The Victory Garden Thread - August, 2026

August 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.

[WhoisAlanGreenspan?]

I had a battle last year with some rabbits who were digging up my lawn. I won that this year by putting a raised planter with my cucumber trellis and marigolds right in their favorite spot. This year the squirrels have gotten to my apple tree before I covered it with bird netting. There's like one or two apples left. Like everything home grown, I thought those apples were the best. Last year's Granny Smith apple pie

This year I'm thinking I'll have to settle for some farmer's market apples.

[Qiviut]

Last year, I saved the most beautiful zinnia blooms, dried them & harvested the seeds. Our last frost date is mid-late May so the zinnia seeds were supposed to go in the ground the first week in June. Unfortunately, fate intervened & no zinnia seeds got planted. Volunteers came up, mostly outside the raised flower beds where I don’t want them.

Today, I planted the zinnias. August & September & perhaps part of October should be warm enough for them ... fingers crossed I get some blooms so I can salvage seeds.

I totally changed my planting method. Usually, I make rows for the seeds & lightly cover with dirt. This time, I worked the raised bed soil until it was soft, then sprinkled the seeds randomly on the dirt, trying not to get too many in one spot. I have a large bag & a half of Expert Gardener Potting soil left over from preparing pots for the Lantana, so I put a very light layer over the raised bed & zinnia seeds. Normally, I would water, but showers are expected to move in tonight & continue through most of the week ahead. If the seeds are going to germinate, the conditions for that to happen should be good.

The wooden raised beds I built got filled with topsoil that is a bit heavy with clay for my liking (metal bed dirt is much better from a different source). If anything, the potting soil, once it works in, should help, although it’s not a lot, just enough to lightly cover the seeds.

The dirt shoveling for the last metal bed is done (yay!). I still need to add about 4 bags of compost to each bed (3 & 4) to get the dirt level up a bit more - I did this on the first 2 beds. I am just not in the mood to tackle a visit to the Farm Bureau & hauling today, so I’m going to mulch the beds with pine straw & save the compost project for another time. I am sort of hoping I could maybe work something out for compost with the Cow Palace folks next door ... I suspect what they’ve got might be too ‘fresh’ & I haven’t worked out a good place for a compost pile yet

Jalapeños are blooming & I have peppers on, even the two deer-damaged plants. My French Tarragon I found at Walmart has tripled in size & I have removed the protective wire basket - the plant looks really happy & is a great addition to the herb garden.

[FamiliarFace]

Well, I guess I’ve been praying for rain, and we are finally getting a nice shower right now. Answered prayers! Thank you, Lord!

[TheConservativeParty]

Good morning !
Loving this 2 days of gentle rain. My lawn is no longer crunchy.
😁

[left that other site]

Ah...some things are NICE when they’re crunchy, but NOT your lawn! 😁

[Paul R.]

Pete: Yeah, same system — “round 2” got here with quite a show. It turns out we actually got more like 3” right here - I forgot I’d emptied the rain gauge after supper. At least it was in 2 “waves”, and my work on drainage helped quite a bit, except in our east yard, where that’s a much bigger project: The east yard is still partially a small “pond” (very big puddle!), at present.

I have some more branches to collect and garden plants to try to get back upright. Some of the cannas (some are about 8’ tall now!) are going to need staking, and some tomato plants are going to need re-staking. Not too much other damage, it seems, so far.

[Paul R.]

Methinks you posted to the wrong thread...

[kawhill]

“The Victory Garden Thread - August, 2026”. Please, send rain to central KS soon. Hot and dry here.

[arthurus]

I did, indeed. Alas, there seems to be no recall button.

[dakine]

Love August in Northern Michigan, leaving in 12 days for 3 weeks of fun...

[Diana in Wisconsin]

LOL - at the hot pepper advice. If you’re a Gardener you have to experience that at least ONCE in your lifetime.

I got my fill being tear-gassed in Army Basic Training. They wanted us to experience the joy of it all. ;)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Thanks, Pete!

[Diana in Wisconsin]

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

Bon.... It is actually reasonable here. For a change I have a green lawn instead of a dormant brown one.

Japanese beetles. I have experienced some damage on the plum trees, but not as much as other years. I have been lazy and not sprayed at all. I have no damage to my fig trees. It may also be the Milky spore that I put down about 3 years ago kicking in. I do have flocks of sparrows and finches that might be eating the beetles. (I did see a large woodpecker searching the cedar mulch for insects!)

I actually should go outside and get things done because we actually have reasonable temperatures for a change!

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

Or you could have the mods delete it and post on how your garden is doing this year! (Or not. True comment wherever posted.)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

What Zone are you in? Do you have time to do a repeat sewing of spring veggie seeds?

I'll be cleaning out the greenhouse soon (maybe today!) and getting things set up in there for fall lettuce and spinach production. This was from very early spring, greenhouse grown flats of mixed leaf lettuces and spinach:

I use a cake server to slice off a square, then plant that either in pots, planters or a garden bed. I'll do the same this fall, but plant less intensely and cut as I need it.

I also grow greens this way. I have an unheated greenhouse, but it can be done on a sun porch or anywhere that gets sun, but is a bit protected from the elements/critters. A brick on top usually keeps critters out.

<[>

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Thank you! Really good recipes to try, there.

I gave a bag of mixed cherry tomatoes to my ex-Amish neighbor this morning when I went down to get the mail - have to pass their farm to get to my mailbox.

Enos was overjoyed. Never in my wildest dreams would I ever have imagined I’d have an Amish guy as my second Emergency Contact in my phone! He’s the nearest neighbor and back-up when Beau is up north. He’s helped me chase down escaped dogs, an escaped steer and pulled my mower out from under the deck when I got it stuck. He EARNS his tomatoes from me, LOL!

I’ve got plenty more cherry tomatoes coming - going to pick again after the rain slacks off. :)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

I’m kind of regretting not planting zucchini this year - but there is plenty for CHEAP at the Walmart. ;)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

I asked the Mod to remove the post. Carry on! :)