Weekly Garden Thread - January 30-February 5, 2021

January 30, 2021 | 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 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!

[Augie]

Another January weather week here in Central Missouri. We got snow, then it melted, then it rained, then it rained some more.

Nothing going on in the garden. It's so muddy right now I don't even want to walk around on anything that isn't covered with gravel or cement. lol

I spent a little shop time working on the boat trailer on Saturday. The bunks are showing their age so I'm replacing all of them. I got the boat jacked up and cribbed on the trailer frame so there's space to pull the old stuff out and slide the new stuff in, and got the first pair cut and the carpet tacked down.

It was a momentous week in terms of new arrivals to the Augie clan. Grandson #3 was born close to midnight on Thursday, then my new Australian Shepherd pup arrived Friday morning. We went for a baby visit yesterday, and somehow I managed to get home with no pics of him on my phone, but I do have puppy pics. Her name is Booger. With a nose like that I just had to.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Hi, Booger! So stinkin’ CUTE!

We just added another Treeing Walker Coon Hound to the menagerie. His name is ‘Quigley’ and he’s very well trained; already 4 years old. Bear and Bobcat hunting dog.

[tubebender]

Well Old Age (87) is starting to restrict my gardening days but it is too wet anyway. We did get the garlic planted but not mulched and the weeds are winning that war. I may have to give up feeding the birds and watching them. I have not been in either green house for a couple of weeks and maybe longer...

[Diana in Wisconsin]

We’re all rooting for you! :)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

I am not a huge fan of cherry-type tomatoes, but Beau loves them, so I'm relenting a little this season. ;)

Today, in the mail, THIS showed up from Totally Tomatoes.

Crokini Hybrid Tomato #00210

NEW! Fruits have a very sweet Brix of 8.5% and a light acidic taste giving it the perfect sweet/acid balance. Round, 1/2oz fruits are small and firm with a crunchy texture and grow in clusters of up to 12. In trials plants had better yields than similar varieties due to its Late Blight resistance and were slightly more compact. Highly resistant to Leaf Mold with intermediate resistance to Root-Knot Nemadtodes and Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl Virus. Indeterminate.

I had forgotten I ordered this for my 'red' cherry-type this season, and now I'm even more excited to grow it! It looks grocery-store PERFECT, so I'm hoping I can replicate that this upcoming season. Rumor has it that it's going to be an AAS winner!

[tubebender]

“Picture Perfect”...

[knittnmom]

Thanks. Would never have thought about aluminum foil!

[Diana in Wisconsin]

It does seem to work!

[Augie]

Pops used to have a Walker hound. Her name was Leon, and she was a character. A book could be written with nothing but stories about things that Leon did.

When Leon was just a couple years old Pops decided that he wanted a litter of pups, so he took her to the neighbor who had a Walker named Oly. Leon and Oly did all the things that dogs do to cause a litter of pups to show up, but no pups. Took her back and tried again. No pups. Tried a third time. Still no pups. Everyone figured that Leon was busted, but it turned out old Oly was shooting blanks. After the Oly business was finished another neighbor’s bird dog, his name was Ugly Pete, stopped by for a visit. Not long after that Leon started to show the signs.

Pops laid a rear tractor tire on the barn floor and filled it with hay so Leon would have a warm, dry place to keep her pups, but Leon had other ideas. Pops went out to check her the morning after the pups were born, and found half the pups in the hay with Leon, and the other half of the pups on the floor. He put those pups back in the hay and went about his business. Came back later to find half the pups on the floor. He put them back in the hay and Leon put them back on the floor. This went on for about three days until Pops admitted defeat and brought another tire in and filled it with hay.

That satisfied Leon, and there was no more dumping pups on the floor. The funny part - she was segregating the pups by their markings. She never dumped any of the pups that were all black, but she didn’t want the spotted pups mixed in with the solid color pups. Pops switched them around a few times when Leon was away, and every time she would switch them back. She took good care of the spotted pups, but she would not tolerate them mixed in with her good pups.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Leon and Ugly Pete, LOL! Great story about her separating her pups. Dogs do some funny things, that’s for sure. :)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

[Diana in Wisconsin]

[Magnum44]

Here you go, little buddy!

[campaignPete R-CT]

That fence needs to be stained.

15” of fluffy fresh powder in Central CT
Nice November day here

[MomwithHope]

Good to hear from you, you have been missed!

[MomwithHope]

I have been growing Camparis for years, saving seed or using seed from store bought. They do really well for us, great flavor and perfect size.

[MomwithHope]

Prayers for Beau! Hope he can come home soon.

[MomwithHope]

Found this nice story about the history of the canning jar. And there is a link to an instagram page.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/brief-history-mason-jar-180975546/

[Diana in Wisconsin]

LOL!

When I first moved here I had a Battle Royale with ‘Fuzzy Tailed Tree Rats.’

Now that I have indoor/outdoor cats, they’re not a problem. Still a few Chipmunks around from time to time, but I find them very CUTE! :)

[TheErnFormerlyKnownAsBig]

My seed start pots in my greenhouse.....the soil (seeds not yet sorouted) has a layer of white growth like mold or fungus...looks like cotton candy almost.

I have been using a antifungal spray and will be putting a dehumidifier in there....but when it rains hard it drips in thru the seems and is damp inside.

Any tips to kill this stuff before my seeds sprout?