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The Garden Thread - August, 2025
August 1, 2025 | Diana in WI/Greeneyes in Memoriam

Posted on 08/01/2025 6:03:57 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.


TOPICS: Agriculture; Food; Gardening; Hobbies
KEYWORDS: food; garden; gardening; hobbies
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To: metmom

Are you saying you’re finding random soybeans in your garden?

Now I’m totally confused.


401 posted on 08/12/2025 10:14:09 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin (I don't have, 'Hobbies.' I'm developing a robust Post-Apocalyptic skill set.)
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To: FamiliarFace

We’re ordering these:

https://provenwinnersdirect.com/products/dark-lavender-chiffon-rose-of-sharon#

They all just went on sale, $10 off! Mom wants to order 5 LOL! Actually, I should be crying ‘cause I have to dig the holes & plant them.


402 posted on 08/12/2025 10:18:33 AM PDT by Qiviut (Imagine waking up in the morning & only having the things you thanked God for yesterday. (S. Peters))
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To: FamiliarFace

Ok, decided I better go ahead & order before the ones we wanted went out of stock due to the sale price. They had 5 & we were over the minimum for free shipping (FedEx) - yay!

It’s still pretty hot here, will probably hold them until mid-September to plant, if they look like they’re doing


403 posted on 08/12/2025 10:32:58 AM PDT by Qiviut (Imagine waking up in the morning & only having the things you thanked God for yesterday. (S. Peters))
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To: FamiliarFace

...if they look like they’re doing ok in their pots.


404 posted on 08/12/2025 10:34:07 AM PDT by Qiviut (Imagine waking up in the morning & only having the things you thanked God for yesterday. (S. Peters))
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To: Qiviut
Those are really beautiful! Same color lavender as mine, but those are doubles.

Here are mine.

IMG-9478

IMG-9476

IMG-9479

405 posted on 08/12/2025 10:36:09 AM PDT by FamiliarFace (I got my own way of livin' But everything gets done With a southern accent Where I come from. TPetty)
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To: Qiviut

Just keep them watered in the pots and in a good spot for the sun tolerance till you get them planted.


406 posted on 08/12/2025 10:37:41 AM PDT by FamiliarFace (I got my own way of livin' But everything gets done With a southern accent Where I come from. TPetty)
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To: metmom; Diana in Wisconsin

Dropped by a bird?


407 posted on 08/12/2025 11:26:21 AM PDT by Paul R. (Old Viking saying: "Never be more than 3 steps away from your weapon ... or a Uriah Heep song!" ;-))
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To: Qiviut

Thanks, but, it’s no big deal. I’ve been grabbing snakes by hand ever since I was 7 y/o or so. Only non-poisonous species, of course!

The old jacket and a spare light glove are stationed nearby if I see Mr. (or Ms.) Black Rat Snake again, in a spot where I can nab him (her).

There are definitely less mice around the chicken coops, now. I put out live traps at night, the last few nights, and have not caught a single one!


408 posted on 08/12/2025 11:31:43 AM PDT by Paul R. (Old Viking saying: "Never be more than 3 steps away from your weapon ... or a Uriah Heep song!" ;-))
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

No.

I’m saying I’m not. I’m not seeing any. They’re not just appearing out of nowhere.

The MIGardener said that he bought the land a few years ago and talked to the previous owner who told him that HE had sowed his fields with GMO soybeans. So the land had a history of having the plants in them.

FWIW, the kind of GMO that people object to is not normal hybridization. It’s the kind of DNA manipulation done in the lab.

I see many seeds labeled as *hybrid* but very few as GMO.

Even when I plant stuff in my garden, I try to not plant two varieties of something at the same time if I plan on saving the seed because I know there’s such a high likelihood of the seeds not being the parent plant and being mostly sterile.


409 posted on 08/12/2025 12:29:53 PM PDT by metmom (He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus….)
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To: metmom; MomwithHope; Qiviut

OK. I got it. And you’re doing it exactly right, and from your comments, it sounds as if you have good success saving seed.

If you want to go the whole nine yards, use isolation cages so bees and other pollinators can’t get at your plants and cross pollinate them, changing the seed produced. Even something as simple as row cover or an organza bag tied over top will help. You may have to hand-pollinate in that case.

If I was growing out a test tomato for Seed Savers in my home garden, I had to do that. It was a wooden frame covered with metal screening, like on a window.


410 posted on 08/12/2025 1:42:02 PM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin (I don't have, 'Hobbies.' I'm developing a robust Post-Apocalyptic skill set.)
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.


411 posted on 08/12/2025 1:42:33 PM PDT by MomwithHope (Forever grateful to all our patriots, past, present and future.)
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To: Pollard; FRiends
*DROOLING* Hog Panel Tomato Trellis in the Hoop House:

https://www.homemadefoodjunkie.com/tomato-trellis/

412 posted on 08/12/2025 1:47:48 PM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin (I don't have, 'Hobbies.' I'm developing a robust Post-Apocalyptic skill set.)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

I’m using cattle panels for my garden.

For my dukes, it’s simply panels leaning on t-posts that I can move at the end of the season. For spaghetti squash, I use t posts and bend the panels to make a tunnel.

You could do something similar with cantelopue, etc. you might need some pantyhose to help support heavy fruits/veggies.

These work great!


413 posted on 08/12/2025 1:51:11 PM PDT by LilFarmer (Isaiah 54:17)
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To: LilFarmer

*dukes = cukes
Cantelopue = canteloupe


414 posted on 08/12/2025 1:52:47 PM PDT by LilFarmer (Isaiah 54:17)
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To: MomwithHope

I pinged you because I was going to talk about our tomato seed saving adventures - then I forgot to add it, LOL!


415 posted on 08/12/2025 1:55:04 PM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin (I don't have, 'Hobbies.' I'm developing a robust Post-Apocalyptic skill set.)
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To: metmom
Anyone have any experience in drying hot peppers?

I've made a lot of chipotle in the Traeger over the years.

Wash, core, split, smoke until dessicated, then into the food processor. I recommend wearing a breathing filter of some sort for the last part. Neoprene gloves are good too if you have sensitive skin.

416 posted on 08/12/2025 1:58:04 PM PDT by Augie
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To: LilFarmer

I have two hog panel A-Frames in my garden. One is covered in cucumbers (still!) and the other has Scarlet Runner Beans growing on it for the Hummingbirds. I always save those seeds.

I will pull the cukes soon and then do a fall planting of Sweet Peas (flower) just for me! :) I was going to add ‘Good Mother Stollard’ drying beans, but I have enough on hand right now to get me through the winter for soups and baked beans.

A BIL made me a bunch of collapsible tomato cages from hog panels. They’re so heavy, I’ll bet a tornado couldn’t pull them out of the ground. ;)


417 posted on 08/12/2025 2:13:52 PM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin (I don't have, 'Hobbies.' I'm developing a robust Post-Apocalyptic skill set.)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

I’ve tried different varieties of tomatoes and will be sticking with the Heinz.

They are reliable producers, great, uniform and virtually blemish free fruit, and great taste.

I can’t eat tomatoes any more and mr mm does not like raw tomatoes, God knows why.


418 posted on 08/12/2025 2:15:17 PM PDT by metmom (He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus….)
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To: Augie

The peppers were tiny so I sliced them into small, thin circles and just laid them out in our very warm sun porch.

But there was no seed in them but a pith of some kind. Did that need to be removed? Or does it?


419 posted on 08/12/2025 2:17:23 PM PDT by metmom (He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus….)
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To: metmom

After my disaster of a season with tomatoes (we got another 5” of rain in the past three days!) I was thinking about that Heinz tomato and a few other ‘classics’ like ‘Celebrity’ and ‘Amish Paste’ and other successes I have had through the years. I need to get back to them and stick with them.

Granted, it’s fun to experiment once in a while, and I wouldn’t have found my absolute FAVORITE tomatoes in the ‘Chef’s Choice’ and ‘Goliath’ series, or ‘Grandma’s Pick’ if I hadn’t of tried them out along the way.

I’ve grown a lot of different varieties through the years, mainly so I could help customers when they were deciding on which seeds to try that year. I miss that job. Some days. Well, rarely, but once in a great while, LOL!

‘Retirement’ on the farm is SO MUCH BETTER than any other job I’ve ever had. :)


420 posted on 08/12/2025 2:23:29 PM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin (I don't have, 'Hobbies.' I'm developing a robust Post-Apocalyptic skill set.)
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