The Garden Thread - April, 2025

April 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.

[Texas resident]

Checking in here. Southeast Texas.

Going around the horn.
Cantaloupes, Honey Dew melons, Jalapenos, blackberries, strawberries, tomatoes, carrots and green onions.

Already have some ripe strawberries.

Good gardening everyone.

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

"I’m just telling you this because I’ve pretty much grown them all. ;)"

I imagine you have!

I started soaking the bean seeds with Water and H2O2 Thursday night. I drained the water yesterday and left the beans covered with a paper towl. I put a little carbondated water on them this evening, drained again and put some Legume innoculant on them and planted them. If you overwater and keep them too damp they turn to mush and melt. I did not water this evening but will tomorrow early. Forcast is for 88F. (Whew!) I planted all the beans I had, will harvest as long as possible, but once done, thats it for the year.

So far I have harvested Parsley, Thyme, Leeks, Green onions, Rutabaga, and Turnips, not in large amounts, but fresh and in pretty good shape after this winter. Radishes and turnips are growing, garlic, top setting onions.

Prune D'ente 707 and Victory Plums have flowered and may actually have some fruit this year. Tomatos and Basil have sprouted in 4" pots. Tomato should be ready to plant by May Day.

[FamiliarFace]

Same here. Two slices. It will be just enough.

Yes, always so great to find a recipe that uses what I have on hand. Those potatoes were leftover (on purpose) to make hash browns with. Usually I sauté them and serve alongside scrambled eggs and bacon or ham.

The recipe was so easy and sooo good!

[Paul R.]

Thanks - I assume that by a “humongous” filter you are talking about something 1 foot x 1-1/2 feet, or larger, and not one of those round 4.5” x 10” “whole house filters”? That sounds like a really “major” system. Luckily, rust / stains are not a big problem. And, most of the time, the water tastes pretty good.

Where to place such a unit, I can’t imagine. The wellhouse is too small, and the “entrance” area just inside the house is worse, esp. as the house is on a slab. (The latter is a big reason I moved the present filter out to the wellhouse.)

(Even my 2.5” x 10” filter gets called a “whole house filter”, and, I suppose, in most instances it likely would suffice for all but the drinking water, which gets a secondary passive filter - basically, one of those filtered pitchers.)

No way will we ever be “out” of this house unless it gets destroyed (tornado, fire, and earthquake are most likely, in order of risk) or until I’ve become useless and wifey hauls me off to Philippines to have a grand-niece or nephew care for me. :-)

Really, IF the pleated polypropylene “cloth” element filters are washable, that’d be a workable solution, and, so would these new(?) generation polypropylene string filters IF they actually perform “4x” as claimed. Likely I should just order some to try out.

OTOH, I am REALLY intrigued by Pollard’s find of the “multi-disc” filters. These obviously are intended for pretty decent water volumes, judging by their use on 1” or 1-1/4” lines. Theoretically, I should redo a good part of the feed from the well tank into three lines, one unfiltered for unfiltered water needs outside the house, and one with a disc filter which would feed the house and my shop, and MAYBE a new external line for drip / mist irrigation, and perhaps also for car washing (where “clear” water even after rains would be nice.)

The biggest pain is that all the piping in the wellhouse is 3/4” PVC and I just redid most of it! I also have to adapt upwards to the disc filter - a minor problem except for spacing issues, including a badly placed “Y” that I kept in place and repurposed to a feed out to my shop. (That line used to feed a rental trailer on the property long B4 I bought this place.) That might require even more “rework”. The present well house filter could go under the kitchen sink and get activated carbon filter elements to replace that “filter pitcher” that is always in the way...

This would all likely have to wait until wifey goes on a vacation, as I can easily see it becoming a multi-day project. (eye roll!)

Ah, never mind me TOO much - just thinking “aloud”... :-)

At least I got the rest of the lettuce plants split up. If the survival rate is 75%, I’ll be happy.

[Pollard]

You can lead a horse to filtered water but.... One of the links I posted is this pdf that shows they have a 3/4" unit.

https://www.dripdepot.com/file/parent/15326/15326-Netafim%20Manual%20Filters.pdf

3/4" - DF075-040 | DF075-080 | DF075-120 | DF075-140

$30-35 (DF075-080)

https://sprinklersupplystore.com/products/netafim-80-mesh-disc-filter

https://www.amazon.com/Netafim-DF075-080-Disc-Filter-80-Mesh/dp/B0052D3CFU

Dimensions - (about 6" x 7") I think that includes the threaded inlet/outlet

General specs

TheSprinklerStore website has install instructions for each one which also has more dimensions. https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1987/5531/files/3-4-in-Manual-Filter-Install.pdf?85

[MomwithHope]

Not really on Gilero. 2nd favorite is I think Ruben Blades only album. He went on to be an actor.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SK1RX7lTxLQ

[MomwithHope]

I always have too many cucumbers.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Sounds productive! Love your tagline. ;)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

It’s nice that you can stay put. My ‘resale’ comment just comes from a dozen years of flipping houses. Funny where life lands you - we have no desire to leave the farm either, unless it’s Feet First. ;)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Thanks! I’ve heard of Ruben Blades!

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Thanks! I’ve heard of Ruben Blades!

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Maybe you can come up with a Cucumber/Lemon Sun Tea recipe?

For the summer months I take a (decent) bottle of Vodka, ‘sample’ a little so there’s room, peel, seed and slice a cucumber so it can go into the bottle, then keep it in the freezer. Makes a lovely ‘Summer Tonic’ with Tonic Water or Ginger Ale. It’s also nice in a Bloody Mary...God’s most perfect imbibe; right up there with the usefulness of Chickens, LOL!

I like the idea of adding Pineapple, too!

How to Infuse Vodka to Maximize the Flavor of Your Cocktails

https://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/cooking-tips-techniques/diy-infused-vodka

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Have a restful Sunday Everyone, and remember:

[MomwithHope]

Can’t help you there. I am a teetotaller. No alcohol. And putting cucumber in a sun tea would not work, it would spoil in the sun.

[Pollard]

Sowing tatsoi, chijimisai, mustard, collard greens, sugar daddy & lincoln peas, salanova, little gem and Pablo lettuce, bok choy, basil and marigold today. Two 32 cell trays and two 18 cell for 100 plants.

Then it's on to laying out beds and forking in goat manure, a little lime and removing grass/weeds as I go. Then spend the next 2-4 weeks, taking care of new weeds that pop up.

Gotta cut up some more coffee creamer containers to make a couple more 18 cell trays, then I can move on to maters & peppers.

Playing around with my gardening app just to get used to it again. Been a while since I've messed with it. Lot # is fake and leftover from testing. Not ideal and probably not needed for sowing trays, especially being mixed trays. It's meant for market gardeners anyway.

Neither my trays or beds will be all one thing. I'm using a notepad and plant markers. App will work later on as a garden journal/notes while out there. I can just keep adding to the notes section. Gotta figure out how to use this thing I made. LOL

[FrozenAssets]

On the subject of water, If you have arsenates in your water and you have iron in your water you can use the iron to remove the aresenates.
We have 25ppm iron and .5ppm arsenate.
I set up a system that pushes water through a Mazzei injector into a vessel. This causes air to be mixed well with the incoming raw water. The dissolved iron is oxidized to iron oxide. The arsenate is oxidized to a state that makes it easier to remove. The iron oxide adsorbs the arsenates. The resulting precipitate falls to the bottom of the tank. After a day or so the supernatant water above the precipitated floc can be pumped off through a common 20 micron houshold household filter. I follow this with a carbon filter. Most of the minerals remain, but the iron and the arsenate are removed. Detectable arsenate goes from 500 parts per billion to under 5 parts per billion and the only reagents used are your own water and air.

[Pollard]

Well my app came in kinda handy since my notepad was a piece of cardboard, lid from 1 gal iced tea bag box and I ran out of room to write. Thought I had two bags of seed start mix but only had one so everything changed because I had to use 72 cell tray. Only 60 cells because I cut into 6 packs a few years ago and two got damaged - so thin. They're round cells which use less seed start mix than square.

See Notes

Notes - before ----------------------------------------------------- after

"Coffee container" is bottom part of coffee creamer container that I make pots out of - 18 fit in a tray. I'll add in the word 'cell' from up here for the 18 and 32 actual cell trays. Cells all have plant markers but this might help for later on.

Gonna go back out and lay out beds. Need to bring the cordless phone with me and see if it reaches the tunnel. Expecting a call about the job tomorrow. Grabbing more cardboard lids for notes too. I can fit five beds but will only be working on and planting in the three middle ones because I still have drop down sides to work on.

Need a couple more humidity domes. I have 4 heat mats but only two domes. Got a couple of trays I can set on upside down the dome-less trays.

Thinking about how I might start seeds in the tunnel. Shelves/table, bigger heat mats? Grow tent inside the tunnel? More planning, I love planning and I can plan once again, bwa ha ha ha ha.

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

Pollard; I am glad that you are into details like this. There are times that this is really necessary for things to run well.

That said, at this point in my life I am happy to be on a public water system and not a well! I am at a point where I need to downsize and simplify.

How much do you have left before you finish your high tunnel? The sides? (Will it be goat and deer proof after that?)

Do you intend to give up goat herding and turn to Quail? (I understand that Goats are good at understory managment.)

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

Thanks for posting Daniel! Amazing to see the results you get with minimal investment and scavenged equipment!

I am also stunned by the cost of an apartment in MA, $2500 per month! I thought $1500 around here in the Kansas City area was high!

[Paul R.]

As things settle down (the Ohio River is yet to hit it’s crest, but, it’ll be nothing like the really big flood in 2011), may God Bless whatever you can do!