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Weekly Garden Thread - May 15-21, 2021
May 15, 2021 | Diana in Wisconsin/Greeneyes

Posted on 05/15/2021 6:40:39 AM PDT by 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!


TOPICS: Agriculture; Food; Gardening; Hobbies
KEYWORDS: food; garden; gardening; hobbies
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To: Pete from Shawnee Mission
If you can get some ez-straw (they take out the seeds!) it makes a good mulch around tomatoes!

Thanks - sold out in many places, but do you means like this?

41 posted on 05/15/2021 8:28:23 AM PDT by daniel1212 (Turn to the Lord Jesus as a damned+destitute sinner, trust Him to save + be baptized + follow Him!)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

It’s finally nice out!!!!!

I almost have my second raised bed finished. I just have to finish filling it with dirt and I can put in my tomatoes. The timing will be jsut right for the frost date.

My garlic is going gangbusters and the onions I put in last fall for seed are doing terrific. The potatoes are starting to come up. The asparagus is looking good.

Still lots to do, but it’ll get done.


42 posted on 05/15/2021 8:32:21 AM PDT by metmom (...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith.... )
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To: Pete from Shawnee Mission

Imagine seeing it as a stage play when you’re 8.


43 posted on 05/15/2021 8:33:11 AM PDT by Sacajaweau
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To: Qiviut

Re: Our Critter Control issues...

The Presbyterian church called a meeting to decide what to do about their squirrel infestation. After much prayer and consideration, they concluded that the squirrels were predestined to be there, and they should not interfere with God’s divine will.

At the Baptist church, the squirrels had taken an interest in the baptistry. The deacons met and decided to put a water-slide on the baptistry and let the squirrels drown themselves. The squirrels liked the slide and, unfortunately, knew instinctively how to swim, so twice as many squirrels showed up the following week.

The Lutheran church decided that they were not in a position to harm any of God’s creatures. So, they humanely trapped their squirrels and set them free near the Baptist church. Two weeks later, the squirrels were back when the Baptists took down the water-slide.

The Episcopalians tried a much more unique path by setting out pans of whiskey around their church in an effort to kill the squirrels with alcohol poisoning. They sadly learned how much damage a band of drunk squirrels can do.

But the Catholic church came up with a more creative strategy! They baptized all the squirrels and made them members of the church. Now they only see them at Christmas and Easter.

Not much was heard from the Jewish synagogue. They took the first squirrel and circumcised him. They haven’t seen a squirrel since...


44 posted on 05/15/2021 8:39:23 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin (I don't have 'Hobbies.' I'm developing a robust post-Apocalyptic skill set. )
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To: metmom

“Still lots to do, but it’ll get done.”

I’m feeling overwhelmed this season, but I’m making myself just tackle one or two big projects a day. So, yes. It all somehow manages to get done! :)

I can’t even let myself think about all the canning I’ll have to do on the flip side, LOL!


45 posted on 05/15/2021 8:44:20 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin (I don't have 'Hobbies.' I'm developing a robust post-Apocalyptic skill set. )
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To: FamiliarFace

Our soil is very heavy, lots of clay and rocks , so I figured actually putting them in the ground wouldn’t work, but decided to try containers and laying them on the ground. Mr. mm cut the bottoms of the buckets off and I placed them around the garden and filled them with wood chips and loose soil the planted the potatoes in them. Some buckets I put two potatoes in and some I put one, just to see how the crops compare.

I also have laid some on the ground and just covered them with wood chips and mulch.

I had pretty good success with them last year in spite of how neglected they ended up being, and the tomato hornworms that actually do LOVE potatoes. I did notice, however, that the ones in the buckets didn’t have much of a hornworm problem.

It will be interesting this year to see how the garden does now that we’ve finished moving and I am here to take better care of it.

Yes, let the cut side dry before planting and plant eyes up.


46 posted on 05/15/2021 8:45:19 AM PDT by metmom (...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith.... )
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To: tubebender
Please share my Rhubarb Custard Pie with Mrs. Bender!


47 posted on 05/15/2021 8:45:42 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin (I don't have 'Hobbies.' I'm developing a robust post-Apocalyptic skill set. )
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To: daniel1212

Here is a good recipe I found on the internet for preventing tomato blight that uses baking soda.

I can’t copy and paste the download but here’s the link.

https://storage.googleapis.com/wzukusers/user-33567729/documents/5b20727d62dceXb9blG9/tomato%20blight.pdf


48 posted on 05/15/2021 8:52:17 AM PDT by metmom (...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith.... )
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To: Pete from Shawnee Mission

Thanks. I only use about 100 sq. ft. in the winter to grow grain, and I harvest it by hand-simply grab a handful of stems and snip it with shears.

Then I stick it in the Green house to finish drying. Use the 5 gallon bucket to winnow and separate the wheat from the chaff.

That 100 sq. feet is so close to the Black Walnut tree, that it’s not useful for much else. If the toxin doesn’t get it(tomatoes and potatoes are a no go), then the shade does. And there’s something in the soil that kills squash, melons or cukes.

So the best thing I get out of that patch is Wheat or Rye. Ha.

However, if SHTF, I would need to up that to about 300 sq. ft.— which would be easy to do - we easily have about 1000 sq. ft. already available(winter time growth here in Mo.), and could increase for even more sq. footage if we needed to.

That Scythe would then be quite handy. And we could maybe grow enough to help out the neighbors, or barter or something in a TEOTWAWKI situation. 😎

I try to grow a lot of corn, wheat, and rye, because I want the compost potential in addition to the produce.


49 posted on 05/15/2021 9:07:16 AM PDT by greeneyes ( Moderation In Pursuit of Justice is NO Virtue--LET FREEDOM RING)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

Thanks for the ping. We were expecting the Bob Cat today to finish up the grading where the shed is located. Now that the concrete is all finished, there’s about 2-3 feet around the basement that needs the dirt put back against it.

However, they changed the forecast to include rain, and if it’s not done today, the forecast is for rain for the next 2 weeks. Since they didn’t show up today, apparently we are gonna be waiting a while longer.

Still a bit cool at nights here, so waiting to transplant the heat lovers, and the lemon trees are hanging out in the greenhouse.

I am working on business/office stuff this weekend. So other than watering, I’m not doing much outdoors. I still have about 100 sq. ft. to get prepped to plant something.

About 85% of that is located next to the Walnut tree. I may have to finish planting hubby’s taters - I told him this spring he was preparing for way more than he would have time to do-Ha I was right AGAIN. 🤣


50 posted on 05/15/2021 9:17:27 AM PDT by greeneyes ( Moderation In Pursuit of Justice is NO Virtue--LET FREEDOM RING)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

LOL!


51 posted on 05/15/2021 9:20:34 AM PDT by waterhill (Homegrown Tomatoes~Guy Clark https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TWwyhCVBDg)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
I just had to print that out to share with Hubby and others.


52 posted on 05/15/2021 10:12:28 AM PDT by greeneyes ( Moderation In Pursuit of Justice is NO Virtue--LET FREEDOM RING)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

I worked hard this week to get everything in the ground, and now no rain for 10 days , temps near 90, me away most of the time, depending on hubby and sons to water, and they don’t know exactly what or where....

This year I have a deer fence as yet unbreached.

Waiting for the little censored cutworms to get to work, hoping the collars and diatomaceous earth stop them. Next comes squash borer, I had good luck in the past with Tetsukobuto, got that and Tromboncino from Pinetree, customers swear by both.

Then the birds after the berries, oh Coopers hawks, come back to me, the only good year was when you nested in the pine trees.

The cats go out at night and kill mice and voles, but the chipmunks go out during the day and eat tomatoes. Although they are scarce this year, knock on wood.

There was a groundhog burrow inside my garden fence.

You know when I pick peaches? Before they ripen, when the squirrels are after them. Then it’s monitoring them for fruit flies.

Why do vegetarians think their diet is nice to animals? You have to fight off all manner of critters to get a meal, let alone actually feed people.


53 posted on 05/15/2021 10:29:00 AM PDT by heartwood (Someone has to play devil's advocate other.)
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To: Pete from Shawnee Mission

Great idea. I have a little spiral notebook that I have made some notes in over the years, but sometimes, I am left scratching my head and unable to decipher my abbreviated notes.


54 posted on 05/15/2021 10:49:25 AM PDT by greeneyes ( Moderation In Pursuit of Justice is NO Virtue--LET FREEDOM RING)
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To: Pete from Shawnee Mission; tubebender

Last weeks gardening thread has a Happy Birthday wish to our beloved tubebender who is 88 this weekend. It’s near the end of the thread. Happy Birthday tubebender and thanks for all the sharing you have done for years!


55 posted on 05/15/2021 10:53:23 AM PDT by MomwithHope (Forever grateful to all our patriots, past, present and future. )
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To: Pete from Shawnee Mission

I would be curious to hear how your potato bags turn out. I considered this but did not do it this year and am now out of room.
We worked like dogs getting tomato and lettuce plants in finally got warm enough and we need rain too.


56 posted on 05/15/2021 10:55:05 AM PDT by MomwithHope (Forever grateful to all our patriots, past, present and future. )
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To: daniel1212

Great pictures as usual, Wow beautiful fence!


57 posted on 05/15/2021 10:56:26 AM PDT by MomwithHope (Forever grateful to all our patriots, past, present and future. )
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To: Qiviut

WE jhad to wait until yesterday (west Michigan) to put in tomatoes. Temps look good from here on out. I did get 2 celebrity and one cherokee purple based on people here liking them and finding some for sale too.


58 posted on 05/15/2021 10:58:32 AM PDT by MomwithHope (Forever grateful to all our patriots, past, present and future. )
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

Ithaca-Gro!


59 posted on 05/15/2021 10:59:33 AM PDT by MomwithHope (Forever grateful to all our patriots, past, present and future. )
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

Wow beautiful pie!


60 posted on 05/15/2021 11:03:23 AM PDT by MomwithHope (Forever grateful to all our patriots, past, present and future. )
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