Posted on 10/01/2026 6:56:54 AM PDT by 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.
This weather won’t last long - but Fall & Spring are my favorite seasons. The slant of the sunlight is just MAGICAL this time of year, mornings and evenings. We have the BEST Sunsets around here in Fall. However, we KNOW that the REALLY cold days are looming...
Not sure how people can live in a place that doesn’t challenge them with all Four Seasons. When I lived in San Diego - BORING! 72 and Sunny every. d@mn. day. Probably the EASIEST place on Earth to be a Weather Guesser, LOL!
Spring - YAY!
Summer - BOO! (SO much work, gardening, mowing and canning)
Fall - YAY!
Winter - Meh.
I DO love Winter sports; Snow-shooing, High School Hockey, High School Basketball playoffs (on TV) Sledding, which is tooling around on our ‘Vintage’ 1982 Arctic Cats, Snow Angels, Snowmen, Snow Ice Cream, my lovely Winter birds at the feeders and a mug of Hot Chocolate for ANY reason. :)
October Gardening Chores by USDA Zone
Zone 5 (me!)
Planting: Similar to Zone 4, plant garlic, shallots, and spring flowering bulbs. (Not this year - bulbs are getting a re-fresh next fall)
Winter Prep: Drain hoses and prepare for frost. (When Beau comes home. This is HIS job.)
Perennial Care: Protect potted perennials; collect soil samples for testing. (Nope. No potted perennials and my soil is like BUTTAH thanks to straw mulch and ‘Ithaca Grow’)
Dividing Perennials: Dig, divide, and water perennials as in Zone 4. (Not moving anything)
Harvesting: Gather any remaining summer crops before frost. (THIS I will do!)
Seed Saving: Save seeds from non-hybrid flowers for next season. (THIS I will do!)
Record Keeping: Note productive and unsatisfactory vegetable varieties. (I will be reporting later. I kept good records this year. Some tomatoes will NOT make the cut for next season.)
YOUR Zone and October Chores at link:
https://ecowormorganic.com/october-gardening-chores-by-usda-zone/
Several years ago I was surprised when the birds just stripped my mature fig tree of almost all ripe fruit. With this whole flock I was lucky to pick half a dozen nice ones a day for the week I was there going out fairly early to chase them away. I was so glad that those birds had forgotten about my tree the following years.
This year I arrived at my shore property a bit after peak harvest, a had some birds hitting the higher up figs, but leaving enough lower level ones for me to have spares to boil with some brown sugar and bring back to the city to spread on toast with goat cheese, or other minor treats. Next year perhaps my timing will be better and I will harvest enough to do something more creative with a surplus.
Foggy, soggy & gloomy this morning, wet leaves down everywhere. It will be at least partly cloudy during the day, with sunshine forecast to be coming back for tomorrow (fingers crossed). It will be cooler, too. I don’t think today will be a day I can work outside - too wet.
I saw no hummers yesterday or this morning, so far. Being fewer & farther between, I could have missed them, but I get the feeling they’re well & truly gone. The feeder will stay up through the 15th to help any migrating stragglers who need to tank up.
Sent back an accepted proposal this morning for our handrail (basement steps) project. That’s 2 of 3 with signed proposals, now we just need to get the workmen out here to do the job. Insulation ‘may’ happen this week which would be a huge relief to get that project off the ‘to do’ list, not only because of what they’ll have to do to get it done, but because with the colder weather, the upstairs is going to be getting chilly.
Some time this week or next, I need to make a mulch run. I’d like to get mulch from our favorite orchard & pick up some apples at the same time. I’d like to get enough apples to put up enough that I don’t have to buy/peel apples every time I want to serve cinnamon apples. The last time I mulched was in 2024 & what I put down has about either rotted away or been washed away by some heavy downpours. I’d like to get the area around my herb/jalapeno beds finished off - that project has been languishing all summer due to excessive heat primarily.
No cooking happened this weekend :-( - hoping to get some done today. On the list: no mayo Cole slaw, carrot casserole, salmon patties, lentil soup & getting the 2nd brisket dry rubbed to marinate overnight, It’s an ambitious list.
I'm gonna miss that guy. He's already 35 years old, but will probably outlive me. He doesn't look HAPPY here, but he never looks happy. He's an, 'Eeyore' for sure, though Eeyore is a Donkey v. a Mule. ;)
Mulch! My 12 bags ($2 each, Menard’s spring sale) are still sitting there. The puppy is gone, but I’m waiting for the new porch construction project and then I’ll mulch.
And if the snow flies before I get to it? There’s always spring...unless there is a new puppy or two on the porch, LOL!
Rumor has it that Beau is brining home a female Beagle when he returns from Bear Camp. 2 years old or so. And she will be a 100% OUTSIDE dog. (Famous last words...)
It’s gonna be tough to play inside today, but I have to start on the whole-house cleaning project. Ugh. I’m putting off shopping & town errands until later in the week so I can pick up what I need for the party next Sunday. I’m doing Sloppy Joes - everyone is bringing a dish to pass. Easy Peasy.
HERBACIOUS CREAMY FRIED EGGS ON BUTTERED TOAST
10 minutes prep to serve time----a fancy Sunday brunch without the fuss.
ING PER EGG: 1 tbl halfnhalf or cream (fat-free is OK) pinch ea dill, chives, Parm, s/p
Method: For each egg, pour 1 tbl halfnhalf (or cream) into bowl. Crack in eggs---careful to preserve whole yolk. Add butter amt needed for no of eggs planned) Begin to melt butter. OK if it slightly browns---adds flavor. Gently pour eggs/cream atop bubbling butter---careful w/ yolks. Quickly sprinkle w/ chives, dill weed, Parm, s/p. Tightly lid. HnH magically binds w/ whites; steam eggs 1-2 min; thin yolk coating turns a bit opaque - then immediately remove offheat.
SERVE on buttered toast (or English muffins).
LOLLLLLLLL!!!!!!
(psst...I have ppl on 'both sides' too...shhhh)
He’s beautiful. Probably would be happier if your Mom visited more. I thought you were getting a loaner mini dairy cow so you would be enjoying it all winter. And Ithaca would have some company!
My home computing system is taking shape. Similar to a business system with Server and Clients. Seems weird removing apps from my laptop and feels like I’m losing something when I’m really gaining. That same app is now on the NAS/server and I do have more than one computer around here. They can all access the same apps now and I don’t have to worry about files on this one, files on another one and so on. I need one more Mini PC to run the TV which I’m currently doing with a mini PC that’s also a web server. The web server needs to just be a web server and doesn’t need a desktop GUI. The GUI is web based via the Linux/Debian based FreedomBox software.
Heading to Menard’s tomorrow to get an electric log splitter. It will do most everything I need with no pull rope, gas or choke to deal with and less noise.
Still haven’t gotten the gas engine splitter going. I did get the flywheel off which I thought maybe the key had sheared on throwing off the spark timing. Nope. Only thing left is to try a coil. It kinda wants to start with some pops of combustion here and there. If a coil doesn’t fix it, the splitter will end up powered by a Honda GX series next year.
I’ll be grabbing some chain link top rail from Menard’s for the tunnel. That and whatever kind of poison I can find to kill off the ticks and chiggers around here so I can be out there. Liquid in the little tank sprayer is what I need.
Heading out now to finally toss everything out of the tunnel so I can mow and tarp the ground while we still have warm enough weather to kill things off under black plastic. Still cool enough for bugs to be slow.
I use a product called ‘Tempo’ for the Box Elder Bugs and FAKE Ladybugs that congregate on my south-facing sunny porch this time of year.
It’s not cheap, but a little goes a long way. It’s a powder you mix with water and spray where needed. Can also be used indoors - but I haven’t had to do that. Yet. It kills on contact and also keeps on killing if they touch whatever it’s sprayed on (siding). I DO have to sweep the porch and stairs every morning, but the stuff works!
The label says it works on outdoor ticks, so would probably kill chiggers, too.
Can re-apply every 7-10 days as needed. I re-applied some on the porch, today.
Nope. Beau won’t even let me get a loaner Dairy Cow! Booo!
We are getting the next steer at the end of the month. I’ll post a contest for names, soon. :)
Creamy Sausage and Kale Soup
Ing: 6 slices bacon diced 2 lb bulk Italian sausage 1 tbl olive oil 1 small onion diced 4 minced gar/cl 1 1/2 lb peeled Russet potatoes in 1/2" cubes 8 c chix broth 1 tsp Italian seasoning coarse sea salt/black pepper 1 head de-stemmed/chp curly kale 3/4 c h/cream 1/4 c l/juice 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
Method: On med cook bacon crisp 4-5 min. Remove bacon to plate; drain off fat in pan. On medium-high cook sausage 10-12 min (sausage is brown and crisp), break up as it cooks. Remove sausage to plate; drain excess fat. Add the olive oil, garlic to pot; saute 3-4 min (onion is transluscent and garlic is fragrant). Add sausage to pot w/ potatoes, broth, Italian seasoning, s/p.
Cover/cook on med-low 25-30 min (potatoes are tender). Add kale, then cover, cook 3-5 min (kale is wilted and bright green). Stir in the heavy cream, lemon juice, and crushed red pepper flakes, and bacon, and cook for a 3-5 minutes, until warmed through, then taste for s/p. Serve.
Recipe Notes
Instant Pot: Complete steps 1-3, then cover and seal Pot; cook on high pressure 7 min then release pressure immediately and stir in kale. Cook 1-2 min til kale is wilted, then proceed. Slow Cooker: Proceed with steps 1-3, then add onions, garlic, sausage, potatoes, Italian seasoning, s/p. Cook 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low, then stir in kale; cook 2-3 min til wilted and bright green, then proceed.
I have one hummie that’s still showing up at my feeders. Every day I think it will be the last, and then I see her stop by. She will probably head out soon if she’s still here. (I saw her this morning as I ate breakfast.)
I’m gonna have to look up that Tempo stuff. We have an invasion going on here. We’ve captured about a hundred in just a few short days.
Sounds good I would substitute spinach for kale, Maybe sprinkle some grated parmesan when serving.
Spinach would be a great swap...mild, slightly sweet, and earthy
when raw, becomes richer, more acidic, and softer when cooked.
Parm enhances “anything.”
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