisher: UMaine Extension
    4-page bulletin explains how trickle irrigation can conserve water by directing it where it is needed. Describes the benefits and disadvantages; lists resources for system design. 2003. Download it for free: PDF (for printing) / HTML, (for browsing) or buy a printout for $0.75
  • Garden Equipment and Items to Make for the Maine Garden
    Container & Raised-Bed Gardening series,
    Item #2763, Publisher: UMaine Extension
    Practical, detailed plans and materials lists for newspaper pots, a light stand, a two-tier seedling stand, a cold frame, and raised beds, as well as ideas for making planting holes in plastic, blanching celery, and growing a "plant in a bag." Includes photos and illustrations. 5 pages, 2009. Download it for free, or add it to your cart to buy a color printout.
    $0.75
Upcoming Events   
 
Maine Fairs for dates and contact information for Maine Agricultural Fairs you can go to http://bit.ly/mainefairs
 
**** NEW Farmers Markets ****
Wednesdays: 2 pm to 6 pm & Saturdays (TBD) Hearts of Hope Market, Main St. (Rt. 15), East Corinth.  Contact Linda Clewley for more information [email protected] 924-5506.
Thursdays: 2 pm to 6 pm  Ohio Farmers' Market, sponsored by the Bangor Grange at 1192 Ohio Street in Bangor, near Fenson Road. FMI contact Rolf at 973-3976 or [email protected]
  
September 16th, 23rd, and 30th, 2010 (Thursdays) 6 pm to 7:30 pm Heating and Electricity Use, In My Home, on the Cheap. These three sessions will walk you through understanding where you are using heat and electricity, compare different fuel sources to heat your home, learn low cost & no cost energy conservation techniques and compare different alternative home heating and power sources. Federal and state energy conservation and alternatives incentives will also be discussed. Each session participants will make and take home an item that will help them cut their heat or energy use. Cost to attend this series is $5 with scholarships available. Sponsored by UMaine Extension, Piscataquis Valley Adult Education Cooperative, American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and Efficiency Maine. To sign up for the session contact PVAEC at 564-6525 or http://tinyurl.com/homeenergyclass or UMaine Extension at 564-3301 or in Maine 1-800-287-1491.
 
September 23rd, 2010, What's Bugging You?... Finding a healthy balance in the garden 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm.  When pests are threatening the life of our precious garden plants it's easy to jump to conclusions and make poor garden decisions.  Unfortunately this often leads to the miss-use of pesticides.  This class will look at the life cycles or plants, insects, and diseases, learn to identify common garden "invaders" and about Integrated Pest Management (IPM).  Some of the class will focus on invasive species, i.e., what it means to be an invasive species and why they are a concern for every Mainer.  Another portion of the class will be on proper selection and use of pesticides.  Class members will go away "armed" with ideas for a successful pest free (or reduced) 2011 garden season!   Bring samples of insects, diseases, or plants you would like identified and we'll identify specimens from 8:30pm to 9pm.  There will be a $10.00 fee for this class. Sponsored by UMaine Extension, Piscataquis Valley Adult Education Cooperative,  To sign up for the session contact PVAEC at 564-6525 or UMaine Extension at 564-3301 or in Maine 1-800-287-1491.
 
September 29th, 2010, Home Food Preservation Class, from 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm, learn the basics of canning and freezing, including how to use pressure canners and water-bath canners to preserve pickles, jam and vegetables.  Join a hands-on workshop taught by Jason Bolton, Extension Educator. Location RSU 19 Adult Ed, 266 Williams Road, Newport.  Cost is $12 with scholarships available. For more information or to register call 368-3290 or email [email protected]
 
October 5th, 2010 Heating and Electricity Use, In My Home, on the Cheap. 1 pm to 3:30 pm This program will walk you through understanding where you are using heat and electricity, compare different fuel sources to heat your home, learn low cost & no cost energy conservation techniques and compare different alternative home heating and power sources. Federal and state energy conservation and alternatives incentives will also be discussed. Participants will make and take home an item that will help them cut their heat or energy use. Cost to attend $5 with scholarships available. Sponsored by UMaine Extension, American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and Efficiency Maine. To sign up for the session contact UMaine Extension at 942-7396 or email [email protected]
 
Contact Info
Donna R. Coffin, Extension Educator
207-564-3301 or in Maine 1-800-287-1491
[email protected]
 
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