Maine
Maine’s growing season arrives; gardeners urged to refresh soil before planting
The growing season has arrived in Maine, so it’s time to grab the shovels and start planting.
“Your veggies, herbs, perennials, your annuals, kind of across the board, it’s safe to put those in at this point,” says Grace Frost, the Operations Manager for Highland Farms.
It all starts with good soil health, that’s the foundation to a thriving garden.
As the growing season arrives in Maine, it’s important to take the necessary steps for a successful season. (WGME)
“Whether your soil is a little older and you need to add in kind a little refresh of compost or maybe topping off your planters with some potting soil, or topping off your raised beds. Refilling that out and refreshing it for the season before popping anything else in will help give you a good footing for that planting.”
Removing any weeds from the soil is also important.
And grace says it’s a good idea to fertilize your garden in the spring when you’re initially planting to give them a jump start into the season.
As the growing season arrives in Maine, it’s important to take the necessary steps for a successful season. (WGME)
“A lot of the synthetic fertilizers, you can overdo it with them butted and those can burn the plants if you overapply. But organic fertilizers, usually those will be the brown liquids or the slow-release are built to slowly release, and they’re a little less harsh on the plants.”
Also, adding a layer of mulch on top of your garden bed has many benefits.
“Other than the weed suppression, it also helps to keep your garden beds stay cool in the summer. So it keeps the roots of your plants from cooking in the hot, hot heat. And then it helps with moisture retention, too.”
As the growing season arrives in Maine, it’s important to take the necessary steps for a successful season. (WGME)
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You’ll want to make sure your plants have enough water as well, so it’s a good idea to check the moisture in your soil often.
BANGOR (WGME) — A special ceremony was held outside the Cross Insurance Center Thursday to honor Maine Game Warden Joshua Tibbetts, who died in a plane crash last week.
During the ceremony, there was a fly over, firing salute and then the casket flag was folded and handed to Tibbetts’ mother, Barbara. Shortly after that, dispatch did an official sign off for Tibbetts.
Hundreds of police officers, not only just from Maine, but also from different parts of the East Coast, were there for the ceremony. They all lined up in front of the Cross Insurance Center as Tibbetts’ body was brought from the hearse to inside the arena, where the service took place.
“It was a great service,” Ernie Smith, who assisted on bagpipes and drums Thursday, said. “It’s good to see the turnout that there was today and how much our service members and safety people are honored by the state.”
“He just had a nice temperament to him,” coworker David Craven said. “He was liked in the agency. As we heard today, he loved his girls, his daughter and his family, and he was true blue Maine Game Warden.”
A special ceremony was held outside the Cross Insurance Center Thursday to honor Maine Game Warden Joshua Tibbetts, who died in a plane crash last week. (WGME)
As Tibbetts’ casket was brought inside Thursday morning, his family members were right by the entrance as game wardens carried the casket in. Those at the service say they hope Tibbetts is remembered by not only how dedicated he was to public service but how much he loved his family, especially his two daughters he now leaves behind.
ELLSWORTH, Maine (WVII) — An elected Maine official is being sanctioned for alleged ethics violations.
The Ellsworth City Council held a special meeting this week to discuss Councilor Steve O’Halloran, who is accused of bullying city staff.
Councilors met in executive session to hear a report from a third-party investigator who interviewed staff members.
Other councilors indicated O’Halloran may have violated city code. Some residents, however, disagree with the accusations.
“Steve O’Halloran has listened to the people for years now, and his constant reelection is a reflection of that,” said Ellsworth resident Tiffany Gasper. “What is happening and has happened feels more like retaliation because he constantly asks the tough questions.”
The report has not been made available to the public.
The meeting concluded with the council voting 5-1-1 to censure O’Halloran, with Councilor Patrick Shea voting against the measure and O’Halloran abstaining.
Memorial Day weekend is expected to be mostly fair, with Saturday looking the driest.
Highs are likely to be in the high 50s and 60s across much of the state this weekend, according to the National Weather Service — a break from the recent, and in some cases record-breaking heat.
However, there is a chance of rain in the latter half, according to the weather service, and it may be best to pack that extra layer: Lows will likely dip into the 40s and even 30s in some areas.
Authorities are also reminding Mainers and Vacationlanders alike to take extra precautions out on Maine’s many bodies of water as air temperatures at this time of year are often far higher than water temperatures.
THE HIGHS
The weather service’s office in Gray projects high temperatures to hover in the 60s Friday and Saturday across the southern and central regions.
The Augusta, Fryeburg and Waterville areas can expect high temperatures in the mid-to-high 60s to kick off the weekend, the agency projected Wednesday, while the Portland and Lewiston areas can expect temperatures in the lower 60s.
High temperatures in much of the southern half of the state will dip to the low 60s and high 50s Sunday, the agency forecast.
“High pressure is coming down from Canada,” Jon Palmer, a meteorologist at the weather service’s office in Gray, explained on Wednesday. “It’s going to sit over the area through Sunday and even potentially into Monday.”
Meanwhile, high temperatures in northern and eastern Maine are projected to be in the high 50s or low 60s Saturday before taking a small dip on Sunday, according to the weather service’s office in Caribou.
THE LOWS
On the other side of that high-pressure system is rain, but the likelihood varies by location.
James Sinko, lead meteorologist at the weather service’s office in Caribou, said Wednesday that the Bangor, Downeast and Moosehead Lake regions can expect some showers Sunday afternoon, with more widespread showers in northern and eastern Maine on Monday.
As of Wednesday, the weather service in Gray projects that southern regions stand about a 40% to 50% chance of seeing rain Sunday, with significantly lower chances Monday.
Palmer warned that the timing all depends on when the high-pressure system departs, but any rain should be light regardless.
“It doesn’t look like we’ll have the heat to produce convective thunderstorms or anything like that,” he said.
Temperatures will cool off in the evenings and early mornings across Maine throughout the weekend. While the southern half of the state can expect low temperatures in the low 40s (with higher elevations a bit chillier), northern Maine is expecting lows in the 30s, according to the weather service.
WATER SAFETY
Sinko noted that Maine has already lost several people who were recreating on the water this season.
“A lot of water temperatures are generally in the 40s to 50s, and it only takes a couple of minutes to get hypothermia,” the meteorologist said. “You can succumb to your body shutting down in the water.”
That makes it an especially important time to wear a life preserver and make sure other safety equipment is readily available. The agency is conducting a joint effort with state authorities to warn the public of the hazards, Sink said.
“We want to emphasize cold water safety, and have people know everything they need to survive going into cold waters,” Sinko said.
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