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.

[Paul R.]

We just got quite the deluge too: It didn’t last 2 hours, but, I think the intensity may have made up for it. Holey Carp...

The backside of the MCS (system) is rotating through now - maybe we’ll get another 1/4” or so, more slowly, which would be good, as even several times that much is of limited benefit* if it mostly runs off of dry soils.

*OTOH, I did get my rainwater storage filled very quickly! I really do need to get that expanded...

[Diana in Wisconsin]

I could seriously use another FOUR rain barrels, but Beau isn’t too keen on it, as the only place we have a gutter on the metal roof is the one across the porch that flows into a 35 gallon rain barrel. Which he barely tolerates. I mean a half-dozen junker cars in the yard? Yeah, that’s just FINE, but a useful and beautiful barrel full of rainwater? NOT so fine, I guess! ;)

I wouldn’t mind a few situated out in the garden, but I’d need to make darn sure they don’t end up as mosquito breeding havens. That would push him over the EDGE, LOL! (A little cooking oil on top takes care of that problem, or those mosquito dunks.)

Rainwater is mystical stuff full of nitrogen and MAGIC! It’s as if this Biosphere we live on was Divinely Designed just for us! ;)

“Every time it rains it rains, pennies from Heaven!”

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Ah, HA! So I was a very, VERY Good Girl this season when planting my tomatoes. My raised beds are 4x8’. IF you are a DETERMINATE tomato plant, we went THREE to a bed.

IF you are a Semi-DETERMINATE or an INDETERMINATE tomato plant we went TWO to a bed.

This is going to solve a whole HOST of problems for me and make maintenance and productivity and harvesting SO much easier!

Don’t be crowding your tomatoes, People! ;)

Southern Living Says:

This Common Tomato-Growing Mistake Could Be Limiting Your Harvest

How far apart you space your tomatoes can have a big impact on a successful garden.

Tomatoes are the most popular vegetable among home gardeners. Not only are they versatile in the kitchen, but tomato plants are also easy to grow and produce high yields. And home-grown tomatoes taste far superior to store-bought fruits. For a healthy crop, it is important to consider tomato plant spacing at planting time. Several factors influence how far apart to plant tomatoes, including plant type, staking system, and gardening style. Let’s take a closer look at proper tomato plant spacing for each growing style.

https://www.southernliving.com/tomato-plant-spacing-11986772

[Paul R.]

I even find that rainwater works better for, when I have to resort to them, herbicides or pesticides / fungicides. My biggest uses are 2,4-D on poison ivy, and RoundUp in areas in gravel. (Our well water is somewhat hard, tho’ not bad tasting.)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Did you know that classifying the everyday TOMATO as a Vegetable versus a Fruit was actually a United States Supreme Court Ruling? *GASP*

Nix v. Hedden, 149 U.S. 304 (1893), is a decision by the Supreme Court of the United States in which the Court unanimously held that tomatoes should be classified as vegetables rather than fruits for purposes of tariffs, imports and customs. Justice Horace Gray delivered the opinion of the Court in holding that the Tariff Act of 1883 used the ordinary meaning of the words "fruit" and "vegetable", instead of the technical botanical meaning.

Tomatoes IN for the WIN! Though I'm sure the Heinz owners were lobbying heavily for this. They were the largest tomato processors and importers/exporters in America 1883, so this saved them Big Bucks in the form of tariffs, I'm sure.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nix_v._Hedden

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

Rain from the horse shed....Great picture! Makes me remember being 7 or 8 and running around outside in a swim suit in the rain!

This is an odd weather year. A lot of rain, cloudy, cooler, mostly. My grass is still green and growing. On the up side, the fireflies are out and Mrs Pete and daughter are on the front porch watching!

Weather. There is a storm out over Junction City and Ft Riley headed east. you should see it early next morning if it holds together. Good for peas and cabbage.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

My future weather forecast. Looks like my weeds are getting a head start again this season!

Tuesday morning fog then preparing for ALERT DAYS Wednesday and Thursday

PLANNING THE NEXT 24 HOURS: After morning fog thins out, weather conditions will become partly sunny along with light northwesterly winds. Temperatures will climb into the mid to upper 80s before settling into the low to mid 70s overnight. Overnight, showers and thunderstorms will be moving through Minnesota and Iowa, impacting Wisconsin closer to daybreak on Wednesday. A few of these storms may still be severe with strong winds and smaller hail as the main threats.

EXTENDED FORECAST: ALERT DAY conditions then return later Wednesday afternoon; storms will develop across parts of northeastern Iowa and southeastern Minnesota then race into western Wisconsin. These storms will likely bring an isolated tornado threat as well as damaging wind gust and large hail threat through the early morning hours on Thursday. Dry conditions take back over, briefly, before a second round of severe weather returns to southern Wisconsin. This second round of severe weather on Thursday will also pose an isolated tornado threat, strong wind threat and large hail threat. Make sure that you’re staying with News 3 Now for the latest forecast and severe weather coverage. Drier and cooler conditions are expected on Friday.

Diana here: Mainly I’ll be buttoning up the greenhouse (no plants are in there now - too hot!) and throwing a few bungee cords over Grover’s doghouse on the porch so he doesn’t blow away!

Running errands today, as usual for a Tuesday, then hunkering down. Will work on some more jam when I bring home more sugar. Going to try and get the dogs all out today for some exercise. Woof!

Looking forward to clean up come Friday. *Rolleyes* Beau & Crew return on Saturday. They treed a LYNX yesterday - not on purpose, it just got tangled up in their running of a black bear. No dogs or people or animals were hurt.

[Paul R.]

Clarification:

"Biggest uses" outside of watering plants, including the ones indoors, that is.

[Paul R.]

Our forecast heat index is 105 deg. F today. That’s not gonna be very comfortable, esp. as a lot of it is humidity. At least it is / will be breezy though.

I had a pretty fair amount of cleanup this morning, after last evening’s storm, but it was all little stuff and leaf litter - no major damage. It would appear we got about 1-3/4” of rain in an hour, most of it in about 15 minutes. Then in the early A.M. we got ~ 1/4” or so at a more moderate rate.

Just after the heavy stuff ended, we heard the chickens clucking: I’d left the “run” door open as some birds go caught outside and took shelter where they could. I ran out and discovered the biggest opossum I’ve ever been close to, in the coop. All the birds that had come back had exited, with a modest batch of black feathers in one spot - evidently the opossum momentarily got hold of one bird, then decided the few eggs in there were easier fare than chasing down birds on the loose. I ran and got my .22 pellet rifle - one shot to the head and Mr. ‘Possum stopped breathing in seconds.

So, after getting small branches in the driveway cleared, and so on, I went in back to check to see if all that run’s birds had returned. (Many overnighted on our back porch.) Gut and boil Mr. ‘Possum for the chickens, or bury him?

He was gone! So, it appears we still have yet another significant varmint visiting. :-(

[Liz]

CARAMEL HEAVENLINESS / makes a lot
Layers of grahams, marshmallows, caramel, almonds, coconut, sure to be a family favorite.

ING 12 graham rectangles 2 c mini-mallows ¾ c butter, cut up ¾ c br/sugar 1 tsp ea cinnamon, vanilla 1 c ea sliced almonds, flaked coconut

METHOD Parchment 15x10x1" pan (or greased foil). Add single layer grahams. Sprinkle w/ marshmallows. Spread Caramel over evenly. Sprinkle w/ almonds, coconut. Lightly brown 350 deg 15 min. Cool on rack. Liftout, cut into 3" squares; halve squares diagonally.

CARAMEL cook/stir butter and dissolve brown sugar on med. Offheat, stir in cinnamon, vanilla.

Stores airtight in fridge a week. Makes 30 cookies.

[numberonepal]

Y’all have any advice for bunnies? If I look at the top of one more beautiful blee pepper and then see seeds on the ground I’m going to bust a blood vessel.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Try the liquid spray from ‘Repels All’. I’ve had good luck with it. Under 15 bucks at Amazon, or you may find it locally at a garden center or hardware store.

But don’t get any on yourself - you’ll be hatting life! Once it’s dry we can’t smell it but the rabbits can. And remember to wash your veggies if you are spraying the actual fruits.

You can also whip up your own batch, if you are so inclined:

https://www.virginiawildlifepros.com/blog/5-proven-homemade-animal-repellent-recipes/

https://www.modernhomesteadingideas.com/homemade-liquid-fence-recipe/

[Paul R.]

Anything egg and / or milk base may draw opossums and raccoons. So far, hot pepper powder or flakes seems to be working for me, but yesterday evening’s gully-washer washed it all away. :-(

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

Its hot here too. I know they had a ton of rain in Louisville and will have lots of heat. My lawn should be brown and dormant now but I still have to mow. Not normal! Good luck keeping your chickens cool! Paul.... If you dispatch your Possom, you have catfish bait.

If verified as dead, Immediately fix a heavy duty treble hook secured to a 100" of 100 Lb test, store him in a plastic bag some where in a far away outbuilding. You do not want to do the hooking after he starts to swell up. A couple days in 90F + heat will age it nicely for a channel cat! I do not fish, but have had to deal with possum roadkill near my house!

(I used to golf but stopped after we had children. A round of golf was the equivalent of a trip to the grocery store.)

[Paul R.]

Wow, I never heard of using a whole opossum for bait, much less a large adult ‘possum! However, I suppose a 100 lb. blue catfish could swallow a large adult opossum. Very large blue catfish are generally piscivores, consuming mainly live fish, but most sources indicate a monster blue would one go after a rotting opossum.

Tough parts make good bait for smaller, table fare catfish. I’ve done that a couple times. (I don’t keep catfish over 8 lbs. or so - becoming piscivores means they accumulate more toxins.)

As for the possum, oh, he was dead - he stopped breathing seconds after the head shot. But then something else dragged him off later.

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

Paul. I almost do not eat fish as part of my diet. Maybe salmon once or twice a year. I definately agree with you about large catfish. Reservoirs of everything that runs off of every farm in the midwest into the Mississippi basin.

I stopped eating tinned fish. Purines and gout. I do understand that anchovies make good bait though!

(If I were in Wisconsin I might eat perch or walleye if it came from a clean lake!)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

“If I were in Wisconsin I might eat perch or walleye if it came from a clean lake!”

Don’t forget about our tasty, tasty Bass! ;)

I HATE cooking fish - and we still have a lot in the freezer. (Vacuum sealed) ‘Someone’ bought himself a really nice Cabela’s smoker last year using all of his Black Card Points and yet...we still have a lot of fish in the freezer!

He did bring home Halibut from Alaska last year and I doled that out like it was GOLD. Oh, My! What a lovely fish. I think it cost him about $400 for the day of chartered fishing, though. And you know what? I. Don’t. Care! It was Heaven on a plate! :)

[MomwithHope]

Love halibut, grouper and salmon.

[Qiviut]

Many decades ago, I traveled once a year to Baltimore for my job - we were there a week or so. Of course, we went out to eat (expense account). We always made sure we went to this Spanish? restaurant every trip and I always got the grouper. It was in a brown garlicky sauce - I still dream about it ... probably the best fish I have ever had. :-)

[Paul R.]

Fish including catfish in water bodies draining off of areas like national forests, and so on, can be VERY good table fare (assuming one does not have a dietary problem), and, under 8 lbs. or so, low in contaminants.

The lake I mentioned several posts earlier, Devils Kitchen Lake, in S. IL, is quite “clean”, but does have some mercury contamination from natural sources — basically, exposed rocks. At my age, mercury unless really high in level is not much of a concern, and in the panfish it’s pretty low anyway, even @ DKL, so wifey liking the 8” bluegill works out well.

At DKL, I’d probably release catfish over 5 lbs. or so anyway, as the lake arguably could use a few more large predators - most of the bass over 14” or so get fished out, it appears. There are good numbers of small bass, 12” or so — arguably the lake could use a slot limit (no harvest of bass between 14” and 18”, perhaps. However, that might dent the trout population...

I don’t fish the rivers much for the reason you state. Luckily, we have quite a few lakes and ponds in areas that don’t get much if any nasty runoff. :-)