The Garden Thread - August, 2025

August 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]

Daniel; Well, I would say that aerated fresh water is better for plants. It holds dissolved gasses and minerals that are probably lost over time or used by bacteria or algae.

Here is what Brave which gave this reply:

Reuse Stored Water for Garden

"Using old stored water to water your garden is possible, but it requires careful consideration to ensure safety and effectiveness. Water collected from household sources like sinks, showers, or washing machines—known as greywater—can be reused for gardening, provided it is used promptly and appropriately. However, greywater should not be stored for more than 24 hours, as bacteria can develop, potentially harming plants or posing health risks. It is crucial to avoid using blackwater, which comes from toilets or has been in contact with feces, as it contains pathogens and should never be used in gardens.

For water collected from cooking, such as pasta or vegetable water, it is safe to use after cooling to room temperature, as it contains nutrients that can benefit plants. Similarly, water from rinsing dishes or cleaning fish tanks can be beneficial, as it often contains nutrients, but should be used cautiously to avoid introducing excessive detergents or contaminants. If you are using water from a fish tank, the waste is rich in nutrients and excellent for plant growth.

When storing water, using a covered container like a rain barrel or a lidded bucket helps prevent contamination from leaves, debris, or small animals. While some sources suggest using expired bottled water for plants, it is advisable to dilute it with fresh water if concerned about plastic particles leaching into the water. For best results, use stored water on non-edible plants or on vegetables and fruits only after thorough washing and peeling, especially if the water has been used for non-potable purposes.

In summary, old stored water can be effectively used in the garden, but it should be used quickly, stored properly, and applied with awareness of its source and potential contaminants." So Water with this:

NASB 1977 Psalm 1:3 "And he will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season, And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers."

But not with this!!

NASB 1995 Jeremiah 38:6 "Then they took Jeremiah and cast him into the cistern of Malchijah the king's son, which was in the court of the guardhouse; and they let Jeremiah down with ropes. Now in the cistern there was no water but only mud, and Jeremiah sank into the mud."

I would say use it on flowers but not vegetables!

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

Diane, it has been an odd weather year for gardeners, not so bad for farmers. (China is having a lot of problems according to Freeper Lone Palm. Flooding has ruined agriculture for them this year.)

[Pollard]

Just added a couple of things to my to do list. Cut some dry hickory. Smoke some meat.

I had been thinking of beef liver a few minutes earlier, unrelated. After the smoke meat item, I thought hmmm.

Yep it's a thing. Our predominant tree here is Post Oak. I've been using it to start up but then swap to hickory or cherry but never smoked with it. Guess I'll try it.

No smell of cooking liver in the house. Milder flavor. Slaps some bacon strips on them. Good to go. We're not huge on pork so those butt roasts are out so I'm always looking at smaller meats to smoke. I like ribs, the boy not so much. Tri Tips are supposed to be good. Salmon of course. I used to smoke whole chickens so throw one of those in there. Big pot of beans in the vertical smoke chamber. I don't have a beans recipe yet but even everything else all at once would make it worth the effort that firing up and running a real wood fired smoker takes.

Time to fire up the Durango Light 18 and make a couple of week's worth of meat.

[FamiliarFace]

Had it tonight! A winner! (Didn’t have sweet paprika, only smoked, and it was awesome!) 😍

[daniel1212]

Thanks, and mud is definitely out! I read https://www.gardenmyths.com/myths-rainwater-harvesting/#Stored_Rainwater_Goes_Bad and used some today.

[Liz]

Had the Aioli Dip tonight! A winner! (Used smoked paprika, and it was awesome!)

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So glad you liked it......and you even improved the recipe.

We should all do it your way.

[Liz]

Creamy Chicken Vegetable Soup

Ing 2 Tbl olive oil 1 lge tomato, 1 lge yellow onion 3 lge carrots, 2 celery stalks, 4 gar/cl, all chopped 1/4 c flour 6 c chicken broth 1 1/2 lb boneless thighs in 1" pieces 1 tsp chp thyme ks/p 1 lb dried gnocchi 5-oz baby spinach, rough-chp 1 cup half-and-half

Method Heat oil on med. Add chp vegs. Cook/stir/soften 10-12 min; add garlic last minute. Add flour; cook/stir constantly a min to coat vegs. Gradually stir in broth; bring to a simmer. Add chicken, thyme, ks/p; return to simmer on med. Reduce heat; simmer til chicken is cooked thru, 5 min. Stir in gnocchi;cook, covered, stirring til tender, 4-5 min. Stir in spinach, half-and-half. Cook/stir til spinach is tender, 1-2 min. Remove from heat. S/p to taste. Serve.

[MomwithHope]

Been getting our smoked sweet paprika here for a couple of decades. Used to be 7.95 a POUND. Now 8.95 and it is awesome. Great company, got all our sausage casings there too. https://www.butcher-packer.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=32_135_160&products_id=1122&zenid=dc81f54bea4b3fa1b5f1b2d16c1519ce

[FamiliarFace]

That’s a great price! Too bad it’s sold out. I’ll check back on it every now and again. Thank you!

[Diana in Wisconsin]

That is one fine lookin’ Moonshine still, Paw! ;)

Beau is heading back up to Bear Camp this week. I am MAKING him take all of the saved ‘random body parts’ from the freezer (livers, hearts, tongues) that he has been saving to give to the dogs for extra hunting energy.

He has yet to use his new smoker - and there is a ton of fish to smoke. I, too, hate the ‘cooking smells’ that frying fish leaves in the house for weeks. Ugh. Also, IMHO, the only GOOD fish is a fish in a Fish Taco. :)

I wish I liked fish more - I know it’s good for me. I did absolutely LOVE the Haddock he brought home from Alaska. I think more than anything it’s my fear of a fish bone stuck in my throat. A Fish Taco has never tried to kill me! ;)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

I use a lot of Smoked Paprika myself. I’ve been buying from ‘The Spice House’ but I will check out your source, too. You did not steer me wrong on the Vegeta. Now I can’t live/cook without that stuff, too. :)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

I make a similar chicken soup all winter. Good stuff! :)

I have probably recommended this before, but it is my 'Soup Bible,' for sure:

[Liz]

thx for the link

[Liz]

Starting to “think soup”-—as fall approaches.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Soup and homemade sourdough bread are two of life’s simple pleasures.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Looks like after today, I’ll have some great weather for outside work. Only 10% chance of rain each day for a full WEEK and temps in the high 70’s. Who could ask for more? We got 2” of rain from two storms that came through yesterday. Hurry, Fall! :)

Time to get some Fall crops in and tackle weeds again. At this point, they’re all rather HUGE and will be easy and satisfying to yank out of the ground.

There have been four Mama Turkeys and their six half-grown youngsters hanging around on our driveway down by the big Cottonwood tree. On a walk on Sunday I saw the young turkeys and then one MUCH younger turkey following it’s older siblings around. Very cute.

Hummingbirds are still putting on a show at 7am and 7pm each day, and the bird feeders are pretty much deserted for now, so I know there is plenty of food out there for them to find on their own.

I’m pretty much done with canning vegetables for now. I am predicting one more picking of pole beans to freeze. Next project is to use the dehydrator on the pears at Beau’s request; they have a few more days to go to ripen some more.

Apples will mainly be made into Applesauce, (and a few pies to freeze) as I’m down to three pints! I like making my own; I can control the sugar content that way, and applesauce is wonderfuol to have on hand due to the many ways you can use it.

26 Sweet & Savory Ways to Use Applesauce:

https://homespunseasonalliving.com/6-sweet-savory-ways-use-applesauce/

[Diana in Wisconsin]

When you love to hunt, but you're a Vegetarian:

[Liz]

Soup and homemade sourdough bread are two of life’s simple pleasures.

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Mmmmmmmm

[FamiliarFace]

I used to have that fear of swallowing a fish bone as a kid. That happened to a kid in my class in first grade and he had to go to he hospital to get it removed, and the bone once retrieved was taped onto cardboard, and he brought it to class to show us how we needed to chew the fish meat first before swallowing. I never forgot about that bone, and I was terrified about eating fish for a long time.

Fortunately, my father became an expert at filleting fish, and fresh fish is sooo good, that I still pay attention to when I’m eating fish, but I have largely not worried like I did when I was a kid.

[FamiliarFace]

QUITE the setup!! You could go whole hog on that smoker!