The Victory Garden Thread - June, 2026

June 1, 2026 | Diana in WI/Greeneyes in Memoriam

[Diana in Wisconsin]

The MONTHLY Victory Garden 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 Victory Garden 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.

[FamiliarFace]

Ya know, I think it could’ve been something worse. Chocolate cake isn’t the most awful thing in the world, is it? Ok…maybe it is for some…but the pleasure sensors in the brain might shoot off fireworks. I like fireworks from time to time.

[FamiliarFace]

I knew the officer wouldn’t find anything wrong with your mailbox!

[Paul R.]

Oh, I like the cake. That’s sorta the problem, because then I’m consuming something wifey says is bad for me (probably correct, but she brings it home anyway) and I’m trying to push myself away from desserts and snacks that are best with milk.

Eat some baby carrots, “Paul R.”

I of course will never succeed, but, I can try to reduce my consumption by 50% or so...

An interesting point of this “crawfish broil” is that somebody brought... a whole roasted pig. Wifey brought home a big bag from that, too, but she selects mostly gristly, fatty stuff, not the lean cuts. And I’m trying to hold back my weight gains? Geez...

[Paul R.]

Diana, I forgot to mention, after your post last month referencing the “Expert Gardener” (Wally World) Garden Soil, that it seems to work pretty well for me. There is some variance - two years ago, what was at “our” WM store was more like potting soil than garden soil, but I certainly was not going to complain, as too dense soil is my biggest problem anyway. (Drainage of this product, purchased last year, at least for the 1st year, and if not compacted aggressively, seems fine.) Occasionally there’s a rock, and a couple days ago a bag I opened up had a few of some sort of ~3/8” seeds sprouting in it, but, generally my plants grow well in it, and sometimes WM blows it out very cheaply on clearance in the fall.

ALSO, the “Expert Gardener” Tomato and Vegetable Garden Plant Food has been QUITE good for me. I even used it on my overwintered Impatiens pot this Spring, and that pot of plants is doing fantastically well & flowering like crazy. In fact, this product seems to promote flowering even better than flower food mixtures I’ve used - I’m not sure why, though it does have quite a list of nutrients in it.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Expert-Gardener-Tomato-Vegetable-Garden-Plant-Food-Fertilizer-12-10-5-Fertilizer-4-lb/1841213178

One disadvantage is that it seems to promote early flowering and fruiting while a tomato plant is not yet grown large, and then the plant is putting energy into sometimes smallish fruits “too soon”. It’s almost as if I used “Super Phosphate” too much and too early, but this product is much lower phosphate content, so, I think it must be something about the other “micronutrients” in combination with the (10%) phosphate that is punching up the flowering early. My application of the “Expert Gardener” Tomato and Vegetable Garden Plant Food has not been heavy at all. (Another benefit, it would seem: A little goes a long way.)

Of course, I always have the option to nip off new flowers or fruits, or choose to have early but smallish fruits on a couple plants and push a few others to growth, not fruits: On a couple I am trying less of this product and risking some chicken guano to promote growth — the main risk being varmints who want to dig in the guano. (Time to try out those subsonic .22 LR hollow point rounds in the rifle? Buy more “dog proof traps? Spread more hot pepper on top of the guano or around the plants?)

To tell the truth, maybe it’s just my imagination, but overall this product, “Expert Gardener” Tomato and Vegetable Garden Plant Food, seems to work for me a little better than either the Miracle Grow or Schultz similar products. But, maybe I’m just biased because I got it on clearance. Hahahaha!

[Paul R.]

This used to happen @ my Dad’s fairly regularly — he was on a very busy local highway. PITA. The ground there is pretty soft much of the year, so, usually there’d be tracks to confirm the vehicle was about 2 feet off the road. Oh, of course there were plenty of tracks in other places along that ditch, from time to time! I chalk most of it up to drunks - which is a bit, ah, “sobering”.

Our mailbox is on a narrower road on the west side of our property, but it’s only about 80 feet from a stop sign at the corner of our property. So, most people are slowing down*, and we’ve not had much problem with the mailbox getting hit, despite the narrower road (than at Dad’s old place.) Plus, the post (painted very bright white) sets into an old 10 gallon milk jug filled with concrete that just sits there. The one time it did get hit, it just fell over, and I set it back up the next day. There’s a light brace sort of to the side and rear - a nail pulled out partially, so I re-nailed it with a new nail. No biggie.

*Except when the stop sign gets knocked down. The corner on our side is ~ 75 deg., and with the narrow road, long vehicles in particular hit that stop sign, trying to “make” the corner, quite often, despite it being “planted several feet off the road. A USGS marker even further off the road but more “in the corner” gets whacked even more often.

Either some sort of swing arm or overhead stop sign is really needed. It’d save the County money in the long run. Over the last 30 years there have been several considerable collisions at that corner, at least one partially due to the stop sign being bent backwards. By good fortune nobody has been seriously injured or killed. In one case a vehicle literally went airborne for about 50 ft. over part of our front yard. In a somewhat similar accident a little under a mile away, the “flight” ended up with the vehicle slamming roof & windshield first into an embankment and killing the driver. :-(

The road in front of our place is busier than the one to the west, and goes into a moderate curve about 250 ft. east of our east driveway. There are tire tracks in that ditch even more regularly, and several times arrow “curve” signs have been knocked down. One is down right now, just past our property, in fact. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve found damaged mirror assemblies or other auto parts while clearing that ditch of trash, branches, etc. One driver clipped a big tree a few feet off the far side of the ditch: From the “scrape” damage to the tree and pieces from the vehicle, I’m guessing his damages were likely in the “a few thousand $$ range”, but, the tracks showed he never stopped, kept plowing on, and finally got out of the ditch about 100 ft. further on. It was muddy and the ruts (had to be a 4WD “dually”) were really impressive.

[Redleg Duke]

Thanks!

[FamiliarFace]

I see. She’s sabotaging your efforts. Losing weight is very hard as we get older, at least for me it is. I sometimes manage to lose a few pounds, then put them back on again. Vicious cycle.

When I was younger I was a skinny kid. That all changed with menopause, like someone flipped a switch.

[Paul R.]

Ditto here, mostly. I was a skinny kid who could eat like crazy with no worries. For me, I don’t of course have the menopause thing to worry about. Wifey does now — the temperature regulation in her body has gone nuts, with as much trouble with feeling oddly cold, as hot.

My first switch was getting married. Most Filipinas do not cook or eat healthy, once they get to the US. A lot of the food she cooks (besides the really weird stuff) is quite tasty, but not all that healthy.

Then I turned 65 and another switch flipped. Two, actually, as I began slowing down a lot. :-(

[Paul R.]

Very cool!

FR is very slow this morning — I’ll have to be careful not to double post...

Other sites that sometimes bog down with heavy traffic* seem fine. So it must be FR - hopefully it’s not under attack again!

*One such example is one of our local TV weather (and weather radar) websites. The stormy forecast with potential flash flooding should be generating lots of hits by now (7:45 a.m.)

[Paul R.]

Haha - that’s reminding me to move another couple pieces of the ridiculously heavy steel ornamental railing sections I was left with when I bought this place: They are to form plant ladders, and in the prime spot, double as an “entrance” to the east section of our property. Basically they’ll be “fancy” gate posts — if I get really motivated I might hit ‘em with some extra Rustoleum.

(Good God, my spell check didn’t recognize “Rustoleum”. It does now.)

The County roadside mowers took out my driveway markers (again!) last week. I had them set pretty far back from the road, so the mower driver must have sort of swung around in our driveway as he “dodged” the big oak on the south side of the driveway: That tree is much nearer the road than the deceased markers. I guess I need to figure out much more “substantial” and visible markers. A couple pieces of a medium size cedar tree stem, roughly 5” diameter, are “available”. I could paint ‘em bright orange. (Dad had a bunch of tree marking paint that I need to use before the cans rust out further, and leak.) Use this stuff up...

I’m certainly not going to grill with cedar — talk about some twangy tasting BBQ!

[MomwithHope]

A nice post. I remember you talking about the box and putting it in. You did everything right. Hugs!

[MomwithHope]

Just read this about the errant hunter. I hope he just gets it fixed instead of just leaving it for you to take care of.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

I goofed off most of yesterday, so today I am starting on a Raspberry Pie with French Crumble Topping:

https://twocupsflour.com/raspberry-crumble-pie/

And that’s going into the freezer for baking at a later date.

THEN - whatever Raspberries are left, I will make into Jam.

THEN - I start on the 22 pints of Blueberries that are now frozen. Also, Jam.

Neighbor lady wants everything shelf-stable due to a lack of freezer space. We are splitting the goods. ;)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

I goofed off most of yesterday, so today I am starting on a Raspberry Pie with French Crumble Topping:

https://twocupsflour.com/raspberry-crumble-pie/

And that’s going into the freezer for baking at a later date.

THEN - whatever Raspberries are left, I will make into Jam.

THEN - I start on the 22 pints of Blueberries that are now frozen. Also, Jam.

Neighbor lady wants everything shelf-stable due to a lack of freezer space. We are splitting the goods. ;)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

I’m glad you like those products. I bought a bag of the ‘Expert Gardener’ soil on Friday to use in the hanging baskets I still wanted to pot up.

As far as fertilizers go, if you read the contents and the percentages the store brands are every bit as good as the national brands. And I would bet you a Kwik Trip Glazer Doughnut that they’re made in the same factory.

Just like the Piggly Wiggly canned green beans are really Del Monte canned green beans!

Though who would eat canned green beans when we’ll be swimming in fresh-picked in a few weeks is beyond me, LOL!

[FamiliarFace]

My 65 switch hasn’t quite flipped yet, and I’m fighting it with everything I’ve got. My MIL just turned 98, still living at home, though with caregivers during the day. She’s on a mission to make it to 100, and I’m thinking that she just might make it! She is a determined woman, and still walks every day, several blocks from her house and then back, and at the grocery store, too.

Her biggest problem is macular degeneration and it’s very hard for her to see buttons on the coffee machine or microwave or tv remote. She still eats 3 meals a day, has a glass of milk with her lunch, and one watered down martini for a cocktail - EVERY DAY! Very few falls and no broken bones thus far. Her skin is thin so she does gets cuts and bruises easily. Incredible that she is doing so well. Anyway, she is an inspiration! So I’m fighting the aging thing as best as I can.

[Qiviut]

I used Expert Gardener Potting soil last year for my Calibrachoa & Lantana - they loved it. I used it again this year with the same results. Mom is keeping the Lantana I planted Tuesday (?) of last week watered & she says they are taking off & looking really good. I planted the Calibrachoa weeks ago & they’re blooming & spreading.

[Augie]

Yet another soggy weekend here in the Middle of Misery. The ground was starting to settle up after the 4.25" we got last week. After yesterday's deluge the gauge was almost full. Not good!

This was the view looking out the barn door at my garden patch. Swamped.

So while that was going on I decided it was time to install the top-end rebuild kit in the air pump that supplies the diffusion ring in my pond. Found one piston rod bearing to be in rough shape. The pump was a re-man when I bought it, and it has always sounded a little rough when in operation. And naturally, new piston rod assemblies are no longer available from the manufacturer. They're checking to see if they have any good used ones on hand. If that comes up goose eggs I'll see about buying new bearings and installing those in the old rods. I've got all the right tools to do the job if I can come up with the parts.

But things aren't all bad. I got the botox injections in my neck and upper back on Wednesday. I felt like hammered hell for the next two days. Sawbones says it takes around six weeks for the full effects to be realized, but it seems to have taken a bit of the edge off, so I'm hopeful.

The snap peas that turned out to be snow peas are loving the wet/cool-ish weather. I picked a gallon off of them Saturday and probably have another half gallon ready to pick now. The beets in the raised bed are doing great - won't be long until it's time to pull them and make pickled beets. Cabbages are growing fast - there will be fermented sauerkraut this time. The chinese cabbages have finally taken off so it's looking good for a kimchi run too.

Tomatoes are suffering from too much water, as are the peppers. Cukes/squash/gourds are loving it. 2nd planting sweet corn looks good. Pole beans are up. Collards and basils are up in starter cells.

I took a shovel to the spud patch to see what was going on there. Some sort of burrowing varmint, likely voles, ate pretty much all of them. The few I found had been gnawed on. Next time I'll put them in a raised bed and see how that works.

[Paul R.]

I was about to post that I wished we could trade you a couple of our dry days for a couple of your wet days, but, maybe not: We have a MCV that just went severe, heading in from the West. So, I’m heading “out” (side) to batten down some hatches...

Despite our drought and dry soils, flash flood watches are up, too.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

We had a two-hour deluge today, but we needed it. After having the WETTEST April in recorded history, we THEN had the DRIEST May, and now June seems to be catching us up.

You’re such a Gadget Guy! I truly wish I were more mechanical. That would’ve made my Dad very happy, as he was one of those people that can fix anything! :)

Today was my annual ‘Hack Back the Viburnum that Blocks the Internet Satellite.’ I pretty much have it on the calendar for early June each year. Spotty service today and I thought it might be the rain, but when I put on my boots (after the rain) and grabbed my pruners, there were a good half-dozen branches blocking the satellite dish.

The first time this happened I was on the phone for about an HOUR with someone in Nepal trying to ‘help me.’ I figured it out, myself and it’s been clear sailing ever since. I think cutting down that Viburnum would be worth it, once and for all! At least it would buy me a few years before it grew back.

WHY the kid put it so close the the shrubbery remains a mystery...