Weekly Garden Thread - May 16-22, 2020

May 16, 2020 | Diana in Wisconsin/Greeneyes

[Pollard]

Well that thing’s pretty slick. I might try and make one.

[Augie]

Maybe make a raised bed and heat treat the soil to kill the weed seeds before I plant the greens mix?

Playing the long game here... get your raised beds built, then cover them with visqueen - the heavy clear stuff. Leave it on all summer. The weed seeds will germinate, then the sunshine will roast the baby weeds. Next season you'll have a lot less weed problems.

If you have the space/budget/energy to do it build enough beds to keep one or two under plastic each growing season.

[campaignPete R-CT]

I added Norway Maple eradication to my routine.
Killing them is a public service.

A 2” diameter young tree can be 14’ tall. I disappeared six in back, sneaking around when my neighbors aren’t around. They worry when I cut trees, cuz it effects their view.

My first team of death now is:
Knotweed
Asiatic bittersweet
Tree of heaven
Norway Maple

[Qiviut]

Finished mowing today - the whole farm is DONE! My brother came home from a trip & had to drive across one of the fields to park his trailer - he commented to his wife that “wow, this looks great!” and also that I must have been on the mower all day (nah, just 11-4 today, 2 hours yesterday). He jumped on his mower right away - got to keep up with the next door neighbor (me!).

Next 4 days all have rain in the forecast - garden needs it. I watered a few things this evening, but will let the rain do the rest. At least I don’t have to worry about knee deep wet grass that doesn’t want to dry out so I can mow.

New: my “Love in a Puff” (Balloon Vine) seeds are sprouting! A friend gave me a little trellis (about 3 ft tall) & i needed a vining plant. Another friend gave me the Love in a Puff seeds - they are a couple of years old, so I’m glad they are sprouting. My plants are in an old stock tank turned planter, so they won’t be spreading to places where they shouldn’t be.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardiospermum_halicacabum

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Love in a Puff is SO pretty! Glad the old seeds still had some life in them!

I am having the hardest time with Musk Melon this season! I’ve gotten ONE (of 6) to germinate. Grrrr! I hate having to buy stuff, but I’m going to have to, I guess. ;)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Gardening Tip: Came across these old photos from 2012 when I experimented with growing in pots. I used 5-gallon nursery pots scrounged from the dumpster at work, good potting mix, bone meal and Algoflash fertilizer. I grew some awesome tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers that season - it was also the year of the HUGE drought, so that worked out well, too. You really can grow a lot in a small space; the key is proper fertilization, good drainage and water, water, water when using pots. Left to Right: Chocolate Cherry tomato, Cucumber, two Bell peppers and a Jalapeno pepper.

[LilFarmer]

I have a canning question. I had so many tomatoes last year I didn’t have time to can them all so I froze them. I’m thinking about canning the frozen tomatoes now to free up freezer space, but I don’t know how year old tomatoes will can. Any thoughts?

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Well, for starters - the skins will slip right off, so there’s that!

Secondly, you’ll be cooking them down, correct? They’ll be HOT when you put them into the canning jars, so aside from maybe a little loss of texture, if, say, you’re wanting stewed tomatoes for chili or soup, I can’t see a problem at all.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Beautiful Spring Day, after three days of rain, in SW Wisconsin. I plan on playing outside as much as possible, today! Mick (Foster Son) is painting the 'hard' parts of the house and doing a beautiful job (photos later) and Beau is installing a new culvert on our driveway for better drainage.

[MomwithHope]

I agree with Diana, plus they will thaw watery so I would le them sit in a strainer a bit. You’ll have less cooking time too.

[MomwithHope]

Putting in lettuce and bush cukes today. Broccoli already in and some peppers. Little by little as much as I can do in a day.

Heres some pics of our jack in the pulpit army. Under the deck, lots of shade. they are jus coming up -

Little one already flowering. I buried last years seeds instead of leaving them lying on the dirt. the mice and chipmunks eat them . Lots of new ones sprouting up.

the big boys are in the corner

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Due to my Bumper Crop of Spinach, I am making Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing with supper, tonight:

[Diana in Wisconsin]

https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/spinach-salad-with-warm-bacon-dressing/

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Beautiful!

My ex-MIL (we stayed friends; I call her my, ‘Mother In Love’) has a beautiful patch at her house - she’s got many different varieties; she’s been collecting them for years. (Legally, LOL!)

[MomwithHope]

We have only 2 varieties brought up from our woods when the house was built (1984). Needed something that liked shade under the deck. We just brought up a few the rest have propagated.

[TheErnFormerlyKnownAsBig]

Anyone here ever utilize one of those Johnson Suh Bioreactor things instead a regular compost pile?

My compoar bins are just not getting hot enough to keep the cycle going so ai am thi king about making the bioreactor and just waiting until next spring for my fresh compost

[Hot Tabasco]

I need some advice. I've decided to build an above ground 10" high, 4' x 6' vegetable garden since I have no other means in which to grow vegetables in my condo complex.

I've built the frame and have been looking for suitable soil mixtures to fill it with only to discover that packaged vegetable garden mixtures are going to cost me a fortune for the 24 cubic feet I need.

So as a last resort, I went to English Gardens and bought 8 bags of black top soil which only cost me $22 but I need to purchase the same amount or a little more to completely fill the box.

So here is my question, I intend to plant it with tomatoes and maybe some green onions. Will I be okay with just the inexpensive top soil or do I need to purchase the expensive stuff in order to successfully grow the tomatoes?

Any help you folks can offer will be appreciated.......thanks.

Keep in mind that this is my first attempt at vegetable growing and my finances are limited.........

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Add a few bags of Peat and a few bags of Compost to the top soil you already have. That top soil is going to hold moisture like crazy-mad, and will get hard as cement if it completely dries out, so you need to make it less dense. You might want to add a few bags of Perlite to enhance drainage. Mix it in really well, then start your planting.

Peat - 2 bags
Compost - 4 bags
Perlite - 2 bags

...or whatever combo of the above is needed to fill the rest of your bed. You will NOT have good success strictly growing in top soil...unless you just want to grow grass and weeds. ;)

[Hot Tabasco]

Thank you