Posted on 06/01/2025 5:48:14 AM PDT by 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.
The plants do not know what to do!
All that ash fallout I had from the fires in January seems to have fertilized the soil well - all kinds of rare bloomers that rarely bloom are blooming this spring:
Cactus:
A desert rose that has never bloomed before:
Amarylis went crazy this year:
Roses too:
Taking a break after chasing squirrels out of the bird feeders:
Keeping the yard free of fruit-stealing tree rats (which she drags into the house):
Love the columbine!
I have a dedicated columbine patch in my garden - lost the yellow one last year, I’d had it for a long time. They are marginal in my area and do not like our hot winds.
I went to my local Lowe’s on Friday to get more critter ridder - my pepper patch is being flattered by something that likes to lay in it at night (probably cool) and is breaking my jalapeno pepper plants apart (I plan to make jalapeno relish as Christmas gifts this year). I suspect it’s a large raccoon.
The regular spray bottle was $17 !! and the granular variety was $22. I think I paid around $7 for each one last year. I was really shocked and passed.
Found a DIY version on the Internet that uses cayenne powder, tobasco sauce, dish soap - all of which I have at home - and black pepper oil, which I found on Amazon for $8.00, ordered and it arrived the next day. Plan to make some today to spray around the pepper patch and the bird feeders, which the squirrels are now conquering.
Here’s a question: How do you get more color in red onions?
We planted some red onion sets this spring but the ones that we’ve harvested are really pale compared to store-bought. We grew them in earth boxes with a mixture of new and recycled potting soil, no idea what the pH was, and used a couple of doses of Shake & Feed and some Ironite. We cut off any stalks that tried to bolt. They all made pretty good bulbs for once.
I’ve planted tomatoes early and my impression was that I gained nothing, they just sat there until the soil warmed up and things got to where the tomato plant wanted it to be in the first place.
This year I used my meat thermometer to check the soil temp and then planted, as far as wind or too much sun, or a hard rain, I cut open the big bags from the potting soil and clothes pin those to the tomato cages, either on the side to block the winds if needed, or sometimes on top to block too much sun.
We made small cages out of turkey wire to protect small plants.
They’re 8-10” across and about a foot high.
They work great for plants like bush beans. It helps prop them up as well.
I’ve heard that while tomatoes and peppers are warm weather crops, they don’t like excessive heat and direct hot sun.
The recommendation is a sun shade for peak heat in July and August.
I’ve been having much the same problem. For most of the last 2 months, I can hit water in under 6” of digging, and after rains, for a day or two, the soil is completely saturated (esp. in my 2nd garden area). The water table is right at or maybe a couple inches down, those days, if I don’t have standing water. My potted plants are generally doing well, those in the ground are struggling or dying.
MANY FARM SULLY STORES CARRY “JUST ONE BITE” FOR MICE/RATS/GOPHERS
COMES IN 1# bricks the color of butterscotch.
I unwrap the cellophane & put brick into 3 GALLON ZIPLOCKS—FREEZER TYPE.
THEN I BREAK IT ALL UP WITH A HAMMER.
I scatter it at HOLES & behind appliances where they hide.
VERY EFFECTIVE. ABOUT $8 a brick here in N Nevada.
Pioneer Woman’s two ways to make creamed spinach.
1. sauté spinach, then pour in h/cream to have creamed spinach fast.
2. a simple white sauce fine-diced onions/garlic, plenty of butter; one of the best recipes of all time.
Ingredients
1/2 cup plus 3 tb butter, divided
8 Tbsp. flour
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 cups milk
24 oz. baby spinach
Salt and pepper, to taste
Pinch ground nutmeg
Directions
Melt 1/2 cup butter. Sprinkle in flour and whisk. Cook on med til light golden brown, about 5 min. stir in onion and garlic, cook a min. Pour in milk, whisking constantly, and cook 5 min. Melt remaining 3 tablespoons butter. Add the spinach in increments until all is incorporated, and cook until wilted but not soggy, 4-5 min, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add spinach, stir gently/combine. Serve immediately.
Hi Everybody!
(((HUGS)))
This is a little bit adjacent to the main gist of our gardening thread, but the florals and colors delighted me so much I thought I'd share! It's a girl's school with a 100-year tradition of floral decor and apparel. Check out the many photos at the link. Here is one:
What fabuous pictures. Love the amaryllis, esp. the color.
Beautiful pictures.
So nice to see feminine looking young women.
The left will lose their stinking minds over it.
In their evil worldview, only men can be feminine and only women can be masculine.
thx.......love looking at my old recipes
Oh boy .... if my mom saw this, she’d have every tree “pruned” as high as she could reach!!
Yep, up in the 90s, tomato flowers can drop off and the fruit won’t ripen. I had a heritage cherry that didn’t drop flowers but wouldn’t ripen for almost two months so I counted over 200 fruits on one plant. Then it cooled off and I had way too many maters all at once.
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