The Garden Thread - July, 2025

July, 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.

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

Liz, your cheese bread, thanks! Looks good! I think I will try this one next holiday! (Think of all the cheeses waiting to be tried!)

A tip on cutting crusty bread. If its really crusty, I start by poking a hole and doing an initial cut with Kitchen shears or Scissors to open the crust. Easier to control the initial cut and you are less likely to cut your self as the knife slides around on the "shell" of your loaf! After that I finish with a serrated bread knife. (Or you could buy a professional bread slicing machine!)

Bread...Flour! Since this involves bread, here is some info regarding the different types of Flours used in baking and cooking. (What is a Tipo dipplo Zero flour? How do you use it? Questions!)

KitchenAid 13 Types of Flour and When to Use Them

[Liz]

Liz, your cheese bread, thanks! Looks good! I think I will try
this one next holiday! (Think of all the cheeses waiting to be tried!)

---

Yes, the recipe is open to many cheese flavors.
And thanks for all your helpful hints. Will come in handy.

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

Augie; In all my life the only pawpaw anything I ever tasted was some Pawpaw ice and I cannot say that I liked it. I would probably like the actual fruit more.

If you look at that Peterson Pawpaw website you can find someplace that has his varieties. I think there is a nursery just north of St Louis. Just be careful with that long tap root. I do not think they like to be moved or transplanted. Will you be doing persimmons too? Another good under-story plant. Hope your chestnuts do well! Ben Lurking...IIRC...was involved in a project to re-establish the American Chestnut.

[MomwithHope]

I just put up 8 little baggies today, clean out all seeds, chop and saute about 1 minute in olive oil. Freeze in little baggies, very handy to throw in a dish I eat them all winter.

[FamiliarFace]

Sounds good! Have you ever tried freezing whole ones? We are enjoying blistering them, but I’m not sure how that would be from frozen. Maybe if I did a partial sauté?

[Pollard]

Now that I've gotten my chestnut orchard fairly well established

Chinese or European?

[Pollard]

They say one on ten or so can be spicy. I’m on my third year with shishitos and the first two years it was more like one out of 25 but this year, more like one out of five. I don’t know if it was this year’s weather or the plant source which is the same as my first year. Middle year I grew from seed.

Once this year, I had 3 out of 7 that were hot. My mouth was burning at the end of that batch.

[FamiliarFace]

Interesting. So far we’ve had one hot one each, probably out of about 40, so one in 20 ratio for us so far. We are really loving them.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

If I know I’m going to make those Zucchini Fritters/Pancakes for Brunch (we only eat 2 meals a day - not that it’s helping, LOL!) I grate them up the night before and put them in a colander over a bowl with a towel over it (nosy cats!) and let them sit out all night.

By morning they are more than dry enough for the recipe I use.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

“I’ve heard that once tomatoes are partially ripened, their flavor doesn’t change any if they are picked and allowed to countertop ripen.”

Pete ripens all of his tomatoes off the vine. Not sure why? He posted about it earlier in the thread, with pictures.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

With Evers not running again, it’s going to really be a circus! All of the Socialists are coming out of the woodwork right off the bat. They’ve got nothing. Seriously, nothing.

Now, the TRICK will be for we Republicans to rally around our BEST CANDIDATE (to be decided) and NOT hold a contentious primary. Easier said than done with some of the EGOS we’re dealing with, here. ;)

OK - back to GARDENING!

[MomwithHope]

I’ve blistered them but with a slit and cleaned out. I think they just need to be raw for that. I do a lot of soups, stews, things like spanish rice, omelettes, that the sauteed ones are great in. Just sauteeing a minute softens the skin but they are still pretty much raw.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Hosta damage USED to be a problem when Beau was living here on his own after being widowed and before I showed up on the scene.

He’d ‘graze’ the current steer - ON THE LAWN BY THE HOUSE - so he didn’t have to mow and they would inevitably eat the Hosta!

He also had Spaghetti Squash growing in the lawn - the year after he fed some to the steer!

Yeah. Things have CHANGED around here, for sure. It’s almost like a functional place to live with my help - 10 years in! NO grazing of animals anywhere near the house! I have spoken! :)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

I did the ‘Ladies Who Lunch’ thang today to celebrate an 85th, 70th and a 65th Birthday in my immediate family.

We met at ‘Buck and Honey’s’ which is AMAZING - eaten there many times - it’s so good! I had the Creamy Chipotle Chicken Pasta and it was fan-tastic. Huge serving, so enough for two more meals, really. Went looking for recipes, of course:

Creamy Chipotle Chicken Pasta

https://bykelseysmith.com/spicy-chipotle-chicken-pasta/#recipe

[Qiviut]

Same recipe site- looks really good too:

One Pan Lemon Chicken Orzo
https://bykelseysmith.com/lemon-chicken-orzo/#comments

[Blurb2350]

Thanks for the tips. Now to use up all that surplus zucchini!

[FamiliarFace]

I thought I read that it was because of varmints. I may be wrong. Anyway, these are the first fruits of this vine, so if I took 5 in too early, it’ll be ok.

[FamiliarFace]

Ok, thank you! You’ve been a great teacher!

[MomwithHope]

Thanks I’ve just been around a long time.

[FamiliarFace]

I’ve always listened to those with more experience than I have!