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Piscataquis and Penobscot
Gardening Newsletter
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Practical horticultural information based on university research
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By Ana Bonstedt, Home Horticulture Coordinator
The gardening season is almost over and you might be thinking about a to do list before winter arrives. If this is the case, make sure to include the proper cleaning and storage of your garden tools as part of this list.
The purchase of garden tools should be understood as a long-term investment. Therefore, it's important to devote time to their maintenance. Here are some tips that will help maintain your tools in good shape for long lasting use.
The most important step is to the clean off the tools after every use. This will extend its useful life by removing moisture and potential rust from steel surfaces. Tools that come in contact with soil should be rinsed with water after each use and scrubbed with a hard brush to remove stubborn soil, thereby ensuring that they are free from insect eggs, fungi, bacteria, and weed seeds that can find their way back into your gard
en. After, dry tools with a clean cloth before storing. Tools that do not come in contact with soil should be wiped down with a thick rough cotton cloth to remove
any resins and sap from their blades. If tools were used to prune sap-bearing plants such as pine, spruce, and fir, clean the blades with a cloth moistened with a little bit of paint thinner. Once dirt and residue are removed, dry the tool with a clean cotton rag. An extra step is to cover the metal parts of the tools with a thin protective oil coating with products available on the market designed at displacing moisture and preventing rust.
Once metal parts of the garden tools are cared for, focus should be shifted to the wooden parts. Chances are good that most of your garden tools have wood handles that can deteriorate with the time and use. To keep handles smooth and in good shape:
- clean the dirt and grime off each handle using a damp cloth and set them to dry.
- remove any roughness by sanding the handles and check for cracks or divots in the handle that need to be repaired.
- wipe the handle down with a good quality linseed oil.
- consider painting wooden handles with a bright color to make them easier to find and distinguishable from other gardener's tools.
Another key to garden tool maintenance is keeping your tools sharp. Depending on the brand, type, and frequency you use them, they will need to be sharpened at least once a year. The productivity of a sharp garden tool will optimize your time when working in your garden. If you do not feel comfortable sharpening your tools, there are places like hardware stores that usually offer this service.
Now, after all the time dedicated to the maintenance of your garden tools, it is time to put them away until the next season. Storing tools in the right place is crucial. It's best to follow these two basic rules: first, keep them inside a protected area and second, keep them off the ground. The use of hanging racks is the best way to store the tools. Not only do they optimize space by organizing your working area, but racks help you notice when tools are missing.
photo by Tori Lee Jackson
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Now Accepting Applications for the 2014 Master Gardener Volunteer Training in Bangor
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Enrollment is open for the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Master
Gardener Volunteer training in Penobscot county. Extension Horticulturist, Kate Garland will collaborate with experts from around the state to present
a 51 hour course on sustainable horticulture topics including: botany, plant propagation, soils, composting, landscape design, vegetable gardening, pesticide safety, tree fruits, insects and plant diseases, ecology,
 plant selection, and more. Weekly training sessions will take place mid-January through March and will resume for the entire month of September. Most sessions will take place on Tuesday evenings 5-8pm with the exception of two Saturday morning session in March.
The full schedule and a link to the online application can be found at the following website: http://umaine.edu/penobscot/programs/gardening/master-gardeners/ . To request a printed application, please call Theresa at 207-942-7396. Applications should be submitted no later than January 3rd. The course fee is based on a sliding scale from $110-$330. A limited number of scholarships are available. UMaine Extension programs are open and accessible to all in accordance with program goals.
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National Garden Bureau's Members Showcase New Varieties for 2014
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By Diane Blazek, Executive Director of National Garden Bureau
Beautiful images along with detailed descriptions of over 100 exciting new ornamental flowers and edibles from National Garden Bureau members are now available on the National Garden Bureau website.
This annual program is an important service to gardeners, retailers and garden writers as NGB's New Varieties program brings many of the best new varieties from NGB members all together in one easily-accessible location. Garden retailers and their gardening customers are sure to find many inspiring varieties for 2014 that will appeal to both new and experienced gardeners.
National Garden Bureau president Janis Kieft explains, "Each year our industry introduces an exciting selection of new and improved varieties of both flowers and edibles. As a gardener I look forward to discovering these new plants and growing as many as I can in my own garden. Being able to see photos and read information about them in one spot makes it easy to select the ones I want. This is certainly one of the most visited pages on the NGB website so it's a program we will continue for many years to come."
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Videos
Publications
One Search Easy access to resources provided by Land-Grant institutions!
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Featured Recipe - Braised Cabbage
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Simple, inexpensive, seasonal recipes from Cooperative Extension
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Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 pound cabbage, cored and thinly sliced
- 1 apple, thinly sliced
- Black pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 cup warm water
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
Makes 6 servings
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Directions:
- Heat the oil in a large skillet and add the onion. Sauté the onion for 1 minute.
- Add the cabbage and apple and cook for 5 minutes.
- Combine the pepper, brown sugar, water and vinegar.
- Add this mixture to the cabbage mixture and cook, covered, over low heat for 20 minutes. Stir every 5 minutes.
- Serve the cabbage hot or cold.
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Autumn Garden Fun
One of our young friends at Kids Can Grow enjoyed planting garlic and cleaning out the beds on a cold, sunny October afternoon.
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New Fence
Dale, Penobscot County Master Gardener, hard at work digging the holes for the new fence at Rogers Farm. Nice work!
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Unforgettable Color
We cherish this tree at Rogers Farm for it's refreshing summer shade and are stunned by it's beauty every fall.
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Plants Wanted! - Ecotat Gardens and Arboretum, Hermon
The gardens are undergoing restoration and are in need of new plants. Perennials of all shapes and sizes are welcome. Rare or unusual plants are a plus! No need for orange day lilies, green hosts, and perennials that tend to spread. All they ask is that the plant be potted and labeled. Plants may be dropped off any time of the day at Ecotat Gardens (2699 Route 2 Hermon), the Curtis Residence (5 Hawthorn Ave, Bangor), and/or the Hermon Town Office (during business hours). Ecotat is a 510 (c) (3) organization.
Maine Harvest Festival - November 16-17, Cross Insurance Center Bangor
Volunteers Help Wanted for Solidarity Harvest - Nov 19-21
Food and Medicine is looking for volunteers to help sort, pack, and distribute over 1,000 Thanksgiving meals for our neighbors in need. See Volunteer Schedule for more info.
Penobscot Beekeepers Association Monthly Meetings
Meetings are typically the last Thursday of every month at 7pm at the Extension office in Bangor (307 Maine Ave.). Due to the holidays, November and December meetings will be merged into a potluck dinner meeting on December 12th at 7pm. Anyone is welcome to sit in on one or two meetings for free. Educational programs and timely discussions are enjoyed each month https://www.facebook.com/PenobscotCountyBeekeepersAssociation
Hunger Banquet - November 22nd, Wells Conference Hall, Orono
Presented by the African Student Association. Banquet aims to highlight the levels of poverty, hunger, and lack of education that exist not only in the developing world, but also in our own community here in Maine. Aside from informing people, the main goal of the Hunger Banquet is to raise funds for local and international organizations who work year round to ease the burden on poverty stricken families. Adults $20, Seniors $10, UMaine students FREE with Maine Card. Email UMaineOMSL@gmail.com for tickets.
Join the Dover-Foxcroft Gardeners
Anyone is invited you to join the monthly group which was established last year to discuss a wide range of gardening topics including: annuals and perennials, shrubs, border plantings, and much more! Meetings will be a great opportunity to share success stories, challenges, ideas for projects and activities, gardening tips and creative ideas. Meetings will be every third Wednesday of the month.
For more information call: Dotty Hadler at 564-7256.
Find Area Farm Stands and Farmers' Markets
The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry maintains a website where you can search for local farms or local farmers' markets by county or town or by product that they sell. Check it out at http://www.getrealmaine.com/.
Sign up for the Maine Home Garden News
You may access the most current issue of the 2013 Maine Home Garden News at: http://umaine.edu/gardening/maine-home-garden-news/
3) OR, like/follow us on Facebook and/or Twitter to hear about updates.
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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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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. |
In complying with the letter and spirit of applicable laws and pursuing its own goals of diversity, the University System shall not discriminate on the grounds of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, including transgender status or gender expression, national origin, citizenship status, age, disability, or veteran's status in employment, education, and all other areas of the University System. The University provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. A member of the University of Maine System.
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.
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Surface mail recipients can contact their county Extension office for further information when web links are included in an article.
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Penobscot Office
307 Maine Ave. Bangor, ME 04401 207-942-7396 or 800-287-1485
Piscataquis Office
165 East Main St. Dover-Foxcroft, ME 04426 207-564-3301 or 800-287-1491 |
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 Penobscot County Piscataquis County |
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