The Victory Garden Thread - October, 2026

October 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.

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

I also do not wait for “vine ripened” tomatoes. As soon as I get blush I bring them in to finish up in the house out of reach of insects and animals.

[Liz]

Sweet Potato Fritters / Honey Sriracha Mayo
Appy or dinnertime side. Nice luncheon meal.

Ing: 2 lge raw sweet potatoes, coarse-grated/dried well with paper towel 2 eggs, beaten 1/2 c ea flour, Panko 1/2 tsp ea grnd cinnamon,k/salt Olive Oil for frying, DIP 3 Tbl mayo 1 Tbl Sriracha 1 tsp honey

Method: combine sweet potatoes, eggs, flour, panko, cinnamon, k/salt. Mix well. Rest about 10 min. Heat 2–3 Tbl olive oil on med. Scoop 1/8 c potato mixture into palm of hand. Roll into ball then flatten into small pancake shape. Gently set into oil. Sauté 5 min; cooked through and golden brown, turn once. Remove to p/towel on plate. Keep warm in low oven. Add more oil to pan as needed. Serve---place fritters on platter w/ cupfull of Honey Sriracha Mayo.

[Paul R.]

ouch...

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Those look like very handy tools. I always love a Compass. ;)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

[Diana in Wisconsin]

You had me at, ‘Honey Sriracha Mayo...’ :)

[Liz]

I knew that.

[Paul R.]

Well, if the issue is frost coming, I bring in anything that might complete ripening. But sometimes tomatoes go bad on me if I try letting them ripen indoors. I’m not sure what’s up with that, but in any event, sometimes they “do better” if I leave ‘em out and can keep the insects beaten back. Assuming a good forecast, of course.

Our cat (tomcat only, daughter-san has taken the tabby to live with her) ignores the catnip I planted this year (and which catnip has done very well). So, trying to use catnip to get him to stay out by our “east” garden area to help keep “varmints”, assorted birds, etc., away, has been a dud.

Anyway, I have lots of green tomatoes @ present, and the forecast is looking promising until nearly the end of October, so, we shall see...!

[Paul R.]

Too funny!

I was checking with Brave Search (basically AI if you ask a question) about area lows at the end of October, using our zip code for the location, and it got the county wrong twice in a row -- the 1st time almost 200 miles away, the 2nd time "only" about 50 miles away. That became a sort of conversation at end of which (of my contribution) I quipped: "Have you been drinking again, Harry Mudd?!"

The AI responded with (after finally getting the location correct):

Ha, guilty as charged. You're right — (location corrections) My bad on that.

Then: The good news is the weather numbers don't change — (explanation) ...so that mid-40s°F normal Halloween low still holds. No need to re-run the numbers, just the geography.

(And for the record, I don't have a drinking problem, I just have a geography problem. Same difference, I suppose.)

I probably should respond with a crack about 500 "Stellas". ;-)

[left that other site]

May This Coffee be The Start Of A MAGAnificent Day.

🏍🍁😁🐶☕️(((HUGS)))☕️🐶😁🍁🏍

ML/LTOS

[AFB-XYZ]

You’ll never believe this . . . I’m suddenly getting buds on my green bean plants (including the pole beans), the bell pepper plants, and even some of the tomato plants. I was certain that Oklahoma’s heat wave (almost 2 months of 100°F to 109°F) had killed everything. But the existing plants began growing new leaves as soon as the triple digits eased off, and now it looks like there will be stuff to harvest after all. Stuck some radish seeds and lettuce seeds in a couple of the existing pots a couple weeks ago, and the jury is still out on them. We’ll see what happens. :-)

The lettuce is a little worrisome, as the seeds germinated quickly but now the seedlings appear to be dying. Over-watering, maybe? If worse comes to worst, maybe I can grow some lettuce indoors.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Lettuce is a cool weather crop, so even if you’re only in the 80’s now that the heat has broken, it’s still too hot.

Look to grow lettuce in your coolest months of the year in OK. :)

I’ve had good success growing it indoors, but it needs lots of light (grow lights: 16 hours on, 8 hours off) in the coolest part of your house. A sunny window sometimes works if the window glass is well insulated and doesn’t let in heat, just light.

Let us know how it goes! :)

[MomwithHope]

Funny, hubbys was the only one of the three of us that survived.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

11 Native Shrubs to Make Your Yard a Wonderland for Birds

From plantings tips to which bird species they attract, get to know some of our most common shrubs found across North America.

Buttonbush
Dogwoods
Hollies
Pepperbush
Rhododendron
Shadbush
Snowberries
Spicebush

https://www.audubon.org/magazine/11-native-shrubs-make-your-yard-wonderland-birds

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Help Insects and Birds over Winter—Build a “Bug Snug”

From mowing to pruning to raking, gardening can leave a big mess at this time of year. A “bug snug” offers a simple way to keep cuttings in one place while providing a lifeline for local wildlife over winter—and it’s easy to make.

While piles of garden trimmings might look untidy, they can provide valuable habitats for insects and shelter for wildlife. Rather than putting it all in the trash, you can make a designated spot for the cuttings, keeping the rest of your yard looking neat while supporting the likes of insects, frogs, and birds.

In a recent Instagram reel, the organization showed how to make a multipurpose bug snug. “As gardeners, it’s very easy to want to get in the garden and clean up all the mess and cuttings off the floor,” says John Gaffney, OmVed’s landscape gardener.

“But actually, what wildlife wants is a bit of mess. This is why a ‘bug snug’ is really good because it keeps all the mess in one place, but is also used to house insects over winter.”

How to Make a “Bug Snug” at link: https://www.countryliving.com/gardening/garden-ideas/a74056402/how-to-make-a-bug-snug/?utm_source=firefox-newtab-en-us

[Diana in Wisconsin]

[Qiviut]

It’s been an ‘interesting’ week. Not that I needed anything more going on, but yesterday I took a serious chunk out of my finger on a new mandolin I got last weekend. So you may ask, how did that happen & were you following the safety instructions? I confess I was not abiding by the safety instructions so my wound(s) are self inflicted.

At least this morning, when I changed the bandage, blood was not gushing, which it was yesterday during several changes because the bandaging (thick bandaging, too) was totally soaked. Not seeing bone this morning (yay!) & no stitches needed since there are no edges close enough to pull together. It will have to fill in & I started silver cream this morning, which will help (it’s also antimicrobial).

Probably TMI - sorry if I ruined anyone’s morning coffee or whatever. Sometimes being a former EMT comes in handy & yesterday was one of those days when I had to EMT myself.

Follow safety instructions, people - I will from now on - lesson learned!!

[Augie]

Mostly warm and dry here in the Middle of Misery over the past few weeks.

I’ve been making a point of avoiding the computer. Nothing but bad news and sitting in a straight chair aggravates my back pain so I’ve been leaving it alone.

Ten days ago I had the first RF nerve ablation procedure done on my right side lumbar region. The procedure was extremely unpleasant, but the results have been nothing short of amazing so far. I’ve gotten more chores done in the past week than I did in all of September. I go back on the 21st to have the same thing done on the left side. They tell me the relief should last about a year. I’m starting to feel some relief in my upper back/neck from the last botox treatment. There’s still plenty of room for improvement, but it’s better than it was.

Been pecking away at property projects. Mrs. Augie’s chicken house has been given a good tune-up, a solar-powered automagic door, and a couple coats of primer. We’re going to hit the Lowe’s store this morning to pick up a couple tubes of window caulking and the topcoat paint.

Square bales of alfalfa/orchard grass hay for the horses were picked up yesterday. We have plenty of big round bales but it’s nice to have small squares to feed when the winter weather has the horses wanting to be under roof.

Good neighbor Dave baled a second cutting from my hayfield a few days ago. It made a little less than half compared to the first cut. Not bad considering how dry it’s been here for the past two months. He needed the hay for his cattle and I’m happy that I don’t have to run $4.50/gallon gasoline through the tractor to put the field to bed for the winter.

My big garden is still producing peppers, pole beans, and tomatoes - in spite of no irrigation for the past six weeks or so, and the bottle gourds are maturing. Everything else is finished. It’s about time to clean it up and add a layer of composted horse poo.

I’m going to seed some lettuce and spinach in the raised beds later today and install the cold frames on top. With any luck we’ll have fresh salad greens for the next couple or three months.

Howard is doing really well. I let him out in the mornings and he terrorizes the neighborhood foxes, coons, and groundhogs until he decides it’s time for his breakfast. Then he comes home and barks at the front door to let us know he’s back. Yesterday evening while we were out for a walk he saw a couple deer cutting across the hay field. Naturally, he took off after them barking his fool head off. I gave one beep on his training collar and he stopped dead in his tracks, turned around, and came back to us. Good boy, Howard.

[Augie]

Forgot one thing... chestnuts... we’ve collected about a gallon of fertilized nuts from the trees that I planted a few years ago. There’s probably another gallon on the ground inside the wire cages but so far I haven’t had the gumption to open the cages to collect those nuts. Maybe this weekend...

[Liz]

No-Bake Lemon Sour Cream Pie / sensational crust requires brief baking time
The perfect balance of sweet, tart, and creamy.

Ing: Shortbread Crust 1 c room temp unsalted butter 2 c flour ½ c conf sugar ½ tsp salt. Lemon Sour Cream Filling 1 c sugar 3 tbl cornstarch ¼ c butter (salted or unsalted) 1 tbl lemon zest ¼ c fresh lemon juice 3 egg yolks 1 c ea milk, sour cream

Method--Pie Crust: Cream butter smooth. Add flour, conf, salt. Mix to a soft dough (is crumbly), don’t over mix. W/ hands, press into sprayed 9” pie plate. Fridge 20-25 min; bake golden 350 deg 15-20 min. Cool completely.

Filling: Cook/whisk on med to thicken sugar, cornstarch, butter, l/zest, l/juice, egg yolks, milk. Sieve thru fine mesh for smoothness. Cool completely then fold in 1 cup sour cream. Pour into 9” baked pie shell. Fridge 2 hrs or more. Garnish w/ whipt cream rosettes, lemon slices.

Note: Stores airtight in fridge four days. Does not freeze well.