Weekly Garden Thread - May 30-June 5, 2020

May 30, 2020 | Diana in Wisconsin/Greeneyes

[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 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]

I'll add 'Black Seeded Simpson' lettuce to your recommendation. Heirloom variety. Never fails, slow to bold in the heat, and it's a gorgeous chartreuse green that's hard to miss in the garden!

[Diana in Wisconsin]

You have come far, Grasshopper! :)

[Paul R.]

Hornworms make excellent fishing bait. (Heck, with the stuff I’ve used for bait, touching a hornworm is pretty mild on the “repulsive” scale...) :-)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

[Paul R.]

Romaine lettuce won’t go straight to seed form in hot weather? (That’s what happened to our regular lettuce - we can have 90 deg. temps 3 weeks after a good frost!)

[Paul R.]

Would castor oil work to deter the munks?

(I’m not sure what effect it has on various plants, little to none, I think?)

One of our problems is a dog that will dig under the fence to get into the garden!!

[MomwithHope]

We are in west Michigan and romaine is the only lettuce we grow, it does fantasticly for us. Here is a picture from last year. Even if it gets hot early it does not bolt for us

[Paul R.]

Hmmm - I’ll bet this works even better than the spinning can or bottle over a bucket?

For squirrels I use the air rifle - it keeps me in practice, and fresh, my wife cooks ‘em up adobo style or marinated. Yum!

[Paul R.]

“It would appear...”. Heheh.

[Paul R.]

Yeah, but I’m going backwards with chickens, it seems! :-(

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Radical idea I came up with a few years ago to clean salad greens outside and not get my kitchen sink full of dirt and random bugs. I also returned the water to my rain barrel when done, or watered a garden bed or potted plant that needed a drink. No water wasted! 'Borrowed' the shopping basket from work, but you could use a large colander or a storage basket with holes from The Dollar Store.

The results speak for themselves!

[Paul R.]

I’ll have to give it a try - My wife sometimes uses Romaine Lettuce.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

When I was a kid, Grandpa and I would go on long country walks in the fall. There is a bug that lays larvae in the hard pods formed on Goldenrod. We’d pick the pods, take them home, drill holes in them, and get the larvae out.

It was the best bait for catching Bluegill, Crappie and Perch.

Wish I could remember more about it!

[Paul R.]

WHAT??!! “Cursed” is not on there?

(Ok some of those DO imply such.)

My additions:

“Dug up an old hose fixture”

“Chopped through a watering line”

“Had a pot grip break off with predictable results...”

“Had a large spider run up your arm”

[MomwithHope]

We used to and sometimes still do take a shot. But that one year we were just overrun. A nice benefit is without the fox squirrels, the black squirrels moved in and they never come near the house or bird feeder. fine with us.

[Ellendra]

Hope they don’t burn down RJ’s! The best restaurant on my family’s Wisconsin-to-Branson route every year is in Camdenton.

[Ellendra]

I skip the coffee can, and just use garden shears to snip the worm in half.

We had a really bad infestation of them about 8 years ago. Not a single one since.

[Ellendra]

I’ve mixed chicks before, but they were all the same size. If you have violent ones they might do better separated, or at least give the smaller ones lots of hiding places.

I wish I knew more to tell you!

[Ellendra]

Good to know, I’ve got a ton of goldenrod growing right next to my stream!

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Quick storm this morning at 6:05. 50 mph wind. Rain squal. Tree down.
Cut Rite lads were here for a couple of hours. $200 for a 75 foot red oak. Big chunks to split sometime this summer.