Weekly Garden Thread - January 18-24, 2020

January 18, 2020 | Diana in Wisconsin/Greeneyes

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Study Finds ‘Rollie Pollies’ Remove Heavy Metals From Soil, Protects Groundwater

Turns out a little bug we don’t think of much is one of the best protectors of soil ever imaginable. Read on to find out more!

Turn over a brick or a board lying in the yard and underneath you may find a collection of pill bugs scurrying about. Also known as “rollie pollies” or wood- lice, these grey-colored creatures can be found in many dark, moist environments feeding on decaying matter.

Actually, these critters are not bugs at all. They are crustaceans and more closely resemble crabs and shrimp, not insects. They are characterized by their ability to roll up into a ball when they feel threatened.

Breeding or collecting pill bugs may be an important practice for homesteading and gardening. The guts of these pill bugs contain a number of microbes that help the critter feed on dead, organic matter. By releasing mass quantities of pill bugs into a mature garden, one can be assured that dead plant matter is being properly broken down and returned to healthy soil.

Pill bugs play an important role in the cycle of healthy plant life. They return organic matter to the soil so it can be digested further by fungi, protozoans and bacteria. This process produces a natural supply of nitrates, phosphates and other vital nutrients that plants need to thrive now and in future growing seasons.

One very unique feature of these crustaceans is their ability to safely remove heavy metals from soil. For this reason, they are important for cleaning up soil pollutants such as lead, cadmium, and arsenic. In coal spoils and slag heaps, pill bugs also come in handy.

When they take in heavy metals like lead and cadmium, they crystallize these ions in their guts. The heavy metal toxins become spherical deposits in the mid gut. With this special cleanup capability, pill bugs survive in the most contaminated sites where most creatures can’t.

The magic of the pill bugs can reestablish healthy soil and prevent toxic metal ions from leaching into the groundwater. This means pill bugs are protecting well water from becoming contaminated while stabilizing soils.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

https://www.greenlivingpdx.com/study-finds-rollie-pollies-remove-heavy-metals-from-soil-protects-groundwater/?fbclid=IwAR2FvERRXz0d4vv_-5FG1JffvY0WhL2nLa-U0aRE8bsdESSzY-76nttR-iM

[tob2]

So far, our winter has been slightly above average temperature wise. Not too worry as there is plenty of winter left so there is still a chance of snow. We do get snow, just not as much as other places.

[left that other site]

“plenty of winter left”

Yep. (sigh)

[tob2]

Yep. We are about a month into winter, which ends in late March.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

[Diana in Wisconsin]

[tob2]

Yippee! We finally had winter weather today, even had snow flurries! lol

[tob2]

Awesome litle bug!

[tob2]

We finally had a bit of winter weather today, even had snow flurries!

[tob2]

All that and so cute!

[Diana in Wisconsin]

“I want to have lots of dahlias this year.”

Oh, me, too! Tons for cutting. Can’t wait! I grew them for the very first time last year - couldn’t believe how easy they were; I always found them daunting for some reason. Hoping the tubers I dug up and saved make it through the winter for me. I have them in a paper bag in a dark, cool (not freezing) cupboard. We shall see!

Have you watched the series, ‘Rosemary & Thyme’? Two lady gardeners/landscapers, we also solve murder mysteries. BBC, great fun!

I like pointing out the wrong plants in the wrong places, or things that are blooming off-season. ;) They do a pretty good job, but sometimes they put things together that wouldn’t work in Real Life. Of course, people aren’t being mysteriously murdered every week in Real Life either, LOL!

[Diana in Wisconsin]

[Liz]

Brad Parscale on Fox: ‘Huge upticks in Wisconsin, other states......we’re seeing 20-30 point increases.”

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Wheeeeeeeeeeeeee! :)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Amusing myself these days with sprouting. Highly recommended for when you're snowed in and need to grow... SOMETHING! Delicious and nutritious, too, on top of sandwiches and salads.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

https://www.growveg.com/guides/how-to-grow-sprouting-seeds-for-winter-salads/

[Paul R.]

Ugh. Likely hard frost tonight. I just got back home; in a few minutes it’s “out” to try to protect what I can, bring in some of my wife’s tropical plants. Big change in forecast from a few days ago!

Unrelated question, not exactly about gardening:

My Mom was having a bit of a “problem”, so I went to Wally World to get her prunes and prune juice. The prunes were pricey, the prune juice was out of sight, IMO. Even the “Great Value” who-knows-where-it-actually-came-from cheapo stuff was $4.68 for 64 oz. I was expecting $3-something. Nothing jumped out at me when I tried a web search.

By contrast, our local Aldi and Wal-Mart have for some time been having a milk price war. $1.59 per gallon. Of course, that doesn’t help Mom’s regularity.

[Paul R.]

If anyone is reading tonight:

Assuming air temps remain above 32 deg. F, will moving plants under large trees that are still well leafed out help prevent frost from forming on those plants?

I’m thinking the “canopy” should significantly reduce radiational cooling...

[Paul R.]

Ah, apparently the answer is “yes”.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1997-10-21-9710210333-story.html

https://wxguys.ssec.wisc.edu/2017/10/09/frost/