Blooms March/April so yes, that's what I see around here.
Posted on 03/01/2026 5:58:25 AM PST by Diana in Wisconsin
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I know you’re a fan of Carol Deppe!
I just received ‘Gardening When it Counts’ by Steve Solomon, as you recommended. Diving in, but it’s as dry as a school book that I didn’t want to read! But I think when I read this, it’s going to have all of my favorite hints and tips inside...and some I’ve not learned of yet. ;)
The preface was good. The 1970’s! We were ALL broke and struggling! The economy sucked so bad - that’s why I joined the Army. There were NO decent jobs and seemingly NO FUTURE for youngsters like me. My folks had NO money for me to go on to college - they had a 23% mortgage to pay! OMG! Yes, Kids! It’s TRUE! Everyday Life really did SUCK in the 70’s! But it improved with these two things in the 1980’s: Disco music/dancing and President Reagan, LOL!
But I showed ‘em! I’m relatively self-sufficient now - FIFTY years LATER, LOL! (But I still need a milk cow!)
We’ll be here for you while we’re sweating in our gardens and swatting mosquitoes and watching fireflies on the porch in the evenings.
It’s so FUN having someone on the other side of the WORLD gardening with us! :)
I've only read a couple of pages of that intro chapter so I don't know if I'm a fan yet. Still haven't read that Elliot Coleman book you sent me.
I think the only gardening books I've read pretty thoroughly is How to Grow Vegetables and Fruits by the Organic Method -- J.I. Rodale and The Complete Book of Composting -- Rodale
One I want to get is;
Good Bug Bad Bug: Who's Who, What They Do, and How to Manage Them Organically -- Jessica Walliser
Rainy three days off. Maybe I'll get some reading done.
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Here's my Missouri to do items for March.
Plant the following seeds and sets outdoors by early to mid-March: beets, carrots, collards, kohlrabi, lettuce, mustard greens, onions, potatoes, parsley, radishes, and spinach (following seed packet instructions).
Start seeds of summer vegetables like tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants indoors mid to late March (following seed packet instructions).
Hey I'm actually on time. Wait, potatoes? I did see seed potatoes in one grocery store but I'll have to make a bed from scratch in the sod outside the tunnel once the rain is done and things dry up a little. I'll have to hit the other grocery store that has more variety than just russet type. I like Yukon Gold.
If ever there was a Victory Garden veggie, potatoes has to be it. It's a staple after all.
March: Transplant the cool weather seedlings I started. Start another batch of them. Start some warm weather seedlings. Get some seed taters and make a tater bed.
Blooms March/April so yes, that's what I see around here.
It’s good to know your bugs. Those Assassin Bugs are terrifying - when you find them in your house! But they are one of the most efficient Bad Bug killers out there.
Past few days I’ve spent hours looking at linear actuators and finally found exactly what I need at a decent price. It seemed like anything over a 12” stroke jumped from $150 for $4-500 in price and 24 volt were hard to find or also expensive.
Found a company that makes a 24 volt, 24 inch actuator. IP65 so it will handle being hit with rain or sprinkler and it has a potentiometer for position feedback so I can set my controller to stop it at any position.
It’s a Canadian company with locations in CA, US, AUS and MX. Everything I’m looking at is available for pick up within 4 hours at their OH location. New, made by them, as opposed to surplus items I was going to buy or no name China stuff I’ve been finding on amazon. I found this company on amazon but just found their website with the full product selection this morning.
$147.99 which is the same price as I was going to pay for a 12” stroke model that’s only available in 12 volt. Figuring out the pivot points to make a 12” actuator open/close a 4-5 foot tall bi-fold side was going to be difficult at best.
Instead of making a 1/3 scale prototype, I’ll just buy the 24” model and make a full scale prototype because I know I can design a 4-5 foot bi-fold with 24” actuator. I could also get a 40” model but it’s only available in 56 lb force while the 24” is 56 or 169 lbs.
Just had a light bulb moment too. I generally plan to drip irrigate but at times, like now, I’d like overhead micro-sprinklers. Drip main line is just flexible tubing and would be a mess strapped up to the trusses. PVC is more rigid but can’t handle UV rays. Galvanized water pipe is super expensive. Conduit is cheap but not made for water.
Solution: Run PVC pipe inside EMT conduit. Drill 5/16” holes in conduit and drill holes through those into the PVC for tapping 10-32 threads that some of the micro-sprinklers come with. Rigid, galvanized to match the tunnel trusses and protects the PVC from UV rays. Got a piece of 1/2” CPVC sitting here and it looks like it will fit inside 1/2” EMT conduit. Regular white PVC is thicker for tapping threads into. Will figure out what fits what here shortly. I think I might have a 10-32 tap and the proper drill size is .159” which I won’t have but I have a 5/32 drill bit which is .156” and close enough for plastic. (.003” is thickness of paper)
The two items above have been bothering me for well over a year. I love it when a plan comes together. Made my day. Off to the grocery store that hopefully has Yukon Gold seed potatoes.
I like the monthly To-Do Lists from Morning Chores.
March Gardening Tips and Tasks for Every Planting Zone and Region
https://morningchores.com/march-gardening-tips/
Chores for me this month in SW Wisconsin:
Planting Zone Five
If you’re located in planting zone five you have a few more items on your to-do list than some of the previous zones.
It’s important to start seeds approximately six to eight weeks before they’re ready to be transplanted outdoors to give them time to prosper.
Plus, it’s important to plant cool-weather crops while the temperatures are still cooperating. Try to stay on task this month to keep from falling behind before the growing season truly starts:
Start seeds indoors and under grow lights for tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants
Prune your roses, trees, or shrubs for any winter damage they may have incurred
Plant potatoes, lettuce, carrots, peas, and radishes*
At the end of March, transplant early varieties of tomatoes outdoors**
*Sometimes our soil, even in a raised bed, is still frozen solid in March. So, planting times depend on warm enough soil more so than a date on the calendar. Invest $10 in a good soil thermometer. Well worth having as a reliable garden tool!
**NOPE! My last frost date isn’t until MAY 15th! My tomatoes go in at the end of MAY. The end of March is WAY too cold for them. If you’re going to plant that early, you’ll need to keep an eagle-eye on the temps and use protection for them from the git-go up here. I mean, it CAN be done, sort-of, maybe, kinda - but I’m not messing with all of that!
OK - Maybe Morning Chores needs to have more coffee before they make these broad lists of what happens when in the garden, LOL!
or less beer
The whipped feta is 1 block feta, 1C ricotta, 1/4c plain Greek yogurt, 1Tbsp honey. Makes enough for 6-8 servings underneath the carrots. You’re going to love the combination. I use several spoonfuls and spread it on the plate where the carrots will go, then add the carrots on top of the whipped mixture. I use an electric mixer to first whip the feta, then add the other ingredients in and whip until mostly smooth.
It seems that in my HOA, if I have something in a pot or planter, it’s looked on as temporary and can be moved out of view. So far nobody has hassled me about this. I did add shishito peppers in the ground between my roses last year, and nobody said anything there, though the view isn’t too obvious from the street. I think that might be key is what’s in view as someone drives by. Though, if there was someone who wanted to make a stink, I’m sure they could.
My neighborhood is old enough that renewal of the restrictions may be coming up for a vote again in the next couple of years. I’d love to see things rewritten just a bit, but maybe that’s just me.
Perhaps you can push the issue with others to advocate for being able to grow veggies in light of the world situation and the new food guidelines from the government.
Good on you for getting away with what you can.
Can one get these pepper seeds somewhere?
Yeah, there are several of us who push the issue with gardening. Lots of people grow tomatoes in patio planters. Another has a raised bed on the back side of her house. You could only see that with a drone, and if they ever start doing that for infractions, then I think there will be a huge push back. We had to get rid of one stickler, because she was single-handedly making people in the neighborhood miserable. When her term was up for renewal, she got booted out.
I’ve already started bok choy, cabbage, cool weather lettuce, and onions.
I’m going to start bed prep as soon as I see the ground and get some carrots started.
Turnips grow like weeds and are extremely underrated as a veggie these days.
I have heard of HOA’s that got the right people on the board and then somehow passed a resolution that there could be no board any more.
I’d have to talk to my son about it because he’s the one who told me.
You would love a old movie called Uncle Nino: with Joe Mantegna and Ann Archer. HOA is defeated.
I’d be interested in how that worked out.
I think I’ve seen that a long time ago, but it may be good to revisit that one. Thanks for the tip!
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