BDN interviews Fitzgerald about how to cope with abnormally dry gardens
The Bangor Daily News spoke with Caragh Fitzgerald, an agriculture professor with the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, for the report, “How Maine’s home gardeners can contend with abnormally dry conditions.” According to the article, dry conditions are affecting more than half the state. “We’ve had really dry and hot weather,” said Fitzgerald, who works primarily in Kennebec County. “That can lead to a variety of changes in plant performance. If the plant doesn’t have enough moisture, it doesn’t have enough water for the fruit.” Fitzgerald said in some cases, people may need to make some tough decisions, adding that factors to consider include the cost of water or concern about private wells. Fitzgerald said home gardeners should think about which vegetable crops are particularly important to them and which ones will benefit from additional attention at this point in the growing season. When gardeners have decided which crops they want to prioritize, she suggests getting mulch to put down between the rows to hold soil moisture. Fitzgerald also recommended removing weeds and using soaker hoses as opposed to sprinklers.