BOOTHBAY, Maine (NEWS CENTER) -- With Maine's short growing season, gardeners can't afford to wait until the snow melts to get their spring planting started.
As a horticulturist at the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens in Boothbay, Justin Nichols is an expert at maximizing Maine's growing potential. He recently shared a few tips with NEWS CENTER's Lee Nelson.
Nichols said your garden begins with your soil. Before doing any planting, he recommended getting a soil test. Home kits are available at most gardening stores. But Nichols said their accuracy isn't always dependable and they may not be customized to New England conditions since many kits require the buyer to mail a sample to another part of the country where the climate is much different.
For better results, Nichols said Mainers should take advantage of the soil testing service provided locally by the University of Maine Cooperative Extension. Kits can be obtained at any extension office or click here for online instructions.
As with soil testing, Nichols said Mainers are lucky to have a couple of top seed suppliers based locally. He said Johnny's and Fedco are both reliable brands.
Nichols said new seed technology is helping yield better crops. Pelletized seeds have an organic, biodegradable calcium coating that makes them look like tiny BBs. He said the coating helps them withstand the weather and germinate better. And it has the added advantage of being less appetizing to birds.
For warm-weather plants that have a longer growth cycle, Nichols recommended getting the seeds started indoors while the snow is still on the ground. Plant the seeds in a tray of soil and place them near a sunny window. They can easily be transferred outside once the soil temperature is warm enough. Some of the crops that benefits from this treatment include peppers, tomatoes, eggplant, parsley and onions.
Nichols said there are lots of good resources for gardening help when questions arise. Two of his most trusted books are written by Mainers. They are The Garden Primer by Barbara Damrosch and The New Organic Grower by Eliot Coleman. Click here for Nichols' recommended links to websites run by the UMaine Cooperative Extension and Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association.
To learn more about the work that Nichols does, click here for a link to the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens' website.
NEWS CENTER