WEEKLY GARDEN THREAD FEB. 16, 2017

freerepublic | FEB. 16, 2017 | greeenyes

[greeneyes]

The Weekly Gardening Thread is a weekly 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.

This thread is non-political, although you will find that most here are conservative folks. 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 Weekly Gardening 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!

NOTE: This is a once a week ping list. We do post to the thread during the week. Links to related articles and discussions which might be of interest are welcomed, so feel free to post them at any time.

[greeneyes]

Just anything useful. That’s why I said I might just do dandelions. Leaves and flowers are edible and I have a recipe for wine. LOL

[greeneyes]

You might try a little Epsom Salts in the tomato and Pepper buckets along with the eggshells and banana peels.

[SaveFerris]

I did use Epsom Salts last year! Got the tip right here!

Only bought one bag though so I had to spread it around (no pun intended).

[SaveFerris]

Yeah I try not to get too much. But I let them cook a long time - I keep turning them.

I peel back one side for the soaking and then push it back over. The corn is totally-covered on all sides.

It’s now my ritual - the flame-up! LOL

Tells me when it’s ready and some part of it is caramelized.

[MomwithHope]

My favorite lazy way to do corn these days - keep in mind I only eat one ear - is to clean and rinse with water, wrap up quickly in wax paper and nuke for 1 minute 10 seconds. It’s perfect for me.

[SaveFerris]

Oh man that’s too much work, LOL.

Soak it and set it on fire!! That’s my method! LOL

(I’ll have to try your way for some, though - thanks)

[MomwithHope]

Hubby set a leg of lamb on fire on a charcoal grill that was way too hot. It was on a spit. This was 20+ years ago. Our daughter and I were down in the garden. It was the 4th of July. We called out to him that the grill was smoking. He lifted the lid, fought the flames and took out the spit, and promptly held the flaming leg of lamb up in the air like the statue of liberty. It was hilarious until I thought how much that lamb had cost, plus it was our dinner. That weber grill burned for so long and so hot that the wooden handles were burned off. Ah....memories.

[SaveFerris]

20+ years ago I liked to BBQ outside my condo - 4-5 days a week.

I would often make a “tray” of of aluminum foil, double-layered, joined to another group of sheets, folded edges lifted up.

Put in some cooking oil, sliced onion, green peppers, etc.

All going fine - just fine.

Then I reached down with a metal spatula one day to separate some of the vegetables.

Went right through the foil - both layers.

OOPS

Flames jumped up at least 3 feet high. People driving by in the complex got a little show, LOL.

Oops

[MomwithHope]

There should be a grill thread. Before I was married - 40 years ago - my brother came up for a visit. I set up a grill and being really stupid and out of lighter fluid I put gasoline on the coals. There were some big flames with a boom to go, the bottom part of my shirt singed across the bottom and I quickly jumped back and put it out. Lucky!

[SaveFerris]

Gives that food a special taste, too.

[greeneyes]

OK. Good Luck.

[SaveFerris]

I had some bugs crawling all over the few squash I had last year.

Like 4. LOL What a bumper crop. If I was feeding a squirrel. Huge plants with huge leaves.

It was the last two squash - long legs - but they didn’t do any damage.

I figure the watermelons or carrots have the best chance at survival down there. Guess I’m gonna find out.

[greeneyes]

carrots best bet. squash is fruit, follow fruit with roots.

After roots, legumes, then leaves-lettuce, then fruit.

[SaveFerris]

Yeah, may go with carrots. Shoot, it’s the only place I have a shot with my watermelons, though. I bought two packages!

40 cents plus tax!!!

[Ellendra]

Lambsquarters is a pretty common weed in most of the US. Both the seeds and the leaves are edible. It’s sometimes nicknamed “wild quinoa” because, well, they’re the wild form of quinoa.

There are several common weeds that are medicinal herbs. Pleurisy root, a form of milkweed, is an antiviral. So is elderberry. Mullein is good for coughs, and the leaves can be smoked as a tobacco substitute.

Nettle is a detoxifying herb, and the stem fibers can be used to make rope or fabric, much the way hemp is used.

Burdock roots can be eaten their first year. It’s actually a popular vegetable in Japan.

Chances are, you’ve already got something useful growing :)

[oldvirginian]

Not an uncommon sight in the south at one time.
Thank the gracious Lord that stuff is, for the most part, under control now.

My daddy called it Japan’s revenge for WW2.

[Augie]

Snow Saturday, 60° Sunday - another typical weather weekend here in Central Missouri.

It was too nasty for me to do anything outside on Saturday, so I finished up my tax returns and e-filed both state and fed.

Went fishing yesterday morning. No luck. It was too windy to spray orchard trees and too slimy on top to do anything else, so I spent the rest of the day relaxing.

[greeneyes]

Same here. I did get some kitchen scraps out to the compost pile. LOL

[Daffynition]

Any idea if these garden hacks are worthwhile?

If you’re tired of tasteless tomatoes that are overly acidic and lack the punch you crave, this hack will easily save the day. All you need to do is sprinkle baking soda over the tomato seeds when you plant them. After they flourish and produce fruit, you’ll have the sweetest and juiciest tomatoes on the block.

Now this trick is pretty cool. If you want your own rose bushes, but can’t afford to buy one, all you need to do is buy a few individual roses and cut an inch off the stem. Next, dip the end in cinnamon and then place it inside a potato. Yep, you read that right, a simple potato! Finally, you just need to plant the potatoes and in a few months you’ll have your own rose bush!

[21twelve]

That rose one sounds interesting. (And it was just Valentine’s Day, sooo....) Now - do you take the inch that you cut off the rose stem and place it in the potato - or put the long stem and flower into the potato?? With the flower sticking out of the ground? Seriously - I want to try this.

BTW - the photo with the nail in the potato got my attention. My mom would bake her potatoes with a big glavanized nail in them (length wise) to help get the heat to the middle of the potato and cut down on the cooking time. (Regular oven - obviously before the days of microwave!!)