Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Weekly Garden Thread April 25- May 1, 2020
April 25, 2020 | Diana in Wisconsin/Greeneyes

Posted on 04/25/2020 6:49:47 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin

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.

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 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 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! Send a Private Message to Diana in Wisconsin if you'd like to be added to our New & Improved Ping List.

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 to Gardeners are welcomed any time!


TOPICS: Food; Gardening; Hobbies; Outdoors
KEYWORDS: agriculture; farming; food; garden; gardening; hobbies; outdoors
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 81-100101-120121-140141-156 next last
To: Diana in Wisconsin

when I was 7 or 8.....the widow Mrs Ober let me taste her nettle tea. It was delicious.

She lived down the dead end road in the woods in a beautiful home her deceased dentist husband built.

This would have been mid 70s and she was in her 80s then. I shudder to think what horse tools her “dentist” husband used when he began his career bear the turn of 2 centuries ago!

He probably showed more horses than pulled teeth.

She was such a sweet old lady and we would ride our bicycles put through the dirt roads that went through the forest to visit her.

One day while she was letting g us play with her grandkids’ toys (they had have been in their 40s or 50s by then) she blurted out “oh my! Why is that man going through my garbage can.

I looked out the window and it was a bear looking for a snack!

It is a shame the entire Area is now subdivisions. It was a great place to grow up however.


121 posted on 04/30/2020 8:05:09 PM PDT by TheErnFormerlyKnownAsBig (Unlike Bloomberg, I have said "Fat broads"and "Horsefaced Lesbians" but cuz I luv them both.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 92 | View Replies]

To: Blurb2350

You don’t have to use all soil. You can put logs and twigs and all kinds of trimmings and whatnot in the bottom if you have stuff like that around and do maybe 12-16” of solid soil.


122 posted on 04/30/2020 8:07:43 PM PDT by Califreak (If Obama had been treated like Trump the US would have been burnt down before Inauguration Day)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 106 | View Replies]

To: Califreak

I like that guy’s info but his videos are almost unwatchable....


123 posted on 04/30/2020 8:15:41 PM PDT by TheErnFormerlyKnownAsBig (Unlike Bloomberg, I have said "Fat broads"and "Horsefaced Lesbians" but cuz I luv them both.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 104 | View Replies]

To: Diana in Wisconsin

I might do that but it’s pretty crowded and it might not work because you’re supposed to do rows 30” apart with plants 8” apart. I don’t have a lot of space so I did rows 12” apart with plants 8” apart with beans in between the rows of corn.

This is in a space thats 4 x 15 feet so not much space and I kind of need to do it this way for my soaker hose setup. I’m hoping to get something out of it-as long as I feed it it should produce something....

All my stuff is on the perimeter of the yard and I’m trying to make more room. Normally it’s all I can do to grow a few squash and maters. I’d love to grow enough to can gobs of stuff for winter but just don’t have the room.

Trying to get better at it for when I do have the room.

When I get the room, I’ll probably have to do battle with deer and bunnies in addition to slugs and squirrels.

That one poster that has the tiny sideyard-daniel12 I think?

That one does miracles with small spaces!


124 posted on 04/30/2020 8:24:34 PM PDT by Califreak (If Obama had been treated like Trump the US would have been burnt down before Inauguration Day)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 110 | View Replies]

To: Diana in Wisconsin

Oh my gosh don’t they smell divine on a warm day or night?

Mmmmmmm!


125 posted on 04/30/2020 8:25:55 PM PDT by Califreak (If Obama had been treated like Trump the US would have been burnt down before Inauguration Day)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 112 | View Replies]

To: TheErnFormerlyKnownAsBig
Ha!

I think I know what you mean. Sometimes those YouTube folk yap and yap and yap before they get to the... ahem.. root of the matter...


126 posted on 04/30/2020 8:42:15 PM PDT by Califreak (If Obama had been treated like Trump the US would have been burnt down before Inauguration Day)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 123 | View Replies]

To: metmom

You can, but it’s not necessary. At Jung’s we used to store it in crates (the bunches of 10 crowns were in mesh bags) in a walk-in cooler that ran about 40 degrees. We would hose down the floor for added humidity. Your average fridge is 42 and is plenty humid.

I’d just keep them dormant until you can plant them, if it’s only going to be a week or 10 days.


127 posted on 05/01/2020 6:30:55 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin (I don't have 'hobbies.' I'm developing a robust post-Apocalyptic skill set.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 118 | View Replies]

To: TheErnFormerlyKnownAsBig

I do! We have four types of woodpecker up here and the biggest and LOUDEST is the Red Bellied. He’s the one that always lets me know when the suet feeder is empty!


128 posted on 05/01/2020 6:33:10 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin (I don't have 'hobbies.' I'm developing a robust post-Apocalyptic skill set.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 120 | View Replies]

To: Califreak

“I’d love to grow enough to can gobs of stuff for winter but just don’t have the room.”

If you are serious about canning and have a Farmer’s Market you can go to, go at the end of the last day, the last hour of business. The marketers will practically GIVE stuff away to you, rather than haul it back home.

Good way to get tomatoes and peppers for canning salsa and stewed tomatoes for cheap. ;)


129 posted on 05/01/2020 6:38:30 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin (I don't have 'hobbies.' I'm developing a robust post-Apocalyptic skill set.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 124 | View Replies]

To: Califreak
I'm going to grow 'Glass Gem' corn this season for decor, then popcorn. I think I'll add decorative gourds at their feet. Mine will be in a 4x8 bed, but I should be able to get nine stalks in there, comfortably.


130 posted on 05/01/2020 6:43:05 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin (I don't have 'hobbies.' I'm developing a robust post-Apocalyptic skill set.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 126 | View Replies]

To: Diana in Wisconsin

Thanks for the tip!

I’ve never been to a farmer’s market yet.

I’ll have to wander out there someday.

I have 8 tomato plants, a few bells and a jalapeno.

Maybe I can get one batch of salsa out of that.

I don’t know what the deal is with my yellow squash and zucchini. I planted those at the same time I did the corn and beans and they still aren’t up yet. One day was really really hot and I had the lid tight on the Jiffy greenhouse so maybe the seeds got cooked or something.

I’ll give them another week and start over if I need to.

I get zucchini for days but haven’t been able to grow yellow squash for a while now.


131 posted on 05/01/2020 9:06:39 AM PDT by Califreak (If Obama had been treated like Trump the US would have been burnt down before Inauguration Day)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 129 | View Replies]

To: Diana in Wisconsin

Those are so pretty!

I’ve always wondered what home grown popcorn tastes like compared to store bought.

Is there a significant difference in freshness and taste?

Speaking of freshness and taste...

I used garlic that I planted in Fall of 2018 the other day and it was great! The reason I still had it was the bulbs were tiny I picked early because it got extremely rusty due to heavy rains that season.

I had some garlic I bought from the store a month or two ago and it must have been stored for a long, long time because it was pretty tired.


132 posted on 05/01/2020 9:13:24 AM PDT by Califreak (If Obama had been treated like Trump the US would have been burnt down before Inauguration Day)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 130 | View Replies]

To: Califreak

We’ve become kind of ‘Popcorn Snobs’ and growing your own is better than store bought in our opinions.

I do have a fall market I go to each October specifically to stock up on popcorn that is locally grown. My favorites are ‘Mushroom’ and ‘Sunburst.’

Year before last we grew ‘Puffy Pop’ which is HUGE, but has too many hulls. A better variety is ‘Cream Pop’ which is the same with less hulls.

We’re purists - just butter and a little salt. :)


133 posted on 05/01/2020 1:20:56 PM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin (I don't have 'hobbies.' I'm developing a robust post-Apocalyptic skill set.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 132 | View Replies]

To: Diana in Wisconsin

I just got in from planting a few potatoes, watering, and building a half ass raised bed out of a few boards I had laying around and dumping a bunch of half rotten straw in there to keep weeds down.

It’s more of a divider so I don’t whack anything down with my weedeater-because I’m a weakling and can’t always hold it steady. I lost one of my tomatoes last year when my arms got weak.

I have a soaker hose moisturizing the area so I can plant squash if it ever comes in. It’s near a fence with lots of trees on the other side but enough sun hits it to support some squash or something. I’ll just have to feed well due to the trees on the other side.


134 posted on 05/01/2020 2:52:59 PM PDT by Califreak (If Obama had been treated like Trump the US would have been burnt down before Inauguration Day)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 133 | View Replies]

To: Diana in Wisconsin

Sometimes I pop corn in beef fat and put salt, pepper and butter on it.

Popping it in coconut oil is good too.


135 posted on 05/01/2020 4:25:06 PM PDT by Califreak (If Obama had been treated like Trump the US would have been burnt down before Inauguration Day)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 133 | View Replies]

To: Califreak

Yes, but my raised beds — prefab galvanized steel rectangles — are only about a foot deep. But that whole hugelkultur thing is fascinating.


136 posted on 05/02/2020 8:26:15 AM PDT by Blurb2350
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 122 | View Replies]

To: All

I had such a fantastic day in the garden, yesterday! We got the roses planted all around the greenhouse, then Beau moved the six Current bushed (red and black) to down along the driveway where they are away from White Pine (Blister Rust) and the wildlife can eat them. In their place we planted three Blanc Double d'Colbert roses. I will fill the other spots with three more rose-hip producers/fragrance roses.

I did my first mowing of the season after changing the oil in the mower. I watered things in the greenhouse 4x yesterday, and also took apart and re-potted my HUGE Aloe Vera plant (named, 'Audrey') so she is settled back in and all of her babies are in the greenhouse to grow on a bit before I give them away.

Today I am catching up on indoor chores, but also want to finish pruning the lilac suckers that I can get at now, now that Beau has taken out some more dead wood for me.

Still too early to plant much in the garden, so I am working on weeding and getting everything ready to receive.

The first Orioles showed up today and are already crabbing at each other at the feeder filled with jelly, juice and oranges. Waiting for the Rose Breasted Grosbeaks, which should be along any day now.

Our Foster Son is here for the weekend and is continuing to paint the house. Yippee! Progress!

137 posted on 05/02/2020 8:38:28 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin (I don't have 'hobbies.' I'm developing a robust post-Apocalyptic skill set.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 136 | View Replies]

To: Diana in Wisconsin

I had been planning to use heavy-duty landscape fabric in parts of my garden this year. I got one 50-foot piece laid out and planted last week before the rain. Yesterday I went out to lay more down, and instead spent the whole time wrestling the first one back into place. I had forgotten exactly how strong the wind is out there!

Staples every 18 inches along the edges weren’t enough. The wind would work its way under an edge and lift the whole thing like a kite. It now has large rocks every foot or so weighing it down, but I am NOT doing that any more than I have to! So, fabric is being set aside for trees, shrubs, and perennials. Everything else is just going to have to deal with the bare dirt.

I can’t even use mulch out there because of the wind. My plans include several types of windbreaks eventually, but until those are up I get to do things the hard way.


138 posted on 05/02/2020 9:10:21 AM PDT by Ellendra (A single lie on our side does more damage than a thousand lies on their side.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 137 | View Replies]

To: Blurb2350

I’m older with a very bad back.

Those tall raised beds sure look good to me!

Filling them is very expensive if you have no available soil in your yard that’s for sure-even if your beds are shallow.

I wonder if a person could use straw to stretch store bought topsoil?

Since it breaks down pretty fast whatever is in the bed would have to be replenished or topped off.

Piles of manure and straw have made my awful clay soil workable. It used to just be hard like a rock.


139 posted on 05/02/2020 9:43:54 AM PDT by Califreak (If Obama had been treated like Trump the US would have been burnt down before Inauguration Day)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 136 | View Replies]

To: Califreak
You might want to think about repurposing livestock troughs or bunk feeders -- they're all the rage these days among backyard gardeners. My local Tractor Supply has bunk feeders in all sorts of lengths.



Or you could use metal water troughs up on some sort of sturdy platform -- maybe made of heavy metal pipes -- at a comfortable height for you. These also come in a wide variety of lengths and depths.


140 posted on 05/02/2020 10:13:47 AM PDT by Blurb2350
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 139 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 81-100101-120121-140141-156 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson