4167-R1_CIC_May2016_Calendar

Garden Matters by Sue Burgess

For gardeners spring is the time get our hands in the soil in anticipation of beautiful flowers and bountiful vegetable gardens. Even if last year was a disappointment, we consider the new growing season an opportunity for a do- over. Last year’s tomato plants that lost half their leaves by mid-summer were a heartbreak. However, in spring we are likely to remember more vividly the wonderful deliciousness of those few tomatoes that managed to ripen anyway. So we plant again but wonder what caused healthy green leaves to turn yellow, then brown, and drop. Also, that gorgeous flowering perennial that didn’t flower much and looked very unhappy by fall and the lovely vine that was attacked by some kind of bug…what did we do wrong, or fail to do right? The University of Maine Cooperative Extension is one of the best resources for advice on growing flowers, vegetables, fruits, and trees. The publication Maine Home Garden News www.extension.umaine.edu/gardening/maine-home- garden-news is published monthly April to October and is full of practical, helpful information for gardeners. The April issue includes articles on the best time to plant strawberries and corn; information on growing vegetables in containers; dealing with the problem of “terrible soil”; finding the best location for a vegetable garden on your property; links to instructional videos on pruning ornamental trees, apple trees, and lilac bushes; and this tip for eager diggers by Jonathan Foster, Home Horticulture Coordinator, UME Extension Penobscot County:

“Be patient digging your soil. Turning things before the ground dries will damage the structure of your soil, giving you a heavy, leaden mess with few air pockets and greatly diminished capacity for root and soil microbe health. Remember that the ideal soil is 45% to 25% not even there! We like to see about that much air space in any given sample, to provide proper aeration for the living community beneath our feet and plants.” What is this living community beneath our feet and plants? Scientists have learned that—amazingly—plants are in control. Earthworms, insects, microbes, bacteria, fungi, and the roots of plants thrive in soil that is aerated and rich in organic material. The animals eat the carbon- based material (such as composted manure, leaves, and seaweed), the plant roots take up nutrients excreted by the animals, and the roots in turn secrete exudates that attract and grow specific bacteria and fungi that the plants need. This mutually beneficial, self-sustaining system is called the soil food web. You can read the details in the book Teaming with Microbes: A Gardener’s Guide to the Soil Food Web by Jeff Lowenfels and Wayne Lewis. It is written in understandable, non-technical language for people who want to learn how to grow healthy plants without chemical fertilizers.

Another great thing about gardening: there’s always something new to learn!

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May 2016 CHEBEAGUE ISLAND COUNCIL CALENDAR