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1) SEPTEMBER IS THE MONTH TO....
- Attend the Pollinator Field Day at Rogers Farm in Old Town on September 12th, 10-1pm. Lectures, loads of children's activities (face painting, insect parade, costumes, scavenger hunt, insect yoga, etc.), honey taste test, and great food.
 Hope to see you there! - Plant perennials, trees, and shrubs. Planting in early fall is typically less stressful for both the plants and the gardener because of cooler temperatures and higher soil moisture levels. It can also be less stressful on the pocketbook because of great sales offered at local nurseries and very rewarding the following spring to have already accomplished many of your landscape goals.
- Harvest! Check out our great videos on how to harvest and store apples, pumpkins, and onions.
- Stock up on local foods for the upcoming winter. Save money and feel good about your culinary future by shopping for in-season produce at farmers' markets and preserving your own harvest. Find information about food preservation and safe food handling practices on our Food and Nutrition for the Home Gardener web page.
- Identify and manage tomato and potato late blight.
- Establish a new lawn by sowing seed. UMaine Extension Bulletin Establishing a Home Lawn in Maine states "The best time to seed a lawn in Maine is from August 15 to September 15, when the warm soil allows seeds to germinate quickly. Late summer's warm days and cool nights are ideal for strong seedling growth. There is less weed competition in late summer than in spring." Watch video.
- Donate produce to your local pantry or homeless shelter. Contact your local Extension office to learn more about Maine Harvest for Hunger and to report your donation. Help us reach our goal of donating over 30,000lbs of fresh food to neighbors in need in central Maine this year.
- Prepare to extend the gardening season. The end of September is when gardeners typically start watching the evening news very carefully for warnings of a hard frost, but that doesn't mean our growing season needs to end.
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 Photo by Susan Garland |  Photos above and below by
Susan Garland
|  Photo by UMaine Cooperative Extension |
2) The Importance of Native Pollinators
By Jonathan Foster, University of Maine Cooperative Extension, Penobscot County
Pollination is the vital process in flowering plants through which pollen from male portions of a flower is transferred to the female portions of a flower, enabling the creation of seeds (and, thus, the next generation of the plant) through sexual reproduction. In many species of plants, this happens by wind or water moving the pollen, but in well over half of the world's crop species, it is facilitated by an insect or animal that physically carries the pollen from one flower, or part of a flower, to another. These mobile helpers are called pollinators, and their importance cannot be overstated when it comes to the gardening and horticultural world.
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4) Green Beans with Tomatoes and Honey
Serves 6
1 lb (3 cups) green beans
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onions
2 cloves (1 teaspoon)minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cups chopped and seeded plum tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons honey
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Steam green beans for 5 minutes until crisp-tender. Drain and rinse under cold running water. Set aside. Heat oil in wide shallow saucepan. Add onion and garlic; sauté until softened, for about 5 minutes...
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5) Featured Plants: Bee Pasture
Developed by Eric Venturini, Francis Drummond, Aaron Hoshide, Lois Berg Stack, and Alison Dibble UMaine Cooperative Extension
Bee pasture, also called pollinator plantings or bee gardens, are areas of flowering plants managed to provide food for pollinators. Like honeybees, wild bees require pollen and nectar for food. Farmers can provide their wild bee community with food by planting and maintaining areas of flowering plants, thereby increasing their landscapes potential for supporting large populations of pollinators. Healthy populations of wild bees enhance pollination and provide insurance against unstable supplies of managed pollinators.
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UMAINE EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
Pollinator Field Day at Rogers Farm Saturday, September 12th 10-1pm. Lectures, loads of children's activities (face painting, insect parade, costumes, scavenger hunt, insect yoga, etc.), honey taste test, and great food. Free, rain or shine, no RSVP required. To request special accommodations, please contact Jonathan Foster (james.j.foster@maine.edu) 207-942-7396. Directions to Rogers Farm
Northern Maine Rural Living Day
The first Northern Maine Rural Living Day will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12, at Southern Aroostook Agricultural Museum, 1664 U.S. Route 1, Littleton.
Class topics include livestock barns and fences, buying used farm equipment, raising livestock and poultry, gardening and soil health, cheese-making, and food preservation methods, including canning and root cellaring. A panel discussion on sustainable beekeeping will be held, and there will be youth activities, livestock displays, craft demonstrations and a harvest lunch with local foods.
University of Maine Cooperative Extension and the Southern Aroostook Soil & Water Conservation District are co-sponsors of the event. For more information, or to request a disability accommodation, call 532.6548, 800.287.1469 (in Maine) or visit their website .
University of Maine Cooperative Extension's Master Gardener Demonstration Garden at Rogers Farm is looking gorgeous! Schools, garden clubs and other groups are encouraged to request a tour and individuals may visit on their own anytime during daylight hours. The garden is located at 914 Bennoch Road in Old Town. Contact Jonathan Foster at james.j.foster@maine.edu or 942-7396 for more information, or to inquire about volunteering in the garden.
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OTHER LOCAL EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
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CLUBS AND ORGANIZATIONS
Maine Herb Society Monthly meetings in Bangor through most of the year. Visit their website or call Theresa for more information 942-7396.
Penobscot Beekeepers Association Monthly meetings through most of the year. Visit their Facebook page or contact Peter Cowin petercowin@tds.net for more details.
Maine Organic Famers and Gardeners Association Penobscot Chapter Potluck meetings the last Sunday of every month. Contact Galen Young of Argyle Acres, 745-4797 or galen.the.beekeeper@gmail.com.
Brewer Garden & Bird Club
Monthly meetings Feb.-Nov., the third Wednesday from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm. at the Thompson Free Library, 186 E Main St, Dover-Foxcroft. For more information call: Dotty Hadler at (207) 564-7256
Orrington Garden Club
10am, 1st Wed. of the month Sept-June. Meetings are held at member homes. Contact Barbara 989-3746 or barenaj@gmail.com.
Hampden Garden Club
Monthly meetings Feb.-Dec., fourth Tuesday. Call Pat 862-3909 or Ellen 234-2945 for more information.
Veazie Garden Club
Meetings second Tues. Sept-June, 7pm Veazie Grade School. Call 866-4564.
Penquis Beekeepers
Meetings 7pm on second Tues. of the month at the Dexter VFW.
Sebasticook Garden Club meets at 1:30 on the 4th Thursday in March-October, the 2nd Thursday in November and the 2nd Friday in December. Most meetings are held at the Newport Cultural Center located at 154 Main Street in Newport. For information call Ann at 416-4807
Milo Garden Club-Second Tuesdays September-June. Locations and programs vary. Contact Gini Goodhind at 943-7772 or Pauline Mullins at 343-2612 FMI.
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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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Contributors
Jonathan Foster, Home Horticulture Aide
Donna Coffin, Extension Educator
Kate Garland, Horticulturist
Theresa Tilton, Administrative Support Supervisor
Erin Thomas, Master Gardener Volunteer |
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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Surface mail recipients can contact their county Extension office for further information when web links are included in an article.
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