Gardening in Maine shows signs of growth

[jpak]

http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story.php?id=187859&ac=PHnws

The family vegetable garden is making a comeback.

Mainers who haven't had dirt under their fingernails for years, if ever, are turning soil and planting vegetables, according to suppliers and extension agents. And experienced green thumbs are expanding, sometimes even into the front yard.

"I think it's kind of the return of the Victory Garden," said Diana Hibbard, home horticulture coordinator at the University of Maine Cooperative Extension office in Cumberland County.

While Victory Gardens were a mark of patriotism during World War II, plots of homegrown veggies have become far less common in the age of supermarket produce aisles filled year-round with vegetables and fruits from around the world.

This year, however, seed dealers have been surprised by a surge of orders, community gardens have started waiting lists, and gardening and canning classes are filling up.

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[Dead_Parrot]

1. Chuckles for the headline. nt

[Old and In the Way]

2. Building my raised bed garden boxes today!

Got them painted (40" wide x 12"L by 18" high x 4 boxes). We'll be feasting on fresh veggies this summer!

[BR_Parkway]

3. What's the benefit of raised boxes? I'm just starting to try to figure out

how to do some of this to put my own garden in this year.

[Old and In the Way]

6. I used to have a 40 x 30 garden, but it was a pain to deal with.

It was located away from the house and I couldn't get water to it. Plus no one wanted to weed it. I could have roto-tilled the backyard, but we think it will look better and be more convenient to maintain. There's only the wife and I at home now during the winter months, so I don't need too much space. If this proves too small, we'll expand it next year. It's cheap therapy that provides tasty results.

[Kolesar]

7. Raising the soil keeps the roots from waterlogging and allows them to get air

Planting in "squared off" beds ensures that the roots of the plants don't get tread upon and the soil compacted as you maintain the garden. Those are the main reasons.

I don't use boards or borders, I just heap the soil up and have 18 inch wide paths between them.

[jpak]

4. I'm getting my ye olde ancient roto-tiller serviced today

and then planting the biggest garden I can get done by Memorial Day

lots of potatoes, squash and beans for the winter

and everything for Thanksgiving too...

:hi:

[End Of The Road]

5. I know I'm going to be out of step here

But I think backyard gardening is not the way to go for most people, except as a hobby. Unless, of course, your backyard is huge and you have tons of time to work it. Barbara Kingsolver's "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" opened my eyes to this. I think the better route for most people is to support a local CSA and shop farmers markets. Buy lots of freezable fruits and veggies at farmers markets when they're in season, and put them up for the winter. Joining a CSA keeps your local small farms in business and helps maintain genetic diversity.

One good windstorm (or hailstorm, as happened at my house last night) and your backyard garden is in shreds. Do you live in a suburban community with a homeowners' association? What a hassle to get permission for a compost pile and storage shed, not to mention a tank to capture rainwater for your garden. We've got watering restrictions in my area with unbelievably high fines.

That said, I've got a 20' x 20' garden and a small compost pile and a 2750 gallon rainwater capture system at a small rural property. It's fun, it provides some food (though not a great variety because 20' x 20' just ain't that big), and I've learned alot doing it. I'm all for everyone gardening if they're interested in gardening -- but if you're worried about food, support the folks in your local area who are trying to make a living with organic and heirloom produce.

Just my two cents.

[Zachstar]

8. That is why you do research before putting a garden in.

People have to start learning how to deal with gardens again. Food is skyrocketing and barring a breakthrough in energy harvesting we are simply not going to see them come down.

Local farmer's markets are great. But they are getting cleaned out already and thus prices are skyrocketing. They wont be the solution..

Even junk soil can be easily helped to grow crops. In many areas.. people dump their leaves and grass and other safe biomatter. Just get it into the soil the year before and garden next year. And things like windblocks and other things are easy and cheap to construct.

And people need to start using think mulch and low water plants so they do not have to dump water on their gardens.

The water restrictions are because idiots in my view are dumping tons of water on their lawns. Ego lawns are a HUGE contributor to pollution as lawn fertilizers run off because some idiot thinks dumping it on his lawn will make it greener. Hopefully at things get more expensive the idea of having a super lawn for no good reason will die out.

[YankeyMCC]

9. That's a good direction, I thought though that the article

was going to talk about the changing growing season - not sure how much of that is being scene in Maine, but I hear a lot of gardeners talking about the changing 'zones' or growing seasons for various plants.