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.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

I don’t do it, but I remember my Aunt Alice keeping chickens and geese together in the fenced area for them. I don’t remember if they all bunked together at night, though.

I DO remember a goose biting my sister...and she still remembers it to this day! Our Moms would ship all of us Cousins off to Alice for the summer once school was out. Cheap farm labor - but I learned a LOT from Alice. She’s nearing 90, still living in her log cabin and still going strong. She’s always lived a, ‘Tasha Tudor’ kind of life. I’m still striving for that, but I need a Corgi dog by my side. ;)

https://tashatudorandfamily.com/pages/tasha-tudor

Anyhow, THIS guy says Chickens and Geese can be raised together:

https://poultrywizard.com/keeping-chickens/can-you-keep-chickens-and-geese-together/

[Diana in Wisconsin]

“Golden Jubilee is a heirloom breed, so, I believe these plants from seeds I collected should “grow true”, correct?”

Saving seeds from Heirloom plants (also called, ‘Open Pollinated’) gives you better success than saving seeds from hybrid varieties, which will revert back to the male or the female plant used for hybridizing. You’ll still get seeds, but with only half the qualities from the hybrid.

And, you can still get some cross-pollination with Heirlooms unless you are using cages or row covers over your plants to keep the bees and other insects from going from one tomato plant to another and pollinating everything in between.

I found good info here on the subject:

https://laidbackgardener.blog/2017/06/03/how-to-keep-vegetables-from-cross-pollinating/

[Diana in Wisconsin]

No, your plants will produce what they’re supposed to produce that first season no matter WHO pollinates them.

But the seeds you save will not be true next time you grow them out.

Ask me about sound dog breeding and raising puppies - I can tell you a lot about that, LOL!

(It’s impossible to save seeds from a puppy, though.)

[Qiviut]

After 2 full days of work, the shop is progressing steadily (yay)! Bought pegboard yesterday. After watching videos last night, I will be making a trip shortly for ‘furring strips’ so I can mount it on the wall. I put up 2 shelves yesterday to hold some small drawers I use for organizing deck/construction type screws & I am very pleased with that arrangement.

I got a lot of neat ideas for customizing hangers instead of using regular pegboard hooks. Once I get the pegboard up, I will be making hangers for hammers & wrenches in particular. I have all the screw drivers in drawers, but I will work out something so I can hang favorites for quick grabbing. This is the part I find “exciting” - seeing what I can come up with to make my handywoman job easier. :-)

The little country market down the road is getting in flowers & herbs ... may have to go take a look! 💐

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Pictures when you’re organized, Please!

I am DYING for a trip to my local Garden Centers. Not much happening up here yet, though I see Jada’s is starting to advertise on TV. Such a cool spot! I’m glad she’s making a go of it.

https://www.jadasgarden.com/

Mom and I will make the rounds this season, for sure. She’s always saying, ‘But I don’t NEED anything...’ and comes home with as much as I do, LOL! She says I’m a BAD INFLUENCE.

Mice chewed off three of my tomato plants, but they may come back because they all have a good root system - I JUST re-potted them! Jerks.

Anyhow, last night I figured out a better way to protect them and there was no chewing overnight. I understand being hungry, but to just chew something off and not eat it? Maddening! Tomato leaves do NOT taste good - to anyone except a Tomato Hornworm - but we’ll worry about them, later.

I have a flat of Marigold and a flat of Dahlia from seed - but I think the mice got to them, too - still no germination and it’s been two weeks, so I’m going to re-seed what I can and see if I can make a success of it. Grrrr! You’ve got the whole EARTH to roam and you have to be in my greenhouse? Again, JERKS!

Peanut Butter Traps are also being set. This. Is. War!

[Pollard]

Would help if I took a bird's eye view of things but I'm a details guy and often overlook the big picture. Now I have many things in the way of many other things and want to make a circular driveway but there are things in the way like the coup. I have too much stuff. To really finish burning, I'd have to move 50 things, burn those areas and move the 50 things back. Rain has started and we have three full days of rain coming so that's not happening for a while.

I need to make a scrap run, a dump run and sell and/or fix some things.

Got too much stuff in the house too. Yes, I have the standard tote full of wires, AC adapters, USB cables, printer cables etc. Might come in handy some day. 😂

Temp dropped from 59 to 52 since rain started but supposed to be a high of 78. Weird and probably wrong. Just stuck a thermometer outside. Feels chilly and moist. Might dig at a garden bed and if it's too chilly with the wind or wind blows rain on me, tidy up the shed which is a mess.

Speaking of boxes, the 24' travel trailer is loaded with them. Good time to burn them in this light rain and make room for some stuff. The shed has too much stuff in it and much of it things don't I need right away(and some I probably should just get rid of)

I need a rule. If I haven't done anything with it in 3 years, trash it. I've got a him/her twin bathroom sink from the house I tore down for materials to build with here. That was 12 years ago and I've been divorced for three. Got a single sink to match. That old yellow swirl color/design that was popular after avocado green went out of style. LOL

[Pollard]

Keep saving seeds long enough for a variety and you’ll end up with a landrace too — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landrace

Very adapted to your particular local soil and climate.

[Paul R.]

Hi, yeah, I did a bit more research this a.m., and you are correct about the fruits of the parent plant, in most cases. However, there is an exception, and it’s the one that forced me to give up trying to grow that veggie: sweet corn. The article @ the link below suggests 400 yards distance from other sources of corn pollen, and, sure ‘nuff, we used to have on alternate years a farmer putting in feed corn in a field about 100 yards west from our garden. (There’s another such field, even larger, about 500 ft. to the NE - different operation, and on a different schedule, so most years we had large sources of feed corn “too close”.)

https://cumberland.ces.ncsu.edu/2021/06/cross-pollination-facts/

It’s awfully late to start (with a seed order now), but I have enough starts that I may try planting a couple well away from everything else. Like, maybe where I dig up some more daffodils!

[Paul R.]

I found 2 of my young Mortgage Lifters chewed off this morning! - the same thing (a mouse), I suspect, unless it was some sort of insect that does the same sort of thing. This follows same for a couple of the Asian Squash a few days ago.

You’d think that with 2 cats we would not have this problem, but, when indoors (about 1/2 the time even in nice weather) they mostly just eat, sleep, or beg for attention. They’ll be avoiding me for a couple days though - they just got their spring (topical) flee treatment and new flea collars — they hate both.

SEVERAL of our hens have now learned to really relish mice: If only the chickens could be trained to not poop when and where they please! Curiously, our buckeyes (just 2 remaining now & fairly old) were never the mousers their reputation claimed. But, a couple of the Maran crossbreeds, two of the ISA Browns, an “egger”, and a couple of the “I’m not sure” crossbreeds are good mousers. None of the roos even bother, but the bigger ISA hen in particular is ferocious on mice. (Maybe she got bigger from eating mice!)

[Paul R.]

I think there is a warm front coming through today. So, the rain chills us a bit, but it’ll warm up once the front clears. Clouds are forecast to clear out 2-4 pm here.
Similar happened to us recently, and the warm temperature of the “day” was in the evening.

[Paul R.]

Noted! Thanks!

[Pollard]

Yeah, I'm shedding layers already.

I always check craigslist for ladders even if I can't afford one right now. I'm going to need a tall stepladder for working on the tunnel.

Thought this ad was funny. Only used a few times and his days of doing that high stuff are over. Something tells me he fell off of it or was just scared of it. A 12 foot ladder will work but I'll have to stand it up in the bed of the truck to put plastic on one end. Putting some remaining braces and gable vents in is doable from it sitting on the ground.

Maybe I'll get lucky and he'll still have it when I can afford it. CL ads are good for 45 days and the ad was placed 3 days ago which leaves 6 weeks, plus they can be renewed. If not, I'll find another eventually.

[Paul R.]

I ordered 4 of the solar powered (battery charge) motion detector lights that have the solar panel on the end of a 20 ft. cable. Placing the panel independently can help a lot, and, the cable can be easily spliced in to and extended. (I have lots of 16 ga. low voltage outdoor / underground zip cord. Was gonna use it for speakers, but will likely never get around to that. :-(

These also use a 18650 battery which I believe is replaceable - and I have a bunch of high capacity tab type 18650’s (salvage from medical gear battery packs). So, if the mfgr. skimped on the battery... :-)

I also ordered several of the cheap wirelessly linkable solar / security lights. I like the idea that the exterior of der bruder’s place gets “lit up” suddenly from several sources if an intruder triggers them.

[Qiviut]

I’m taking pictures for posting when I’m pretty much done.

The guys at the Farm Bureau are getting pretty friendly (as in they’re picking out good wood for me without my asking for one thing) - I’ve only been there the last 3 days. Fortunately they are 7 minutes away (Lowe’s is 45) & have had what I need. They are more expensive, but when you factor in gas, they’re the same or cheaper.

Church tonight at 7 (Maundy Thursday), so eating dinner a little early .... hog liver, milder than beef. I need the vitamins!

[Paul R.]

Yeah, I'm shedding layers already.

Ditto here. I'm down to a thin long-sleeve flannel shirt to keep my arms from getting scratched up. The clouds were slightly slow to clear, but once they did, digging a couple 3-4 ft. buckeye trees and 2 same ht. walnut trees out of gravely soil in planters (near a gravel driveway), and replanting them out on the east end of the property got, um, "warm". The dang squirrels just won't bury nuts where I want the trees! NWS says the low will be 66 deg. tonight - about as warm here as it was at noon. It's a great afternoon to get work in B4 the rain / storms predicted over the weekend, though. :-) Back to it...

[Pollard]

my carpenter bee trap. If I can find good pieces of scrap wood, I will make more.

Tell me more or as we say here in MO, Show me. They seem to like my shop rafters.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

I have a friend that follows ‘Landrace’ to the letter. She’s grown some interesting stuff. ;)

As for me? Food is food...as long as I’ve grown it myself. ;)

[Pollard]

My walkways could have been just a little bit wider

Don't feel like I got much done but didn't start until noon. Still sore from the last two days anyway.

I had pulled all of my tunnel automation and irrigation stuff when winter came on because it was kind of rigged and for testing anyway. Put stuff back and made it more proper. Figured out how to wire things to keep as many components in the shed as possible instead of out in the tunnel.

Tried pulling weeds from bed 4 but they have a lot of root mass so I tarped it better to let it die and rot. Will be a good amendment that I don't have to add, just kill. Else I was going to end up losing 1 inch off the top. I tarped it with a rubber truck mat split down the middle. Those things kill stuff off way quicker than black plastic tarp. I think it makes better soil contact being heavy.

Figured out the 1 gpm pump from my 15 gallon tank sprayer won't do much more than the tank sprayer wand or what little bit of drip I had the last two years. Not surprising.

Tried watering-in bed 2, that I just forked and added manure to, with the garden hose and a twist to open sprayer and it wouldn't keep up too well. I've got a 2.0 RV pump that's kinda old but works better. I'll get another RV pump like I have for the house later on. Super quiet and 3.0 gpm.

Also found myself making several trips between the shed and tunnel for little odds and ends and tools so I need to set up a cabinet in the tunnel to keep stuff in. Wiring items, drip fittings and a handful of common tools, hand spade, pruning snips, lean and lower items etc.

[MomwithHope]

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[Qiviut]

Funny thing - spent some time making 2 traps. It’s been so windy & chilly, the bees have not been flying, so I went to check the traps this morning. I noticed something on a ledge on the inside of the pole shed, sort of in the shadows ... 3 old bee traps! I will try to clean them up, but the jar tops may be rusted on - they all have old bee bodies in them.

Ok, the traps. I used some scrap 4x4s & empty mayonnaise jars (plastic), but you can also use a 2x4 & a smaller bottle.

Here’s a video with directions to make both sizes:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XuD1vzBYrg

I put a screw eye in the tops of mine & hung them on a screw-in hook.