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.

[Paul R.]

Peanut butter works well for me, too. Daughter-san’s cafeteria @ college, when we visited and went to church with said daughter yesterday, and then ate on a couple of her “guest passes” @ the dorm’s cafeteria, had these little cups of “chocolate spread”. It was “ok”, but I discovered it has a strong chocolate smell, and I’ve read soft chocolate can work well for bait too. So, I saved half a cup and am trying a bit out as bait this evening. :-)

[Paul R.]

I got back to the wellhouse and pulled the old 30 micron* polypropylene hard foam filter element, replacing it with same except with 30 micron SS screening wrapped around it, held on tightly by a little hot-melt glue. Full flow water is back for a while, and I should be able to clean my creation - theoretically...

The old filter’s outside surface was covered with more grit and fibers that I’ve seen before - testament to several days of heavy rains’ ability to bring more of the coarse type sediment to the filter, I suppose.

The screen may not work because:

*The “30 micron” polypropylene hard foam filter element looks as if it is a lot “tighter” porosity than the 30 micron SS screen. So, the foam filter may effectively “load up” internally almost as fast as it’s previous brothers. I need to look at this under higher magnification — my eyes are holding up better than average for my age, but are not what they once were, especially up close. (My distance vision OTOH has actually improved over my last 30 years and except for an astigmatism in one eye, is nearing 20/20 again!)

The above foam porosity is particularly puzzling, as I’d expect a “layered” filter rated @ 30 microns would be 30 microns at the innermost layer, and coarser to the outside. I should also cut one of these used foam filters in half, and I have just such a used filter from before our heavy rains, all nice and finally dried out.

Eventually I’ll likely go with one of those disc filters, but, a better understanding of whether those filters I’ve been using are really “30 micron” or not would help in choosing new filter elements. :-)

[Liz]

Best Vegetables to Juice
Juicing vegetables can add a variety of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to your diet. In recent years, juicing has gained widespread popularity among health-conscious individuals looking for a quick and convenient way to boost their nutrient intake. However, if you’re new to juicing, you may find it difficult to determine which vegetables to choose.

1. Kale
Kale is a versatile leafy green with a mild flavor that pairs well with other fruits and veggies in juices.This power-packed ingredient is a great source of several key nutrients, including vitamins A, C, and K. Raw kale is also especially high in antioxidants, including beta-carotene. Antioxidants neutralize harmful molecules called free radicals to help protect against conditions like heart disease (2Trusted Source). In fact, drinking kale juice has been shown to reduce heart disease risk factors, including LDL (bad) cholesterol.

One study in 32 men with high cholesterol levels found that drinking 5 ounces (150 ml) of kale juice daily for 3 months reduced LDL (bad) cholesterol by 10% and boosted heart-protective HDL cholesterol by 27%. Kale is high in several important nutrients, including beta-carotene and vitamins A, C, and K. Plus, it has been shown to improve heart disease risk factors.

2. Carrots
Due to their slightly sweet flavor and impressive nutrient profile, carrots are a perfect choice for juicing. They’re low in calories and high in vitamin A, biotin, and potassium. What’s more, they’re loaded with carotenoids, which are plant pigments that work as powerful antioxidants in your body. These include beta-carotene, lycopene, alpha-carotene, and lutein (5Trusted Source).

Studies show that eating a diet rich in carotenoids may be linked to a lower risk of degenerative eye diseases, heart disease, and certain types of cancer, including of the prostate. The sweetness of carrot juice combines well with other commonly juiced vegetables and fruits, such as citrus fruits, ginger, and beets. Carrots are rich in vitamin A, biotin, and potassium. They’re also high in carotenoids, which may be linked to a lower risk of eye disease, heart disease, and certain types of cancer.

3. Beets
In addition to their vibrant color and earthy flavor, beets add a host of health benefits to your daily juice. In terms of nutrition, beets are packed with manganese, potassium, and folate (10Trusted Source). They’re also high in nitrates, a type of natural plant compound with powerful health effects. In fact, studies show that nitrate-rich beetroot juice may improve blood pressure, as well as athletic and mental performance.

Beets make a delicious addition to juices but their leafy green tops — beet greens — are highly nutritious and can be juiced as well. Beets are a good source of manganese, potassium, folate, and nitrates, which may help lower blood pressure and improve athletic performance and brain health.

[MomwithHope]

Let us know what you catch. I have used cheese chunks from a sandwich myself.

[Paul R.]

Yes, soft cheese has worked for me well too. Semi-solid cheese (like the sandwich cheese) seems great on “attraction” but maybe gets stolen (by the mice!) a little easier than peanut butter?

I’ve never really tried carefully keeping track of what is most “productive”. Lots of variables there. Aldi peanut butter seems to work well and is cheap, but, it also seems like changing baits and types of traps around helps too. Mice probably “learn” from trap “snaps” that miss (esp. the half-grown mice?) I’ve added a little weight to the “trigger pad” of a “Pic” plastic “Jaws” type trap - now it is super sensitive, yet not really harder to set. It’ll be interesting to see if this is “better” for the little ones.

(It does seem like the trigger mechanisms of some of the plastic traps wear out quicker than metal traps, and then they won’t set.)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

"The pressure is on to have some place to plant them!"

Happy for your progress! We are stuck in a rainy patch again, so not much is getting done outside this week. But we desperately need the rain.

My flat of Dahlia from seed FINALLY sprouted, so they're going to the greenhouse, today. Using bins and boxes to cover things up overnight seems to be keeping the mice at bay. Jinx! The peanut butter traps will help, too. It just occurred to me that I've had PUPPIES playing and napping in there for the past six years and mice have not been a problem until THIS Spring with NO puppies, so I'm seeing a pattern, here. Duh. While the Puppies' are away, the Mice will play! I passed on 'Kelvin' this season for 'Creme de Casis:'

[Diana in Wisconsin]

The soup looks absolutely lovely, but while I’ll eat most anything, the flavor of Fennel just doesn’t do it for me.

Maybe a large, peeled chopped potato instead for bulk? The beautiful color obviously comes from the asparagus - I’ll have to experiment - which is half the fun. :)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Chocolate or Nutella would get ME trapped like a rat, LOL!

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Yay, Kale!

I'll post my Kale Pesto recipe when we get into Kale Season around here.

[Liz]

Potato would be good, sure.

But try the fennel.....sometimes an ing we dont like by itself,
takes on a different taste when combined with other ing.

Anyway, you get to have a “French veloute” recipe.

[Qiviut]

I found sage, French thyme, lovage & lemon verbena today - the last two aren't always easy to find. My lavender is taking off & growing like crazy, even in its little pot. Here's the gang, sitting on the potting bench in front of the garage window ... raised bed visible outside.

We bought 4 "Little Missy" boxwoods today for the front of the house. I looked them up before we bought them - great description:

When you want one of the best boxwoods, be smart! Buxus ‘Little Missy’ is one of the most popular and beautiful boxwoods. Small leaves, a rounded, dense habit, and glossy, dark green foliage make it unique. It consistently ranked high in resistance to Boxwood Blight in a 2020 USDA analysis, making it a smart choice in any landscape to create structure and style!

A couple walking nearby heard me talking to mom about them - they piped up & said they had the Little Missy boxwoods & loved them, gave us some feedback from their actual experience, so we feel good about our purchase. Now I just have to plant them .... my back hurts just looking at them. I figure one a day or every other day will be the best I can do - they have to be planted & mulched by May 2nd when mom has 2 carloads of friends coming to visit (7-9 ladies). I get to do all the cooking for that event, too. :-)

In the meanwhile, I have 5 raised beds to fill ....

[FamiliarFace]

A few years ago I got my hands on some lemon verbena. It smelled heavenly! That year it was so prolific that I harvested some to make lemon verbena liqueur, which was so nice. Sometimes I’d add it to unsweetened decaf iced tea for an evening beverage. (I can’t have caffeine in the afternoon or evening or I’ll be up all night). The nursery where I got it from doesn’t always have it, but I always keep my eye out for it!

[Qiviut]

Very excited to find the lemon verbena!

[Paul R.]

A quick clarification (I’m just altogether too busy with interesting “investigations”!): Usually it is not just the LED driver that needs heat sinking, it is the 10’s if not 100’s of LEDs themselves in the light fixtures that need to have heat better sunk away from them. (I opened up yet another example today.) This affects both light output and reliability (which few LED light fixtures live up to, though they “can” More on this later... :-)

[Paul R.]

Ah, thanks! “Nutella” was the word I was searching for! :-)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

A thing of BEAUTY!

Little Missy is a great Boxwood for your zone. You’ll be happy with them. Yes, take your time!

I still don’t have my Nanking Bush Cherries in the ground - Beau has a rotator cuff injury in his right shoulder, so I might have to actually dig holes...myself, LOL! (Oh, the Humanity!)

Lemon Verbena is a favorite of mine. Right up there with Tarragon and chickens on my scale of, ‘relative usefulness.’ ;)

[Qiviut]

I managed to haul a load of mulch at the last minute today. The Farm Bureau closes at 6 & it was 5:15 when I left the house. I wanted another tarp to cover the mulch & the only one left was on the ground in the barn lean-to that I had my last pile of mulch on until I used it up last fall.

I grabbed the tarp edge & lifted it up to pull it out - something was sort of hanging so I grabbed it & pulled it off (bare-handed- dumb move) - felt ‘webby’ as in spider web webby. Then I saw her a couple of inches away - a black widow spider ... yikes! I dropped the tarp but flipped it so the underside & madam spider were visible, then crushed her with my shoe. At that point, it was forget the tarp - will have to pull it out carefully & with leather gloves when I have time to de-spider it.

I drove home at 30 mph to blow as little mulch as possible out of the trailer - drove the PU truck & line of cars behind that crazy, I’m sure. The truck roared past when I turned off at my driveway.

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

Qiviut! Very nice picture! Clean, fresh, uncluttered, the blue works well.... I could see it in a "Homes and Garden" Magazine!

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

If you are cooking an oriental soup, say, Ramen, and use Kelp--which some people do not appreciate--you can disguise it by adding some sliced Kale. This has worked well for me so far. (Good for iodine among other things.)

[Qiviut]

I think a 5 gallon bucket mouse trap would work great for your situation - I picked 2 examples that came up on youtube right away:

Can type

Lid type

If you don't want to make one yourself:

Amazon options

Lots of different ways to DIY these - just check out all the videos until you see one you like.