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Weekly Garden Thread - November 13-19, 2021
November 13, 2021 | Diana in Wisconsin/Greeneyes

Posted on 11/13/2021 6:31:44 AM PST 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: metmom
"Longer growing season, lower heating bills, less wear and tear on the cars, time to clean up outside and get ready for winter. What’s not to like?"

Indeed, bless God. Warming is good! However, if it is going to be Winter then I like a lot of snow, not rain.

21 posted on 11/13/2021 8:11:00 AM PST 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: Blurb2350

If the lumber is dried well I have used marine paint with great success.


22 posted on 11/13/2021 8:13:19 AM PST by MomwithHope (Forever grateful to all our patriots, past, present and future.)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin
Came across this....


23 posted on 11/13/2021 8:14:58 AM PST by Covenantor (We are ruled...by liars who refuse them news, and fools who can not govern. " Chesterton)
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To: Blurb2350

Blurb; Use an oil based paint. Use an exterior primer sealer first. You could add some linseed oil but will have to wait longer for it to soak in and dry. After the primer has dried put a second coat of gloss exterior oil based paint, as indicated white is a good color. (You might have to search for it. The powers that be don’t like oil paints, bad for the enviornment etc.)

If you were in a really wet climate I might suggest weep holes on the bottom (normally in masonry walls) but its dry most of the year. Just make certain you do a good job painting the cut to size 2x6 frame surfaces (including the end grain) before you assemble. Remember that wood does expand and move and leave some space between your 1” x 8” decking planks. (Use galvanized screws to fasten. Less likely to rust off or back out. )

Good luck!


24 posted on 11/13/2021 8:23:00 AM PST by Pete from Shawnee Mission
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To: Diana in Wisconsin
CLICK ON THE PICTURE TO GO BACK TO THE WEEKLY GARDEN THREAD - NOVEMBER 6-12, 2021!

Poof sorry image href gone!

CLICK ON PICTURE BELOW TO LINK TO RESOURCE AREA. BOOKS, MAGAZINES, GARDENING SEEDS, SUPPLIES AND EQUIPMENT, AND INTERESTING GARDENING LINKS HARVESTED FROM PREVIOUS GARDENING THREADS!"

Poof...image deleted!

(The resource area is posted at the end of the the July 3-6 Gardening Thread beginning after post 112!)


25 posted on 11/13/2021 8:27:06 AM PST by Pete from Shawnee Mission
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To: Liz

Leftover Turkey Sammiches are the BEST part of Thanksgiving, IMHO. :)


26 posted on 11/13/2021 8:48:05 AM PST by Diana in Wisconsin (I don't have 'Hobbies.' I'm developing a robust post-Apocalyptic skill set. )
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To: Liz

*SNORT*

I wrap our baked potatoes in gold leaf EVERY Friday night to go with whatever roadkill we’ve scavenged for the week. ;)


27 posted on 11/13/2021 8:54:12 AM PST by Diana in Wisconsin (I don't have 'Hobbies.' I'm developing a robust post-Apocalyptic skill set. )
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

Leftover Turkey Sammiches are the BEST part of Thanksgiving, IMHO. :)

....especially lightly browned in bacon grease...mom made them for our school lunches...not understood the complaints about leftover turkey.


28 posted on 11/13/2021 8:55:00 AM PST by Covenantor (We are ruled...by liars who refuse them news, and fools who can not govern. " Chesterton)
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To: Covenantor

The heart wants what the heart wants! :)


29 posted on 11/13/2021 8:55:45 AM PST by Diana in Wisconsin (I don't have 'Hobbies.' I'm developing a robust post-Apocalyptic skill set. )
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

Lol......cute.


30 posted on 11/13/2021 8:56:17 AM PST by Liz (le Our side has 8 trillion bullets; the other side does n't know which bathroom to use.)
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To: Pete from Shawnee Mission

Thanks, Pete!


31 posted on 11/13/2021 8:56:36 AM PST by Diana in Wisconsin (I don't have 'Hobbies.' I'm developing a robust post-Apocalyptic skill set. )
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

There's a fruit called Guarana that looks like eyeballs


A naturally occurring ice formation on a mountaintop in Slovenia



32 posted on 11/13/2021 9:00:58 AM PST by LibWhacker
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

No question.


33 posted on 11/13/2021 9:18:44 AM PST by Liz (le Our side has 8 trillion bullets; the other side does n't know which bathroom to use.)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

We are so thankful our youngest daughter came by last Sunday and did our fall yard cut back and clean up! She spent three summers working in landscaping and is so good at this. Our yard is now ready for the snow to fly. Me, on the other hand, am not ready for that!


34 posted on 11/13/2021 9:50:32 AM PST by freemama
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To: Pete from Shawnee Mission

Thanks so much for the tips Pete. I never would have thought to paint the boards and ends before construction! It looks like the consensus is white or light paint, preferably with UV protection and oil-based. Quick followup: You mention linseed oil. Could I first apply a coat (or two?) of linseed oil by itself, followed by the paint? Or is that overkill? I’ve been meaning to buy a canister of linseed oil anyhow, so the added cost is not a factor. Thanks again.


35 posted on 11/13/2021 10:01:22 AM PST by Blurb2350 (posted from my 1500-watt blow dryer)
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To: uptowngirl

Peppers and tomatoes are good to dehydrate, so are onions. Throw some in a soup, or top a casserole. Cantaloupe makes a really good dried fruit. Cherries are good, but tedious to pit and halve, so I don’t do them often. Some people like to make fruit leathers from pureed fruit poured onto a suitable sheet.

Jerky: Get lean meat (venison is great) and use a really sharp knife to remove all the fat and connective tissue you can, then slice into 1/4” thick strips. Make a marinade from two parts ketchup, one part each soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce, and whatever spices you want, plus a dash of liquid smoke. Use plenty of black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. I like hot jerky, so I’ll substitute sriracha for half the ketchup and put in a fair amount of cayenne. Marinate 8-12 hours in the refrigerator, stirring from time to time.

I use a 5-tray Excalibur dehydrator, and 5 lb. of London broil will make a batch of jerky. About one and a half cups of marinade is plenty. Dry the stuff at 155. Turn the strips over after a few hours and switch trays around as needed. After 10 hours or so, check the jerky and remove the finished pieces. The thicker ones will need more time, at least until you can’t feel them compress when you squeeze them. I prefer jerky to be a bit flexible, not brittle.

I keep the jerky in the refrigerator in Zip-loc bags, since it either gets moldy or goes brittle at room temperature.


36 posted on 11/13/2021 10:01:26 AM PST by HartleyMBaldwin
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

Thanks for the geezer tips. I’ve already learned that the older clerks are chockful of geezer knowledge. They also have more patience with women of a certain age and their wacky little projects. The younger guys are great for carrying the lumber, PVC and Quikrete out to the car.


37 posted on 11/13/2021 10:05:10 AM PST by Blurb2350 (posted from my 1500-watt blow dryer)
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To: Qiviut
I have 2 JD 300's, and I pretty much live on them all summer. I've not bought a zero turn because we need to have more than one, and everybody says I'll never use the old kind once I get a taste of the zero. Buying two at once is a big decision.

I usually mow (chop) the leaves to bits before bagging or I'd only get about 20 feet before I need to dump. If you are going to make just one pass, get a leaf blower and blow the leaves far enough away from obstacles to get them under the mower deck. I did have a power baggger, but it was insanely cumbersome. I have no problems with a simple air-flow bagger as long as I use high-lift blades. When I have an area where I don't want to pick up, but will need to start picking up again pretty soon, I just remove/replace the chute base, not the whole nine yards. If I were you, I'd just get a bagger for the smaller machine, and use the zero for mowing and leaving the clippings lay. I see the bag assemlbies occasionally on Craig's.

Just like the last 2 or 3 years, I vow that this will be my last season of full-time mowing... I did get a couple from town to mow the smaller place once last summer, and it cost me $275 for a pee-pee poor job. A good job for both places will certainly be more than $500 per week. Tough move to make...

38 posted on 11/13/2021 1:30:06 PM PST by gloryblaze
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To: Blurb2350

Probably overkill. If you add some to the primer don’t add much.You could hit the board ends 2x with the primer It should soak it up. If you use too much linseed oil It will take a long time to absorb/dry!


39 posted on 11/13/2021 4:30:42 PM PST by Pete from Shawnee Mission
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To: gloryblaze
The first mower is a little 324 (I think) tractor style 48" deck. It would take me a week to mow the place (we have fields). My dad took pity & got a residential zero-turn Z535M, also a 48" deck. You are correct - if you ever get one, you won't go back to the other; however, the zeros are SO much faster, you'd cut your mowing time in half, if not close to it. Every time we went to JD & they asked me how much I was cutting with the residential zero & I told them 10 acres, they would tell me "you need a commercial mower". Dad bought a commercial model Z920M ZTrak summer before last - it is much larger (60" deck) & boy, it rides SO smooth compared to the other two & of course, it is a dream to steer. I have 3 issues - gas tank opening is a bit high (I have to use a step ladder) & the hole is very small - had to get a funnel with a very narrow tube to fit down in there. The back tires are so wide, when I do a zero turn, they will leave a bald patch, especially if the ground is soft from a rain. Other than that, I am glad we got the bigger mower. If I start early, I can actually do the place in a day, staying on the mower all day except for lunch & bathroom breaks. I usually do it in a day and a half. BTW - we sold the Z535 to a relative - they love it.

The "stable" from left to right: Little Buddy, Zero (the 'racehorse' - very fast!) & Clyde (the work horse like a Clydesdale).

40 posted on 11/13/2021 6:24:46 PM PST by Qiviut ("Fear is the 'virus'. TRUTH is the Cure." [Mikki Willis])
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