The Garden Thread - October, 2025

October 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.

[Danie_2023]

“”I have fished there many times, often with my wife and daughter along, and in all those years we’ve caught TWO.””

I love fishing, but haven’t had the pleasure for decades. Trout fishing is something I only did once. Hiked way up a mountain in Missoula, Montana once and at the very top was a lake chock full of trout. I only had a jar of these red fish eggs for bait, but I didn’t even need them. Those trout were so hungry (desperate, even) that they were hitting bare hooks. It was so much fun and so beautiful. Thanks for that lovely reminder of the past.

[Liz]

ust looking at the ingredients, that recipe looks very “close” to what I ate B4. :-)

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Here’s hoping the dish “tastes” as you remembered it.

[Liz]

ust looking at the ingredients, that recipe looks very “close” to what I ate B4. :-)

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Here’s hoping the dish “tastes” as you remembered it.

[Liz]

It would take just Beau and I a month to eat a whole Bundt
cake. But, I COULD freeze half for another time, Right? LOL!

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Just don’t forget its in the freezer.......lol.

[Pollard]

I had heard that. Hence the core being so big. The outer carrot was whittled down.

[goodnesswins]

Eewwww...my hub mentioned that baby carrots were weird, but would not tell me why...and I forgot about it...going to fridge NOW to put in compost the “organic” baby carrot pkg.

Happy Fall, every I ne.

[MomwithHope]

If its a tree from he will go underground and hibernate. We have many.

[MomwithHope]

Never had kale until adulthood so there is no reset. Kind of like olives, one taste and the bitterness was such a turnoff I have no interest. I’ll stick with spinach. Or dandelion greens.

[MomwithHope]

Classic pic. My Dad made all our noodles, rolled out thin on a cut up brown bag, cut with a knife and left to dry. I did it a few times myself.

[MomwithHope]

Saw this years ago and found it again. Our soil is too acidic for carrots or other root crops. After watching this video it just looks staged.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d22VS6lktcg

[metmom]

I tried shallots this year and they came out puny! I never thought of starting them in the fall. Is that what you do every year?

I was at the farmer’s market in Concord this morning and the shallots those people were selling were enormous. I never saw shallots that size before.

All my onions did poorly.

I picked every last veggie last week and pulled the plants up before the frost. I figured it would be easier than dealing with half rotten freeze damaged plants.

I got the garlic in and I started a couple varieties of what’s supposed to be a very cold hardy red ruffled leaf lettuce. The varieties are New Red Fire and Rogue d’Hiver. I also have Marvel of Four Seasons but didn’t start that one yet. The seedlings are doing well so far.

[metmom]

I got a very good trouble free zucchini crop by planting the seedlings late, like the beginning of Aug. Missed the squash vine borers and apparently the squash bugs.

The only risk is an early freeze, like we got. Otherwise, they were going gangbusters.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Once you know your local troublesome bugs, it’s easier to plant ‘around’ their life cycle.

Fall Broccoli always does better for me - no Cabbage Moth Worms. :)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

I used to have an entire Pasta Machine set up and it was a lot of fun - especially with the kids - kind of like playing with Play Doh. ;)

Fresh Pasta with some sauce and a good chunk of cheese makes a nice gift, too. :)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

6 Vegetables You Should Always Buy Frozen (Not Fresh), According to Dietitians

https://www.realsimple.com/vegetables-you-should-always-buy-frozen-11831623?utm_source=firefox-newtab-en-us

Broccoli
Spinach
Peas
Bell Peppers
Cauliflower
Mixed Vegetables

I think if you grow these yourself they’re as fresh as they can be? What’s the difference?

[numberonepal]

I think I shoulda waited until this new moon to do most of my seed planting. The stuff I put in three weeks ago came up and said, "nope, it's too dang hot still". But now I know. I'm replacing cantaloupe, tigger melons (yes tigger, as in I'm the only one), zucchini, collards, and zinnias, and for some reason corn thought it was too hot.

I had a huge harvest of cranberry hibiscus (roselle or sorelle) calyxes, prolly half a bushel. Another half bushel is almost ready to pick. Out of that half bushel I got 1 gallon of syrup and 2 1/2 gallons of jelly. This is where hibiscus tea comes from - the calyxes.

Gogy's will be ready to harvest soon. If I get 4 cups I'll be super happy because these bushes survived the salt water. I don't get to harvest any Jamaican strawberries because I eat them all. They taste like kinda musky cotton candy.

Gogi Berry

Jamaican Strawberry. I also have a yellow berry bush in addition to the pictured red berries.

Otherwise a honey mango seedling is going in the ground, 3 seedling blueberry bushes and 3 seedling fig trees. I hope they make me proud.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Impressive! :) They’re all gorgeous!

[MomwithHope]

Very nice pics and info, Thanks!

[Qiviut]

I put the cabbage roll soup in the crockpot. It was ‘done’ when I came in from mowing & dished up a bowl. I didn’t add rice - soup was so thick from the angel hair cabbage that I think I will have to make rice separately & serve the soup over it.

What I don’t like - no cabbage taste. That’s what I get for not taking the time to hunt down a head of cabbage somewhere & using the bagged stuff. The pasta fagioli soup is still my favorite.

[MomwithHope]

That’s too bad about the cabbage. We have a long good season here.