University of Maine Cooperative Extension
fruits and veggies

Piscataquis & Penobscot

Gardening Newsletter

Volume 10 Issue 10                                                                       December 2012
In This Issue
Live Tree Fire Saftey
Hooray for Volunteers!
Great Garden Blog
Onion Heartache
Maine Harvest Festival
Publications and Videos
Maine's Best Roosts
Reference Books
Events
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.
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Christmas trees growing in a field
Live Tree Fire Safety
 

The holiday season is almost here and we love to decorate our houses for this very special time.  

Nothing beats the smell of a fresh fir tree but there are a few things we need to be aware of and take care to avoid accidents at home.

According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), an estimated of 400 house fires occur each year during the holiday season, 60% of them are relating to live fir trees and the 40% are relating to holiday lights.

So, I think, it doesn't hurt to share with you a few safety tips to ensure a fire safe holiday season.

  • Make sure your real tree is still alive and healthy. (The trunk should be sticky to the touch and the limbs should be very flexible.)
  • Before you bring in the tree, cut off the bottom two inches of the trunk. This will create a fresh, raw cut for the tree to soak up water.
  • Get it into a stand right away, and water. Since a freshly cut tree absorb as much as a gallon of water a day. Keep the water in the stand well above the fresh-cut bottom of the trunk because the cut will seal and the tree will stop absorbing water.
  • Place your tree at least three feet away from heat sources like floor heaters, fireplaces, candles, appliances or heater vents. The cooler the  tree stays, the better.
  • Try to position the tree near an outlet so that cords are not running long distances.
  • Do not use string of lights with worn, frayed, broken cords or loose bulb connections
  • Always unplug tree lights if you are leaving the house.
  • The best sign to remove the tree is when needles begin to fall off in large quantities.

I hope these few tips will keep us safe and let us enjoy the beauty of holiday season.

 

UMaine Extension Volunteers Making a Difference

UMaine Cooperative Extension volunteers make a tremendous difference in their communities.  For example, they support community gardens, educate young gardeners, and plan/plant/maintain demonstration gardens.  In 2012, new and returning Master Gardener volunteers from Penobscot County reported donating 5,318 hours of their time.  Projects include:

  • Rogers Farm Demonstration Garden
  • Orono Community Garden
    young gardening friend at Kids Can Grow
  • Kids Can Grow Garden Mentors
  • Bangor Community Garden
  • Children's International Summer Village Harvest to Table Project
  • Garden Club Talks and Master Gardener Training
  • Fields Pond Audubon Center
  • Construction of Seed Starting Stands
  • Bangor Y Encore Garden
  • Bangor Garden Show
  • Leonard's Mills Heritage Garden 
  • Penobscot Nation Elder Garden
  • Eastern Maine Native Plant Arboretum
  • Old Town Recreation Department Garden and Youth Activities
  • UMaine Roger Clapp Greenhouse
  • Maine Harvest for Hunger

Penobscot County Maine Harvest for Hunger volunteers donated over 30,000lbs of locally produced food to at least 20 food cupboards, shelters, and support organizations throughout Penobscot County.  

 

Thirty gardeners in Penobscot County completed the 2012 Master Gardener Volunteer training that provided participants with over 40-hours of in-depth training in the art and science of horticulture.  Trainees give back 40 hours of their time to serve and educate their community in Penobscot County.  For more information on the 2013 Master Gardener training or to become a Maine Harvest for Hunger volunteer, please contact Kate Garland or Theresa Tilton at 942-7396 or [email protected].
 
To all volunteers:  THANK YOU for the time, effort, and thought that goes into the projects you serve.  Its a pleasure to work with you.  

We invite you to read and participate in conversations about the latest garden science and issues facing horticulture at the Garden Professors Blog and their Facebook page.

blog:  https://sharepoint.cahnrs.wsu.edu/blogs/urbanhort/default.aspx
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/TheGardenProfessors

How the Garden Professors Blog Began

The Garden Professors blog was originally the brain-child of Dr. Jeff Gillman, Associate Professor of Horticulture at the University of Minnesota, and Dr. Linda Chalker-Scott, Associate Professor of Horticulture and Extension Specialist at Washington State University. 

 

Both Jeff and Linda have become famous - at least as famous as anyone in Horticulture can become - by lecturing and writing about myths that have become entrenched in gardening and landscape horticulture.  They have each published books including Jeff's The Truth About Organic Gardening and Decoding Gardening Advice (co-authored with Meleah Maynard) and Linda's The Informed Gardener and The Informed Gardener Blooms Again.

 

In the summer of 2009, Jeff and Linda decided to launch a blog to provide an entertaining and interactive forum to engage gardeners, landscapers, nursery people, educators and others on the science behind gardening and landscaping.  In order to provide some broader perspectives (or to just lighten the workload for themselves, we're not sure which) they enlisted the help of Dr. Holly Scoggins, Associate Professor of Horticulture at Virginia Tech and Dr. Bert Cregg, Associate Professor of Horticulture and Forestry at Michigan State University.  Holly teaches several classes at Va Tech, conducts research on herbaceous perennials and directs the Hahn Horticulture Garden.  Bert has a broad background including urban and community forestry, nursery production, and Christmas trees - just call him 'the Tree guy'.

 

Science of Gardening Explored through Humor, Debate ...

Since July 2009, the four professors have taken turns writing daily (more or less) posts for the blog.  Topics range from the serious (invasive species, appropriate use of pesticides, compost tea) to the less serious (colored poinsettias, pee bales, beer preferences of slugs).  Often the posts have been controversial, generating rather -ahem- spirited discussion among the professors and their readers.  The unique mix of science, horticulture, debate and humor has proved to be a winning combination and readership of the blog has grown steadily, currently averaging about 10,000 visits a month. 

 

Visit the Garden Professors Blog.  Follow them on Facebook.  Submit your comments and join the conversation.  The Garden Professors don't always see to eye to eye - either with each other or their readers - but work to perfect the art of disagreeing without being disagreeable.

 

I didn't know that....

 

Since I was a little girl, I was learning from my mother the basic cooking skills, and once in a while I noticed she was crying in the kitchen. I in my na�ve little girl mind I always thought she was sad, but when I began to be part of the cooking team at home I realized that her eyes were full of tears due to the onions. Basically the cause of these tears is the amount of sulfur stored in the onion flesh; this is released as fumes when we cut them.

 

As gardeners, it is possible to manage the amount of sulfur in the onions by growing them in low sulphur soils or planting varieties with lower sulphur "uptake". Some varieties like Walla Walla, Mt Whitney and Ailsa Craig are a good choice.

 

However, maybe you don't know the reasons why Mother Nature made the onions this way. Actually the sulfur protects the onion plant from diseases and insects but it benefits us as consumers because our bodies need sulfur in hundreds of physiological processes.

On the other hand, onions are safe to eat in any quantity you are likely to consume because they are low in sodium, free from fats, cholesterol, contain a pretty good mix of vitamins and minerals and is a vital component in promoting overall health.

 

So in behalf of our health I think the tears in the kitchen after all are not too bad.


 

University of Maine Cooperative Extension at the Harvest Maine Festival 2012

  

This year, more than 100 Maine vendors and thousands of consumers gathered at the 2nd annual Maine Harvest Festival (Nov 10-11), one of the largest events of this kind in Bangor.  The Maine Harvest Festival enabled consumers to meet farmers and producers from throughout the State.  Community members also had the opportunity to attend seminars, demonstrations, taste the products and learn about educational programs related to these activities.

 

Since education is a large part of this event, the University of Maine Cooperative Extension participated by providing information about the different programs and services we offer to the community. We had over a hundred people sign up for the Piscataquis/Penobscot Gardening Newsletter. For more information about our programs, please visit our county offices or our website http://extension.umaine.edu/ 

Our publications catalog includes reference books that may serve as wonderful gifts this holiday season.  So, pull up a chair and browse the catalog or enjoy a few of the featured publications and videos below!

Publications

#7011  Balsam Fir Tip Gathering 
#7012  Making Balsam Fir Wreaths 
#7117  Birdhouse Basics 
#7124  Birdfeeding Basics  
#7201  Energy Saver$: Tips on Saving Energy & Money at Home  #7210  Maine Home Energy Series  #9022  Staying Warm in an Unheated House  

Videos 

What are UMaine Cooperative Extension Master Gardener Volunteers?
Maine Balsam Fir Tips:  A Sustainable Harvest
How to wash fruits and vegetables
How to Use and Preserve Maine Cranberries
Maine's Best Roosts Contest

Statewide photo contest will highlight the finest poultry coops

 

In recognition and celebration of the growing popularity of poultry raising, the Maine Poultry Growers Association and the University of Maine Cooperative Extension are sponsoring the first Maine Poultry Coop Contest.

 

The purpose of the contest is to showcase the many and varied coop designs used by Maine poultry keepers and enthusiasts. Poultry owners are invited to enter a photo and description of their coops by Dec. 31, 2012.

 

The Maine Poultry Growers Association will award prizes of $200, $100, $50 to the top three entries, respectively. Fourth and fifth place winners will receive a subscription to Backyard Poultry magazine.

 

All entrants must be Maine residents. Entries must include at least one coop photo (not more than three photos) and a completed entry form. Entry forms and photos may be submitted online, in person or mailed to: Poultry Coop Contest, University of Maine Cooperative Extension, 75 Clearwater Drive, Falmouth, Maine 04105

 

Coops may be seasonal, year-round, stationary or mobile. They may be multipurpose and need not be original designs.

 

A team of judges will evaluate each entry based on specific criteria, including design, purpose, space, construction materials, safety, cost and unique features. Winning entries will be announced at the Maine Agricultural Trades Show Jan. 9, 2013 at the Augusta Civic Center. Entrants need not be present to win.

 

More information and the entry form are online or available by contacting Andrea Herr, 207.781.6099 or 1.800.287.1471 (toll free in Maine only).

Contact: Andrea Herr, 207.781.6099


Reference books for identify in garden weeds

 

National Audubon Society

Field Guide to Wildflowers Eastern Region

Niering, William 

 

Lasagna Gardening

Lanza, Patricia

 

Weedless Gardening

Reich, Lee

 

Weeds of the Northeast

Uva, Neal and DiTomaso

   

An illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada Volume I, II and III

Britton and Brown

 

Invasive Plants Field and Reference Guide: An Ecological Perspective of Plant Invaders of Forest and Woodlands.

Huebner, Olson and Smith (USDA)  

 

Events

    

Wednesday, December 12th, noon-1pm - Composting and Compost Use Free Webinar
Thursday, December 13th, noon-1pm - Best Practices in Starting and Sustaining a School Garden Free Webinar
Both webinars are part of the People's Garden Fall Webinar Series sponsored by the USDA.  Experts from across the country will teach the trainings.  There is no charge for registration and all sessions are open to the public.  Registration is open now at http://www.ksre.k-state.edu/2012webinars/
 
January 8-10 - Maine Agriculture Trade Show, Augusta Civic Center
This show provides an atmosphere to walk through, observe, and educate the public about different areas of agriculture.  Tuesday 9am-5pm, Wednesday 9am-8pm, Thursday 9am-3pm.  Admission is FREE. 

Edited by:

Theresa Tilton, Administrative Assistant 

 

Contact Info
Donna R. Coffin, Extension Educator

207-564-3301 or in Maine 1-800-287-1491
[email protected]
and
Ana Bonstedt, Home Horticulture Coordinator
207-564-3301 or in Maine 1-800-287-1491 
Katherine Garland, Horticulturist
207-942-7396 or in Maine 1-800- 287-1485


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Information in this newsletter is provided purely for educational purposes. No responsibility is assumed for any problems associated with the use of products or services mentioned in this newsletter. No endorsement of products or companies is intended, nor is criticism of unnamed products or companies implied.

SURFACE MAIL RECIPIENTS CAN CONTACT THEIR COUNTY EXTENSION OFFICE FOR FURTHER INFORMATION WHEN WEB LINKS ARE INCLUDED IN AN ARTICLE.

 

Piscataquis County Office 207-564-3301 or 800-287-1491

165 East Main Street Dover-Foxcroft, ME 04426  

 

Penobscot County Office 207-942-7396 or 800-287-1485

 

307 Maine Avenue Bangor, ME 04401