WEEKLY GARDEN THREAD Oct. 5, 2018

freerepublic | Oct. 5, 2018 | greeneyes

[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 any time-and don't have to be about gardening.

[greeneyes]

I get my seeds from there too: Baker’s Creek-located in the area where I grew up-SW Missouri. Got to support MO. Companies when I can LOL.

[greeneyes]

Wise decision. Glad we have a few days to go before we get that cold.

[greeneyes]

I use a plastic compost container-it’s about the size of a 60 gallon trash can and has a door that raises to give access to the bottom/finished layer. Keeps things neater.

Hubby has chicken wire circles next to his garden spots. Not as neat, but better than some other alternatives.

[Califreak]

I am dreaming of a place where I can have chickens for eggs and fertilizer!

[greeneyes]

That would be nice - except during the winter here, I would not want to go outside to do the chores. LOL

[Califreak]

Is it just wet and cold or do you get snow?

[greeneyes]

Snow and sometimes lots of it. Like in Winter of 1980 we got about 20 inches over night. The next week we got 8 inches, and I was trying to drive home - a blizzard.

Had to stop and scrape the ice off the window every 30 min. That was a rather unusual winter. The kids went back to school for about 1 or 2 days after Christmas break, and missed the next 2 months.

They missed so many days, the legislature had to pass a law to allow them some lee way on making up the days.

[Califreak]

Wow that’s a lot of snow!

Missouri, right?

Ozarks or more north?

[ATOMIC_PUNK]

I love their seeds never a problem all the way round check out the Atomic tomato im going to grow some of them next year they look great !

[BikerTrash]

Honeydews so sweet this year they hurt your face.

Worth it.

[ApplegateRanch]

Got a surprise at dinner time tonight. Spousal Unit was peeling & cutting a largish cocozelle, and asked me to take a look at it. The skin was a it thicker than usual; some of the stripes were actually deep, narrow ribbing; and the inside was more dense & solid than normal: it was a cross with the acorn squash. Taste was normal for a cocozelle or zuke.

Not really a summer squash, but certainly not a winter type, so I dubbed it an “Autumn squash”.

No, didn’t save any of the seed, as they were immature, and it was not really practical.

[Sacajaweau]

Of course...whatever works.

I liked the wood stakes....got them for free from a buddy. I put lines on them as they grew like we did with our kids and photographed them. Also wrote the variety.

Yeh...I'm a little weird...but had fun.

[tubebender]

Thanks for the ping. I failed to check for it yesterday. I need to get my garlic planted by the end of this month...

[ssfromla]

Will you please add me to your pin list? tyvm

[Ladysforest]

We get that much overnight sometimes. We figure 8-10 inches is a normal big snow. 12-20 inches is a real snowstorm (if within a 24 hour period). 24 in. to whatever is a real “event” or significant storm. 6 inches or under (after the first snow of the season) is kind of a nothing burger. UNLESS it is icy snow of course.

[greeneyes]

We have had 21”, but that is fairly rare. In St. Louis anything too deep is an issue because cars don’t have that much clearance.

Where I live, almost every house has a Truck or SUV 4x4. so not so much.

We often get ice, sleet, snain. Too slick and dangerous. Try to stay indoors and off the roads.

[mythenjoseph]

Hello all from Louisiana , still kind of warm during the days but the fall is creeping in slowly . I will be dressing up the yard and taking extra care around the rose bushes as one has finally started to bud (first bud in 6 months.) God has made sur that we get enough water and sunlight , no problem for plantings of any kind , get some good topsoil and it will grow . Oh yeah , I planted 30 trees at a property that I have worked on for the past 6 months and it appears they have all taken nicely to their new home...one of the magnolias even flowered ! there are 3 or 4 types cyprus/mag’s/maple and some other type of evergreen...so I have been keeping in the dirt a little . Have a good week all and may God be with you .

[Augie]

We've gotten a bit of rain here in Central Missouri over the past week. Nothing near what is needed to get out of the drought we're in, but better than nothing.

Nothing going on in the garden. I need to start the fall cleanup and get a spot prepped to set the garlic, but I've been concentrating my free time efforts on decorating the pond while it's still dry.

This one is for perspective. The tractor is 7' wide across the outside of the rear tires, and 9' high at the top of the cab. Since this was taken, the basin has been cut down another 5' where the tractor is setting.

Packing clay into the dam.

View from the back side.

This seep hole caused me a lot of grief during the latter stages of the work.

Pack, pack, and more pack.

#2 ex-Navy Son Clint helping out with the re-grading on the back side of the dam.

All closed up, working on the back side re-grade.

It's starting to look like something.

Nice and smooth. Since this was taken it's been seeded and mulched with hay.

My old Monark tri-hull. It used to catch fish, now it will be a place for them to hide. For perspective, it's 17' long and 6'6" abeam at the stern.

I spread 35 ton of 1.5" surface stone on the ledge to make a happy place for the panfish to bed. The deep cut is getting filled with cedar trees.

I've got 30-some cedar trees in so far. I'm hoping the weather holds long enough to get the right side of the dropoff filled with trees all the way to the ramp that goes down into the basin. After that all that's left to do is put down sand for the swimming beach and build the fishing dock. Nanner has returned every dime I paid for it and more on this project.

[tubebender]

Amazing work there Augie! If I built a pond like that someone at the state, county or city would be yelling at me to STOP and FILL it with dirt...

[Augie]

Thank you, Sir!

The pond was already there, so technically this is just a cleanout. What I did with the spoil, on the other hand, the enviro-nazis would not be happy about. But what they don’t know won’t hurt me. lol