The Garden Thread - March, 2024

March 2, 2024 | Diana in WI/Greeneyes in Memoriam

[Diana in Wisconsin]

The MONTHLY Gardening Thread is a 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 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/removed from our New & Improved Ping List.

NOTE: This is a once a MONTH Ping List, but we DO post to the thread all throughout the month. Links to related articles and discussions which might be of interest to Gardeners are welcomed any time!

[Qiviut]

There are some 2×4s stacked neatly in the big pole barn. Dad put some kind of covering on them - has grit like shingles on one side but on a roll, then he put metal roofing panels on top of that, and then wood has been thrown on top, probably 3’ of boards (every size), fence posts or more. The loose boards on top are often warped, even though they don’t get rained on. I NEED 2 x 4s so I want to get those covered boards out, but it’s impossible without moving the major loose board pile. I don’t know how long the 2 x 4s are either, probably 6’, but 8’ would be nice. Too much more important stuff to do now, but I’ll eventually bite the bullet & start moving wood.

[Osage Orange]

Yes they are....and they blooming right now. I can walk along a creek near me and airlayer a bunch of limbs

[Pollard]

Dad put some kind of covering on them - has grit like shingles on one side but on a roll

Roll roofing/shingling, comes three foot wide. Not much of a thing anymore but it was fast and cheap and with enough tar, was the only DIY way to do a flat or near flat roof back in the day. Not pretty but worked.

I spent my youth shoveling snow off our flat roofed carport up in Massachusetts. The instructions were; don't scrape it down too hard and take the grit off. Start around the edges and work towards the middle.(to get weight off the roof first thing) My dad has me do it because I was lighter and he was worried about the old structure collapsing. Also had to get it done before it was much more than 6 inches of snow. Not sure how many times I did it during the blizzard of '78 when we got 3 foot in 2 days.

[Pollard]

And many a shanty has had roll roofing on top of rough sawn oak with gaps as siding. Do what ya gotta do to keep the wind from blowing through I guess.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Wisconsin Weather has turned cool and frosty, again. The past two days have been rainy, sunless and very high winds - blowing sleet into your face if you’re facing into it. Ugh!

BUT - it’s not ‘feets and feets’ or SNOW, so I’ll take it!

If we can make it to Friday, we’ll be back into the 50’s with SUNSHINE.

Seedlings are progressing a-pace. Thinning out tomato seedlings today - already did the peppers. I’ll be moving things into the greenhouse mid-April weather depending. I jumped the gun and with our current Lack-O-Sunshine, they’re better off inside under lights.

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

Diana, I was wondering, how does one grow garlic? Can you grow in both the spring and fall?

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

It was 23 degrees this morning, but seedlings are in a south window. I need to move them up to 4” x 4” pots. I also need to plant marigold and other herb s.

[Pollard]

I’m not doing good on starting seeds earlier this Spring or even Winter like I wanted to but it will have to wait next year.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Garlic is easy-peasy to grow. Planting time depends upon where you live:

https://www.thespruce.com/grow-great-garlic-3016629

I suggest mulching heavily with straw (in the north) and garlic likes a goodly amount of water and does NOT like to compete with weeds.

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

Thank you Diana!

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

Maybe when you go into town you can find a hardware store or garden center that carries some good tomatoes and peppers. Once your high tunnel is up and covered you will have a lot of growing options.

[Qiviut]

We have 1.75 inches of rain in the gauge this morning from yesterday & overnight Tuesday. As part of the official weather forecast last night, the meteorologist said that with the rain & mild temps, “lawns will be growing like Jack & the Bean Stalk” LOL.

With lawns growing, today is the day I finally have the riding mower ready to go to the new house. It’s been a “project” since the mower was just sitting for at least 3 years. It started & ran last night, so I’m hoping it will do the same today.

Since I am trailering the mower, I gave myself an intensive 2-video course in ratchet straps last night. By golly, I think I’ve got it! I have the videos bookmarked just in case, but ratchet straps are really not hard ... unless you’re trying to use them with someone who doesn’t understand them trying to tell you how to do it (my previous experiences). This time, I’m using the straps “solo” and I should be able to get the mower tied down in the trailer so it’s not rolling around on the trip.

Next week’s project is to get a chainsaw up there since some of the tree debris is too large for my big loppers - 60 mph gusts has brought some big stuff down. Winds are coming back in this weekend with low humidity & the fire danger is going up again, but not expected to be near as bad as last week when it seemed the whole mountain was on fire.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Re: Chainsaw.

I have an electric one (Black & Decker) that was perfect for my needs for basic limb trimming & shrub grooming at my old place.

Beau said, ‘That’s not for cutting down trees - that’s for pickin’ your TEETH!’ LOL!

He used to compete in those ‘Woodsman’ Chop, Cut, Stack competitions back in the day. One of the first things he bought me when we were dating was my own maul to split the wood he had cut for me. Wonder where that went? LOL!

[Qiviut]

Dad had THREE electric chainsaws! I have used one, so I know that one works - will have to check out the other two & see what works & what is easiest to use.

The issue is power. Dad has a little “Predator” generator on his golf cart. I know I can start it (pull start) because I did it for dad a couple of times. It takes gas/oil and I have to figure that out, which shouldn’t be too hard. I can pull the generator on my ‘sled’ or in the little cart to where I need to use the chainsaw.

Update on the cart I pulled out of the pole barn - it has one tire that won’t hold air, so I have to get a tube in that tire before it goes to the new house. It won’t fit in the back of the truck or in the trailer with the mower, so it has to go on a different trip anyway. The ‘sled’ will go today in the back of the truck & I can haul small stuff - big stuff will need the chainsaw.

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

Same subject: Link to an article about Dying Hard Boiled eggs naturally;

decorate-easter-eggs-with-farm-made-natural-dyes

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

"The guy that used to own the land on the right all the way out to that first ridge liked to burn the whole place every Spring in a set it and forget it fashion. That was scary."

Here is a video made about the Ozarks and it explains why they burn.

https://www.pbs.org/video/kcpt-specials-water-fire-story-ozarks/

Talks about this at 1.08 or so. Burning controls things like ticks and fleas and creates open areas for Deer.

[Pollard]

Maybe when you go into town you can find a hardware store or garden center that carries some good tomatoes and peppers. Once your high tunnel is up and covered you will have a lot of growing options.

I'm not too worried about it. I'll grow what I grow, might buy a few plants but the main goal is the high tunnel and other infrastructure on the property for now. I guess my major growing project this year will be growing a few things in soil amended with lime. Not really a project but a first.

As of three hours ago, I am on vacation. Tomorrow off for Good Friday, weekend, five days vacation, weekend.

The Good Friday as a paid holiday is interesting. They do it because it's related to Easter but Easter is on a Sunday so rather than take Monday after Easter off like government and banks, they take the Good Friday. Kinda cool.

[Pollard]

Talks about this at 1.08 or so. Burning controls things like ticks and fleas and creates open areas for Deer.

It doesn't really create open areas as it does get rid of the grass to allow a more diverse menu for the deer along with knock back the baby trees in the open areas before they overcome even the grass. Everything wants to go back to it's natural/native state. Native forest back to forest, native prairie back to prairie.

About the only thing we're good at is paving things over or turning forest/prairie into desert. We can tweak things with great effort and constant care.

I burn for chiggers and ticks. It's only when I take out trees that I'll get grasses and other things growing and then I might burn that area to get rid of the native grasses and bring out the more diverse menu which is in my case, goat food. Both goats and deer browse many of the same things. Goats will eat more of the nasty stuff that deer won't like brambles, sumac, poison ivy.

Another thing burning does is get rid off dead limbs/trees on the ground so if there's an accidental fire, it doesn't turn into a wildfire and take out live trees.

I've watched very little PBS in my life and just watched 20 seconds more. Clicked into the 1:11:00 mark and heard: "Traditionally, Easter was a favorite time to burn. People would come home from Church and use a can of gasoline or a torch and set the world on fire."

Didn't need to watch/hear any more. Let's just say there's a bit more thought put into it than that, otherwise, 1-200 year old farm houses and barns wouldn't still be standing.

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

Well, it contains an explanation as to “why they (your neighbors.) burn” so you know what to expect.

[MomwithHope]

Agree on the mulch. Here in west Michigan we plant late October, harvest in July or August. We mulch heavily with no float cypress blend red mulch. If we are careful with planting and digging up, a heavy mulch will last a few years at least.