The Garden Thread - January, 2025

January 1, 2025 | 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.

[Pollard]

Finally got all Field Notes listed on a Planting event page. Each field note already had a link to the planting it was in reference to. Now I'll have a complete record of all field notes for a given planting on one page.

Field Notes 5491 and 5835 both had a reference to Fall Tatsoi and now it goes both ways. I tried making field note urls actual links but everything I tried, broke things. No biggie. Triple click to highlight and right click > open in new tab. I'll figure out how to make it a link eventually because that triple click, open in new tab won't work on a phone.

Better than anything I can see in the admin pages. Not real helpful and that's using an Admin Columns plugin, else those wouldn't even show.

The Admin Columns plugin did do something more useful. Clickable taxonomy for filtering. Click brassica and it would still be four. Click Tatsoi would reduce to seeing those three. Chijisimai, one.

Having field notes listed on the planting page isn't super important for a veggie that's only going to live for a few months but once I start planting trees, it will be helpful for making observations over the years. Now that I figured out the trick, I can also apply the same to inventory and be able to see every purchase of tatsoi seed, ever. Oh look, the price went up. Oh wait, I haven't added a field for price yet. I can also do it for Harvests which will also help with trees. A single page for Tree ID 1494 showing production levels over the years.

Chestnut trees take about 12-15 years to reach full production. Hazelnut 5-6 iirc. Elderberry just a few years and paw paw several. Since everything's broken down by taxonomy, Tomato > early girl etc. I'll to be able to view a comparison of different varieties. Probably ought to separate cherries, slicers and paste tomatoes so I'm not comparing apples to oranges, wait, what?

I don't have enough data but that same plugin I used to show temp/humidity sensor log can be used to display table and charts for this stuff. Think of production levels of 6 different paste tomato varieties compared on a chart like this. Production levels for Tree ID 1494 over the years. All Chestnut trees on one chart to compare. Handy.

After formatting all the templates and making things look consistent, I couldn't tell one thing from another. If I click on brassica taxonomy on the front end, it will show all things brassica; plantings, field notes, inventory, plant problems(new content type for pests, diseases deficiencies etc). They all have title, date, taxonomy etc so I found myself having to read some of the content on each to figure out what they were. So to fix that, I added a field to everything right under the title, content_type_ID. (planting_1340) - (field_note_5491) and so on. Didn't really need the ID but why not? Makes it look more tech. Got a neighbor who's first cow's tag number is 23 so he calls her twenty-three. I'll be walking around here talking to trees. Hey fourteen-ninety-four, how you doin' today old friend?

[Pollard]

Yep, I call Menard’s the Walmart of home improvement stores.

[Pollard]

I just happen to have the 15% off bag here. Jan 1 - 12 so you got time

[Pollard]

This one was very bland and they’re loaded with tiny seeds which make them kind of gritty. Won’t be buying more.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Thanks for sharing that!

I’ve had Dragon Fruit in my previous travels in sunny Mexico. The interior is rather ‘creamy’ as I remember it. It was unique - wouldn’t want a steady diet of it though. ;)

Pina Coladas served in a fresh coconut made right on the beach was fun, too. ;)

I miss Mexico. I wish it wasn’t as messed up as it is now. So many happy memories and travel adventures there. :(

[Diana in Wisconsin]

15% Off is good through January 12th. You have to go to the store to get the bag, though. One per customer; which is what I say to the dogs when I’m doling out treats!

We’ll be going this coming Monday. I’m gonna fill the entire grocery bag with garden supplies and seed packets, LOL!

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Mom! Check it out! Maybe we can get ‘Miss Peach’ and ‘Baby Peach’ to start really pulling their weight around here, LOL!

[MomwithHope]

I could have filled a ten gallon bucket with what we grew. Last year a 5 gallon bucket.

[MomwithHope]

Menards, one of my favorite places. They are big in Michigan.

[MomwithHope]

We’ve mailed in our receipts for years for the 11% off times. Used rebates for mostly bird seed, we buy the good stuff and the price has really gone up.

[MomwithHope]

I’ve seen the fruit up here in Michigan but never saw a picture of the tree. Crazy. What does it taste like?

[MomwithHope]

Mine has new buds, not a lot.

[Pollard]

A member of the cactus family that grows in the tropics, who knew? What I got was fairly bland with a slight hint of pea. Nice texture but loaded with tiny seeds. Probably would grow in S to Ctrl FL and that’s abut it.

I want to try growing Hardy Kiwi which is nothing like what you buy at the store. They’re small fruits that grow on a vine.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Speaking of January Dreaming...what Seed Catalogs have you received and what others do you recommend?

So far I have on hand: Totally Tomatoes, Vermont Bean Seed Company, Jung Seeds & Plants, Burpee, Gurney's, Seed Savers, Seeds N Such and Johnny's. I try to buy a little something from each company that sends me a catalog...I don't want to see any of them go out of business!

I know everyone LOVES Baker Creek, and I have a few of their previous catalogs to page through, but I usually just go to their website.

[FamiliarFace]

January dreaming? I’m chock full of dreams in January! Dreams for the garden, AND dreams for the house.

[PGalt]

Thanks

[metmom]

I’ll be starting my onions at the end of the month to see if I can get the plants big enough by April to plant outside without much transplant shock.

I’ll be starting lavender as well. That takes FOREVER to grow.

I just covered by lavender, rosemary, and thyme with wood chips to protect them from the bitter cold temps are are expecting that will kill them.

I’ll find out in the spring how it worked out.

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

Yep. I also have a stack of seed catalogues with Baker's Creek on top, that in spite of emailing companies opt-outs for physical mailings!

Spreading the joy! Some libraries accept fairly current catalogues and set them out in a public spot by the entryway for anyone to take. (Be sure to line out your address info!)

[Qiviut]

Per the weather met I usually rely on, we should be getting snowmageddon Sunday & Monday. He readily admits when a forecast of his is a ‘bust’ & I hope this turns out to be one of those times.

I got mulch the other day to mulch around the edges of the paver sidewalk I put in. I was going to do that job yesterday, but had to make a trip across the mountain for another newell post for the railing project that mom wants done by the housewarming party the 12th. Hardware to attach the newell post to the floor & to attach the handrail to the newell has been ordered & is on the way .... I am making no promises. It is very cold & the wind is blowing pretty hard here on the Knoll - I don’t think I am going outside today .... brrrr.

In the meanwhile, I came down with a head/sinus cold last night & I feel pretty ‘punk’ today. I have jumped right on it with elderberry tea (from dried organic berries), doubled up on Vit D & C, added some Nigella sativa, NAC & a povidone iodine nasal wash. By tomorrow, I expect to feel better.