Weekly Garden Thread - February 24-March 2, 2024 [Leap Year Edition]

February 24, 2024 | Diana in WI/Greeneyes in Memoriam

[Diana in Wisconsin]

The Weekly Gardening Thread is a weekly gathering of folks that love soil, seeds and plants of all kinds. From complete newbies that are looking to start that first potted plant, to gardeners with some acreage, to Master Gardener level and beyond, we would love to hear from you.

If you have specific question about a plant/problem you are having, please remember to state the Growing Zone where you are located.

This thread is a non-political respite. No matter what, you won’t be flamed, and the only dumb question is the one that isn’t asked.

It is impossible to hijack the Weekly Gardening Thread. Planting, Harvest to Table Recipes, Preserving, Good Living - there is no telling where it will go - and that is part of the fun and interest. Jump in and join us! Send a Private Message to Diana in Wisconsin if you'd like to be added to our New & Improved Ping List.

NOTE: This is a once a week Ping List. We DO post to the thread during the week. Links to related articles and discussions which might be of interest to Gardeners are welcomed any time!

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Flu is the worst. So draining. Ugh! Hope you and Mrs. Augie got to take that walk, today!

Either way, force fluids. ;)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

“Why do I have 6 types of bok choy?”

LOL! That’s like me and Lettuce and Zinnia! :)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

That shed is GORGEOUS! Jealous! Can’t wait until you’re all settled in. :)

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

Warm for a while. Freeze predicted for Wednesday.

If you have some pallets maybe you have some raised bed sides! You need to get that high tunnel done this year! (And maybe get a well!)

I have already planted radishes rutabagas and turnips in a fall prepared bed. Cold might return and they might die. If they do, I have more seed!

[Qiviut]

I just got ‘the numbers’ tonight for cleaning out the pole shed & putting down gravel - very reasonable price, IMO. That will give me a place to park the utility trailer for sure & some of the other stuff (golf carts, mowers, etc). I also still have the ‘big barn’ for storage, too.

Now that I have picked a spot for the garden, I need to get serious about digging out my metal beds. Hopefully, they can be transported in one piece - all 4 should fit in the trailer & haul in one load. The 6 bundles of shingles need to get re-located, too. They are stored on a pallet in the old horse barn & yellow jackets built a nest somewhere in the area, probably in the pallet. I got stung 3 times last year, trying to move a bundle to use in the garden. The slate slabs are another matter - very heavy. I might have to spread them out, 1 per load, along with some lighter stuff.

We got snow this afternoon ... my favorite kind ... pretty to see it fall, didn’t stick. I did see a snow plow go by just after dark so I suspect some of the roads will get de-icing treatment tonight - 20’s overnight so early morning might be a little slick.

[FamiliarFace]

I’m in tank tops and shorts most of the summer, but there are times when I use capris too. Like you, most of my clothes are work clothes. I’m pretty much a jeans girl, and my dress up clothes are for going out to dressier places. They are worn ever so rarely, so hardly ever wear out.

Now, my every day clothes are another thing! I replace those a LOT! I finally figured out last year that I can find pretty decent work clothes that are gently used at the thrift stores instead of other retailers. Now if I get a spot on my top, I don’t care if I can’t get it out.

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

Absolutely thrilled for you in your new property! Cattle lowing is much better than rush hour traffic and sirens. A lazy soundscape for your new bucolic country life!

As far as country smells, it depends. When growing up I enjoyed the smell of damp earth that gets blown from a far away thunderstorm (petrichor) or the smell of apple blossoms or hedge lilacs. (I do have 4 lilac bushes at this house!)

On the other hand, even though I grew up on the edge of town, I was 2 miles from a pig farm and always knew when the wind was from the southwest. Be glad you did not move in next to something like that! (SaraLee also had a factory in town about 3 miles south east of us and you always knew when they burned a run of pound cakes!)

From "Oklahoma" to the tune of "Oh the Farmer and cowboy can be friends" (Iowa version!)

"Oh a Hog Shed helps the hogs to live in style
And the profits that they bring make farmers smile
Runoff from the holding pond
Smells as bad as heck
As the people can attest round about for miles!"

Hopefully the "fragrance" of the cattle will not be too bad.

[Pollard]

If you have some pallets maybe you have some raised bed sides! You need to get that high tunnel done this year! (And maybe get a well!)

Guy at work asked me if I started on the new house yet. Thought to myself, dude, it was 15 degrees a couple of weeks ago.

Some metal that neighbor gave me. This pile is no good for a roof. I'm thinking it can go down on the ground to put pallets on that I stack firewood on. Will keep the pallets from rotting away so fast.

This pile is half way decent. Good enough for an equipment shed, potting shed etc.

Three pieces of wood, 2x8 rough sawn oak, that I tossed on the metal to prevent the wind from getting under it for the trip home. I need to go back and get the rest of the wood he has for me. Lots more like this, some beam sized and some old solid wood doors, really tall, like 8 foot doors. Could make a wall or two from them.

Some of the wood's not good enough for building but is still solid. I'll have plenty of wood for raised beds. Thinking I might want to char them so the termites don't eat them in a year's time.

Don't have $20k for a well though. I'm going to buy more of those $50 - 275 gal IBC tanks soon. Sometime this year, I'll start fixing up one of these antique Chevy trucks I have. One of them, when done, ought to bring in about what a well will cost. BUT, that's about the same as it will take to pay off the land. Second truck will do the well. Will take a few years to do them.

Gotta get other things done first, like the high tunnel.

Got the F150 moved out there yesterday to set it back up as a makeshift crane for setting the trusses in their holes. I have another truck to drive now so I won't have to tear down the F150 crane until the frames are all up. Then I'll get an 8 or 10 foot step ladder and strap it standing up in the bed of the truck and use it to add cross bracing, end walls, put up gable vents etc.

Things will get done as we get more warm days. Got a vacation due so I'll probably take it mid to late March. Going to make a trip for more of that oak lumber and get the truck crane set up today.

Will probably dig on some tunnel frame holes. I could set the next frame but I hit a big rock about 2-3" shy of my depth. Going to cut 2-3" off the frame but I don't feel like listening to that or dealing with the spark shower today. Heading out to the little front yard garden right now to take measurements for the raised beds. I may make sides for the trailer and cut wood for beds instead of digging. I can char the boards next weekend, weather permitting. I have a brush pile ready to ignite for a bonfire.

Fired up the tractor yesterday and was filling up the front tires that go flat and one wouldn't pump up. Only thing that will fit those rims are rear riding mower tires. Need to get some Carlisle tires for it. Cheapo ones I got didn't hold up. I can patch this one up for now. Longer days and the removal of daylight savings soon will gain me some after work daylight time for little chores. Things like patching a tire.

10:30 and 60 degrees(and windy), I'm off to the great outdoors.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

I’m a huge ‘Second Hand Market’ shopper, too. Usually the only things I buy new are shoes and underwear. ;)

But when I get a 30% off coupon for Kohl’s all bets are off, LOL!

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Beau would be DROOLING over those ‘treasures!’ He’s using re-purposed metal sheeting for the remodel of my chicken coup. That is going to be one fancy coop! ;)

The amount of ‘stuff’ he’s dragged home from his construction sites through the years has been staggering - but it’s ‘going away’ little by little as he uses it up on various projects around here.

The coolest thing he ever found was the frame and door to a submarine. His brother used it as an entrance to his chicken coop; it looks pretty cool. ;)

[Qiviut]

My niece raises hogs. She & hubby are rescuing some commercial farm fields & turning them into a regenerative farm. The hogs are pastured, no pens (but have shelters for shade & to get out of the weather). They are rotated to new fields, using electric fence so they have fresh grazing & don’t root up the soil too much. The two breeding sows are almost, but not quite, ‘pet’ level - they love belly rubs & will follow my niece & flop down in front of her, asking for a belly rub. They are good mamas & after the first litter, when babies were a new thing for them, they have become pretty tolerant about being in with the babies (but still have to keep an eye out & be safe). There is very little “smell” when raising hogs this way - a ‘good’ thing for sure! I have bought 2 half hogs from her & the meat is superior to pork from the grocery store.

BTW, going to the grocery & co-op hardware store (literally across the street from the grocery) is almost too easy! It’s about 5-7 minutes away, all country road (one stop sign) & no traffic until you get to the parking lot! The only hazard right now is dodging all the dead skunks on the road (plus I just missed a live one the other day). February is skunk breeding time around here & quite a few end up as road kill. Between here & the old house, I counted at least 8 deceased & stinking up the road.

Yesterday, I visited a small country market that is maybe 15 minutes away - pastured eggs, grassfed/finished beef, plus they have 3 gardens during the growing season & sell fresh produce. Whatever I don’t grow, I can get from them - I like buying “local” & supporting farmers.

[FamiliarFace]

I used to shop at Kohl’s until a few years ago, and the store was just a wild mess. Clothes were strewn around and not organized AT ALL. I couldn’t find anything in there, so after a half hour of digging, I just left. I haven’t been back since. It had been degrading for months, and that was the last straw for me. Had to have been 7 or 8 years ago. I haven’t had the urge to go back and see if new management fixed that, or if it’s much the same.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

I just shop on line. Nothing is ‘convenient’ for me where I live. ;)

We’ll probably hit a Kohl’s in May when I go on a semi-annual shopping day with my BFFs. I’ll let you know what it’s looking like. ;)

[painter]

Tues - 65 (severe weather predicted)

It is supposed to be 82 Tuesday here in Central Missouri!!

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Tank Tops and Flip Flops! Yay! :)

[painter]

Tank Tops and Flip Flops! Yay! :)

YES!! :)

Spring is my favorite time of Year!

[Augie]

Do I hear Mrs. Augie letting you know that she wants the front lawn for family picnics?

Not at all. I'm just tired of looking at what it looked like out there and wanted to switch over to raised beds both for appearance and for ease of access. And I needed more space too so the big ugly stuff is moving to the back where I won't have to be as picky about what it looks like.

The Mrs. and I got our walk in and I still had some gas in the tank after so I finished placing all of the cattle panels in the fenceline on the north side of our house. I don't have them all fully secured to the posts, but for now it will keep the neighbor's dog from slipping in that way.

Then I finished moving the dirt pile from the front garden. I would have run the tiller over it and smoothed it up for planting grass but the battery was dead in the tiller tractor. I picked up a new battery this morning so maybe after work today I'll be able to finish that task.

The garlic seems to be thriving in last season's carrot beds. I'm not sure what I'll do with these four little planter boxes after the garlic comes out but they won't be staying where they are now.

[spankalib]

I learned a new word today: petrichor

Thanks so much!

[Pollard]

It’s about that time of year for Kohl’s to have deep discounts on cold weather clothing. I bought 3 - $30 flannels for $6 each last year. I bought one that was marked down to $14, marked down again to $9 but rang up for $6 due to a general sale on all clearance items so a couple days later, went back for two more.

I’ll be looking for a jacket/coat this year.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Kohl’s has some amazing deals if you time it right. :)