The Garden Thread - September, 2024

September 1, 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!

[MomwithHope]

Lead

[Diana in Wisconsin]

We have a full-sized compressor that’s on a wheely-cart. It’s noisy as heck, but it gets used sometimes DAILY on the farm.

I have a smaller one for my own tire-maintenance (car and mower and wagon) use. Would something like one of these work for your needs?

https://www.averagepersongardening.com/best-quiet-portable-air-compressors/

[Augie]

It was another dry week here in Central Missouri. We left for the racetrack on Wednesday, got home early Sunday afternoon. No camper tire blowouts this trip! Watered orchard trees before we left. Watered them again after we got home.

There might be a handful of tomatoes in the victory garden that need to be picked. I’ll check that after I finish my shift at the salt mine today.

Everything else out there has croaked so I’ll get started cleaning up soon. Need to get back to work on the hoop house. I would really like to have that thing covered up before winter gets here.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

I’m in ‘garden clean-up’ mode for the most part, too. Doing what I can in the early AM before the @#$%^&*! heat sets in.

Hot and DRY by us, too. The lawn is CRISPY - so no need to mow. I usually mow up until October 1st, but I think I’m getting a break this season. :) I can live with that!

[Paul R.]

Well, that’d be great if I ever see the little buggers!!!

(Are woodchucks good to eat? I guess I should do a web search!)

[Paul R.]

Hi, Diana! Thanks for the reply. My “small” tank is a Campbell-Hausfeld compressor on a 6 gallon tank. That’s great for running around outside as needed, but indoors, it’s way too big. I want something MUCH smaller. If I had it, it’d even be going up and down stairways quite a bit. (The stairs down to the basement bench / “workshop”, a primary destination, are not ultra-steep, but they ARE narrower and steeper than “code”.) I have another portable unit up at my other little property: It has a smaller tank but the whole thing is in a plastic housing with small wheels and even bulkier overall. (My big compressor is a 60 gallon stationary unit.)

Extrapolating from the 6 gallon tank unit @ ~85 psi (the effective relief pressure, says the gauge), a gallon or less of air at 120 psi would be enough for the “little” “inside” jobs.

[Paul R.]

Ha, I hadn’t thought of a small used freon tank. I did consider a used 1 lb. propane bottle (perfect size) but I’m unsure about safely ensuring the volume is totally purged B4 proceeding. Possibly I could use this

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082KB26GK/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A1XIBCJEAGERRU&th=1

or this with the black fitting removed

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09W5Q8PG6/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?smid=A3JBZU9XNT9QI&psc=1

And a quick-connect connector to simply fill and manually exhaust the bottle several times. I’ve seen comments about propane semi-”bound” to the interior wall of the bottle though, and needing to fill the bottle with water to get that out? I’m in completely uncharted territory (for me) here. So, “fun”, but I don’t want it to be Capt. Kirk on Veridian III “fun”.

I have most of the fittings too, but like you I’d have to buy a Schrader valve stem with pipe threads for filling the tank from a small “tire inflator” type compressor (have a spare).

Attach a short hose and

https://www.menards.com/main/tools/power-tools/pneumatic-tools/air-tools/performax-reg-air-accessory-kit-30-piece/83426/tools/power-tools/pneumatic-tools/air-tools/performax-reg-high-flow-blow-gun-kit-10-piece/ppigk/p-1642874305485716-c-12915.htm

(already have), and I’m ready to go. :-)

[Paul R.]

I did find this:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0D62WMD6S/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A2T5D94JDOXONO&psc=1

Very nice, but pricey, even on Amazon. (Comes with a bunch of with goodies I don’t need.) Still a bit “big” too.

[Paul R.]

I was only vaguely familiar with seed stratification, so, I did some online research. Very interesting.

I have some “river sand” in feed bags. Very fine stuff. I’m thinking:

Sift / wash it to remove debris.

Treat with fungicide (to prevent mold).

Let dry to slightly moist.

Mix in seeds and place in baby food jar w/ lid. (We still have some from when my daughter was an infant!)

Place in back of fridge for 2 months.

Remove, allow to dry @ room temp.

Sift out seeds.

Plant “early”.

Does this seem like a good plan?

Ok to let seeds set “dry” after sifting out of sand?

Other suggestions?

Fungicide to use?

[MomwithHope]

IDK about eating them. We have decades of experience with them, they are out brazenly in the afternoon pigging out. But they have great vision and can outrun a shot easily. You have to be patient, not let them see you, and wait til their backs are turned if you want to get one.

[MomwithHope]

I guess I would say it depends on where you live. Down south I have heard the fridge works if the seeds are dry and you can put them in paper envelopes (I use junk mail envelopes cut in half). If I lived down south I would take those envelopes put them in a secure ziplock or good plastic container, and put in the fridge. Where we are at in Michigan, our attached garage works just fine for that, and sauerkraut too :).

[Liz]

bkmk

[Paul R.]

Hmm... The info I found indicated you want to simulate the temperature AND moisture conditions the seeds would see naturally. Therefor the slightly damp but not wet river-sand. But, you have top prevent mold.

(River sand because it is so fine and then easily sifted away from seeds, once the sand dries.)

That said, I can try our unheated shed, too. Just have to use containers the occasional mouse can’t get into, as our cats are too lazy to catch most of ‘em.

[Paul R.]

The offender turns out to be (apparently) an opossum after all. Got him in the trap near* the damaged opo plant this morning - AFTER dawn, to my surprise (for an opossum), but in line with my observation(s) the last few days that the damage to the opo plant was occurring after I first went out to check on things, feed the chickens, etc.

*I actually spread cinnamon-etc. based repellent around the area of the plants, but also creating a sort of shallow “V” leading to the area near the trap entrance. Worked like a charm.

The damaged plant looks like it can recover, but, I kinda doubt it will produce useable fruits before we get a hard frost. The other opo plant has 2-5 day old fruits developing on it, but the damaged plant will be starting from scratch. We’ll see...

[Paul R.]

I also checked out Harbor Freight’s compressor with a 3 gallon tank yesterday morning. Way too big.

Likely, very little is available commercially, as 3 gallons is probably sort of a minimum to be effective with most air tools, or inflate medium sizeable car tires, and that’s with an attached compressor running.

[Paul R.]

“have to prevent...”

[Liz]

Italian Butternut Squash With Cinnamon & Maple Syrup
Easy holiday side, oven roasted to golden brown perfection.

Ing 3-3 1/2 lb Diced Butternut Squash 2 Tbl ea Ol/Oil, Maple Syrup 1 Tsp ea Salt/Cracked Black Pepper 3/4 Tsp Cinnamon 3 Tbl Chp Fresh Rosemary 3/4 Cup Crispy Bacon Bits garnish

Steps On b/sheets w/ sprayed foil, place combined/coated squash, oil, syrup, salt, cinnamon; roast 400 deg 15 min; turn, roast tender, lightly browned 10-15 min. Plate. Sprinkle w/ chp rosemary and black pepper. Serve warm topped w/ bacon bits.

[Qiviut]

Mom had a wonderful birthday weekend. Saturday, we visited my niece first thing, toured her garden & had cinnamon rolls & breakfast sandwiches from the local farmer's market. My niece had bought two boxes of vases from an estate sale - she let mom pick a vase & then pick her flowers (dahlias,zinnias,snap dragons, basil) from the garden - a gorgeous bouquet was the result.

The next stop was an orchard, which is a local favorite. The couple running the place have a farmer's market & she makes homemade pies & cobblers. Mom wanted a 'blueberry lattice' pie. That pie was The Best Blueberry Pie! It was loaded with blueberries & the crust was very light.

After some relaxing time on the porch at home, we went to a local historic inn for dinner. Mom got the pork chops ... thick, juicy, grilled. She shared a couple bites with me because she couldn't eat two of them & I can say, the pork chops were really delicious.

Next stop was 'Flotzie's' for ice cream. We both got a medium 'Black Raspberry', the flavor of the week. For a medium, the cones were large and the ice cream was soft serve, but still rather firm ... took a while to eat, which was just fine.

Sunset was just around the corner, so we had time to set up a fire in the fire pit at the house, which we enjoyed as the 3/4 moon came up ... really beautiful.

Sunday was 'Homecoming' at the church where we will go after the move and where dad is buried. Being a special occasion, there was a lunch after ... potluck. The tables were full of various dishes and desserts. Good food, friends & fellowship is one of my favorite situations.

Since rain was in the forecast, we came home to spend a couple of days indoors, packing .... I might be able to go back Thursday or Friday. I still have to get topsoil & mulch (found a source for both) for the raised flower beds (mom liked them).

A picture of the birthday bouquet, blueberry lattice pie, and the Floret Farms Cut Flower Garden book.

[Pollard]

Humidity - I've been trying to dry some hot peppers for weeks but I'm going to have to pull out the food dryer to do it because it's just too humid here. Humidity is no friend of seeds either. I saved a bunch of shishito pepper seeds this year and put the seed packet with the end open laying on the table with the hot air exiting my laptop for a few hours and then closed it up.

Other than that, I don't practice any method for extending seed viability but I need to come up with something. Fridge I guess. Some sort of container that blocks light and out it in the door of the fridge. In a couple of months, it will be nice and dry in here because I'll be running the wood stove. Might be a good time to put them in the container to refrigerate.

Bill McDorman's Basic Seed Saving:

Below 9% LOL the humidity here from Fall to Spring is 70-90%. Currently 75% on the table behind my laptop. I'll have to put my little hygrometer/thermometer in the fridge for a day and see what the humidity is.

Seeds on my cloud -- https://permasteader.route66custom.com/cloud/index.php/s/eqfmjgDwfWwxkbT

Seed Saving Handbook mentions desiccant tolerant vs intolerant seeds. Some seeds will die of they dry out. It also has a good bibliography at the end.

[MomwithHope]

Sounds like a most wonderful birthday! Thanks for sharing.