The Victory Garden Thread - September, 2026

September 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.]

Yikes! (Without being too intrusive) Did she say what happened? I hope she and Beau don’t have heavy storm damage!

[Paul R.]

Oops, that was supposed to be:

it’s obvious English is her 2nd language which results occasionally in some hilarity.

As with my wife. She frequently reverses "He" and "She", for example. This leads to a lot of "Huh? What? WHO?" around here and elsewhere. It gets even "better" in her classroom (2nd grade - parochial school). "But, teacher...!!!"

Then again, my Mom's English was "native" (USA) and very good - she also did spoken English teaching as church outreach to foreign students at our local University, helping lead quite a few to Christianity. But, that didn't prevent my usually sweet, "quiet" Mom from one day mustering up the "nerve" to stand up over some moderately contentious issue, one day at one of our church "voters' meetings" (basically any member over 16 y/o, IIRC), and blurt out to our Pastor: "Pistor Rast...". The meeting dissolved into laughter. :-)

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Porkkanalaatikko = Finnish carrot casserole

Oooo... That sounds interesting! Can you give us the recipe?

[Paul R.]

Similar here, a few degrees warmer, but I’ll take highs of 78 deg. over 98 deg. almost any time but a trip to swim at the lake!

Unfortunately, our slim chance of rain seems to be “evaporating”. Thanks heavens I have the well going - just one minor leak at this point, it appears, where I had the plug to the pump priming port on and off way too many times. Oatey “Blue” pipe joint compound should seal that, but I wish I knew what the service life is. It’s not stated or “findable” anywhere, so I left the question on their website. Web searches turned up nothing.

[Qiviut]

This is the one I’m using:

https://foodandjourneys.net/finnish-carrot-casserole/

This site has a lot of info about the carrot casserole & a recipe if you read through it - differs slightly from the one above, but clarified some things for me:

https://nutritiongeeks.com/porkkanalaatikko/

[MomwithHope]

No just internet outage. The had some pretty heavy rains. Last she said they told her it would be a week. She also said she was getting a lot done without the internet!

[MomwithHope]

No just internet outage. The had some pretty heavy rains. Last she said they told her it would be a week. She also said she was getting a lot done without the internet!

[Paul R.]

Thanks!

[Paul R.]

Generally, of course, decomposition / rot of plant matter creates slightly acidic material. Web searches seem to indicate the pokeweed would be about average, and bamboo mulch(?) would be somewhat more strongly acidic. However, I’m guessing the construction waste will overwhelm that, if there is much of it. I suppose the best bet would be to test the “soil” after the plant matter has decayed.

[Paul R.]

Noted & thanks! Maybe water flooded a local hub or something...

[Liz]

Easy Lemon Tiramisu
Made without eggs. Creamy lemon mascarpone filling, lady fingers, limoncello, lemon curd.

Ing: Tiramisu Filling: 16 oz mascarpone, chilled 2 zested lemons 2 tsp vanilla 1 c conf 2 c chilled h/cream, 1 c homemade lemon curd. Limoncello Syrup: 1/2 c ea lemon juice, limoncello liqueur 1 c water. Dessert: 45 ladyfingers 1 1/4 c homemade lemon curd, sliced lemon garnish. Whipped Cream: 1 c h/cream 1/4 c conf 1 tsp vanilla

METHOD Filling: Place the mascarpone straight from fridge into bowl. Add conf, vanilla, lemon zest. Beat thick and creamy 3-4 min on med. Gradually add chilled heavy cream, ½ cup at a time, whisk after each addition. Once all the heavy cream is added, continue to whisk a few min til thick and fluffy. Add 1 c chilled lemon curd to filling and mix to completely incorporate.

Assembly: In shallow dish, combine lemon juice, limoncello, water. Dip each ladyfinger briefly, just soften outside; NOT completely soaked through. Layer cookies in server in single layer. Add 1/2tiramisu filling; spatula/spread evenly to edges. Add layer of cookies, then rest filling. Pour lemon curd (approximately 1 ¼ cups) over top; smooth w/ spatula. Fridge 6-24 hours. Lastly, whisk chilled h/cream, conf, vanilla to stiff peaks. Pipe atop tiramisu; garnish w/ lemon slices. Serve cut into squares.

Homemade Lemon Curd
Best and easiest lemon curd; just 5 ingredients.

Ing: 2/3 c freshly-squeezed lemon juice 2 eggs 4 egg yolks 1 c sugar 1/2 c unsalted butter 1 tsp vanilla

METHOD: Strain 4-5 large juiced lemons for smooth lemon curd. Set aside. Combine eggs, yolks. sugar. Whisk vigorously 3-4 min til thick and more pale in color; should ribbon off the whisk. Pour into a stainless steel pot and add lemon juice; whisk/combine. Cook/stir over med-low along bottom of pan 4-5 min, (thickens, starts to bubble lightly). Remove offheat ar once. Add unsalted butter, vanilla; whisk to melt butter. Transfer to glass jar; saran top to prevent film from forming. Cool slightly then fridge.

Chef Notes: You'll need curd for filling and some for topping. Cool completely in fridge.
Can do ahead and kept fridged. Stores in fridge 2 weeks.

[MomwithHope]

That looks good!

[Qiviut]

Cow Chronicles:

The two big bulls are now in the pasture directly across the road from us. On the way back from the PO, I stopped at the end of the driveway to pick up our mail & to re-chain the driveway.

I talk to the cows when they are close: “Hey girls, how ‘ya doing? Y’all are looking mighty fat & sassy these days - won’t be long until your calfs start arriving!” Silly, I know, but some perk up their ears & listen.

So I did the same with the closest bull: “Hey big guy, what are you up to today?” Before I started talking to him, his ears were up, watching me. When I talked to him, his ears went somewhat back & I started hearing this low sound. At first I thought I was hearing things, & then I realized it was the bull. If cows could growl, that’s what he was doing. The growl turned into a rumble, then a bellow. Yikes! I must have pi$$ed him off or something? The ‘growling’ started again. By that time, I had the mail & was headed back to the car. Based on the sounds he was making & his ear position, I do believe if I had crossed the road, he would have charged the fence/me. The other bull kept eating, never raised his head. That bull is a scary dude - glad I am not the farmer who has to deal with him (or one of the cows!).

[Qiviut]

LOL ... after I posted about the bull, just out of curiosity, I queried “what sounds do bulls make when they are annoyed or angry?” & this is what I got:

When annoyed or agitated, bulls primarily make deep, resonant bellows and low-pitched moos that sound like rumbles or intense growls. They also emit sharp snorts and short grunts to signal discomfort, frustration, or immediate agitation.

Key vocalizations include:

Bellowing: A loud, low-frequency roar used to assert dominance, intimidate rivals, or express distress when annoyed.

Low-pitched Mooing: A deep, guttural sound often described as a rumble or growl, indicating anger or displeasure.

********
So I was correct in describing the sounds being made as ‘growls’ or ‘rumbles’. I have never heard a bull do that before. It also confirms that he was, at a minimum, annoyed with me for some reason.

[Liz]

Lemon.....what could possibly go wrong?

[MayflowerMadam]

We watch “The Incredible Dr. Pol” (vet) sometimes. He has no problem saying that bulls can be deadly. “Never turn your back on one.”

[Qiviut]

A cousin (I’ll call him Cuz) had a bull that didn’t like him .... he didn’t like the bull either. It was “personal” with both of them. Cuz was driving his tractor across the pasture one day & right in the middle, he ran out of gas. The bull spotted him stranded & came after him, was literally climbing up the tractor, trying to get him. Cuz had a piece of metal pipe & was trying to beat the bull back with the pipe. The fences were too far away for him to run for it. Fortunately, while trying to keep the bull off the tractor, he was able to call his son on his cellphone. The son drove his truck to the tractor & rescued his dad.

This bull HAD to go. They tried loading him on the stock trailer with no success. The bull was tearing up stuff & just plain wild. They called the vet & had the bull sedated, then got him on the trailer. The bull actually got the “last laugh” so to speak. At the stock yard, Cuz was informed that because of the sedative used, the bull could not be sold for meat for 30 days. Cuz had to leave him at the stock yard for a month & pay for his feed. When the bull was finally auctioned off, Cuz felt like he got ripped off - price was very low ... the bull got his “revenge’ by costing Cuz a good bit of money (vet call, 30 days room & board at the stock yard & a low price).

[MayflowerMadam]

Scary story. I’ve seen some example of their ran7 🤯ge on Dr. Pol.

[MayflowerMadam]

Scary story. I’ve seen some example of their ran7 🤯ge on Dr. Pol.

[MayflowerMadam]

Rage...

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

OK Diana Your internet is out for the time being and I hope that you are getting things done!

This maybe something that will interest the detective/gardener in you! (What was Ruth Stout really hiding under all those piles of mulch?)

“Why Weeds Reveal Where a Body Is Buried (Forensic Botany Explained)”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WD8criVmXNw

(Queue meme...Remember when you bury a body cover it with endangered plants etc...)