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Weekly Garden Thread - June 5-11, 2021
June 5, 021 | Diana in Wisconsin/Greeneyes

Posted on 06/05/2021 5:12:14 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 a non-political respite. No matter what, you wonโ€™t be flamed, and the only dumb question is the one that isnโ€™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: Agriculture; Food; Gardening; Hobbies
KEYWORDS: food; garden; gardening; hobbies
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To: tubebender

My garlic is doing great but no scapes yet. I should have some good pictures in a day or 2 of our garden.


41 posted on 06/05/2021 2:33:24 PM PDT by MomwithHope (Forever grateful to all our patriots, past, present and future. )
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

Fortunately, we have had no problems with crab grass.

Unfortunately, that means I have no self-tested solutions to tell you about when it comes to getting rid of it.

I do have this recipe called WEED BE GONE:

1 Gallon of vinegar
2 cups of Epsom Salts
1/4 cup of Dawn Dish Soap

Advertised to kill anything you spray it on.
Spray in the Morning and it’s dead by dinner time.


42 posted on 06/05/2021 2:36:24 PM PDT by greeneyes ( Moderation In Pursuit of Justice is NO Virtue--LET FREEDOM RING)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

I just got a 24 hour suspension from the Face Book moderators for calling a liberal an idiot.


43 posted on 06/05/2021 2:38:23 PM PDT by Redleg Duke (Where are all the Biden voters, proudly praising his accomplishments?)
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To: metmom

I can’t prove anything. However, the experts where I get my garlic from mailed instructions that said to snip the scapes. So that’s what I did.


44 posted on 06/05/2021 2:39:01 PM PDT by greeneyes ( Moderation In Pursuit of Justice is NO Virtue--LET FREEDOM RING)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

Summer’s heat is here, so I’ve switched to a nocturnal schedule. Last night I was finally able to start tilling. Did a first pass over about 80% of the field. The entire field needs at least 3 passes, a few days apart, before I can plant.

Last year when going through some older rye seed in buckets, we found a few that had been eaten by bugs. After everything was harvested, Dad dumped the bug-eaten seed where the pumpkins had been, thinking there was no viable seed left. Well, some of them must have survived, because there is a beautiful patch of winter rye almost as tall as my shoulders. I decided to let that go to seed. This year everything that isn’t planted with other stuff will be planted with field peas, and after harvest in the fall I’ll cover the field in winter rye. A few years of that should lower the weed pressure enough I can start thinking about expanding.


45 posted on 06/05/2021 2:49:48 PM PDT by Ellendra (A single lie on our side does more damage than a thousand lies on their side.)
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To: TheConservativeParty; Diana in Wisconsin

Japanese Beetles - I read that they will eat wild geraniums and die. Haven’t had any real experience with trying that though.


46 posted on 06/05/2021 3:10:33 PM PDT by greeneyes ( Moderation In Pursuit of Justice is NO Virtue--LET FREEDOM RING)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

Speaking of Mexican Food: I have this tamale/chili dip that I love and so I keep enough in my extended pantry to fix it once a month:

1 can tamales
1 can Chili (no beans)
1/2 lb. Velveeta Cheese
garlic powder up to 2 Tbls.
Worchestershire Sauce up to 2 Tbls.

Unwrap the tamales and smash them up in a crock pot.
Mix in the can of chili. Mix in the spices and sauce.
Cube the velveeta, add that to the pot.

Cook on low, give it a stir now and then. Serve with warm tortilla chips. Can also be made up quickly in the microwave.

I had stocked up some packets of Velveeta that were shelf stable, last year, so am now approaching some of the best by dates on the cheese - time to have some treats.


47 posted on 06/05/2021 3:21:27 PM PDT by greeneyes ( Moderation In Pursuit of Justice is NO Virtue--LET FREEDOM RING)
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To: Redleg Duke

Well, what do you expect from Face Book Idiots? Idiocracy. I don’t have any problems with Facebook, cause I don’t use them. Sneaky little spies data mining your information and selling it. SMH. I hope they all have a bad year.


48 posted on 06/05/2021 3:36:53 PM PDT by greeneyes ( Moderation In Pursuit of Justice is NO Virtue--LET FREEDOM RING)
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To: MomwithHope

I try to plant my Garlic the end of October or the first of December. Due to some age related problems I have acquired a battery powered “scooter” to get from the garage to the front garden about 200 ‘. It has a toggle type steering which has caused some interesting moments...


49 posted on 06/05/2021 4:39:33 PM PDT by tubebender
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

Tomatoes are reacting nicely to me pinching off the blossoms and all of them are in the rapid growth phase. I have to print for about a half hour every day to keep up.

Put some bell pepper starts in the ground today (14) have another 10 I have to make a new bed for or put in pots. Dropped some random unknown volunteer tomatoes in the ground. Trying to decide if I call the bed full of unknown volunteers Shelter Island or the Island of Misfit Toys.

Anyone grown shishito peppers before? I have a dozen starts almost ready to go in the ground/pots.

That should be the last of my starts.

Blueberry plants have a bunch of berrys that should be ripe in a few weeks.

Rose bushes putting out blooms....and I am doing the annual battle to beat back blackberry bushes.

Going out tonite to do some street photography.

Last night a dude was stabbed....onenof my officers saved his life with a tourniquet.


50 posted on 06/05/2021 5:05:33 PM PDT by TheErnFormerlyKnownAsBig (To you all, my loyal spell checkers....nothing but prospect and admiral nation.)
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To: Redleg Duke
Then, your work there is done! LOL!


51 posted on 06/05/2021 5:15:41 PM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin (I don't have 'Hobbies.' I'm developing a robust post-Apocalyptic skill set. )
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To: Ellendra

You’re so smart - and Old School. I love it! :)


52 posted on 06/05/2021 5:17:19 PM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin (I don't have 'Hobbies.' I'm developing a robust post-Apocalyptic skill set. )
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To: TheErnFormerlyKnownAsBig

I am a fairly new gardener. Please enlighten me on the pros and cons of pinching off the blossoms (tomato or any plants). I thought they needed the blossoms.


53 posted on 06/05/2021 5:20:06 PM PDT by TianaHighrider (God bless President Trump. Prayers for PDJT and his loyal supporters.)
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To: greeneyes

Velveeta always reminds me of the ‘Free Government Cheese’ I ate as a kid. My Grandma Anita made the BEST Mac-N-Cheese with it.

I never knew I was ‘poor’ growing up; we ate like Royalty. :)

Thanks for the recipe. That sounds like a good one to take to our next Family Gathering, though I’ve ended up ‘in charge’ of always making the Crock Pot Mushrooms...NEVER any leftovers:

https://www.thechunkychef.com/slow-cooker-ranch-mushrooms/


54 posted on 06/05/2021 5:26:27 PM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin (I don't have 'Hobbies.' I'm developing a robust post-Apocalyptic skill set. )
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To: TianaHighrider

Hi there, since there were no replies yet about pinching off blossoms, here is my take on it.

On flowering bedding plants, OLD blossom removal, including the seed containing part, will encourage more blossoms because the plant “wants” to produce seeds (and they have been removed) , and the plant will be encouraged to make more flowers and seed heads. Leaving old seed heads on makes the plant “think” it has completed ( or is on the way to completing) its life mission of reproducing.

Petunias in particular, benefit greatly from seed head removal. They will become stringy, weak-stemmed plants without seed head removal.

Marigolds are prolific seed producers. I like to remove old seed heads so you don’t see the old brown flowers.

Impatiens will drop old petals on their own, but not the seed heads. However impatiens do fine without removing the seed containing part of the old flower.

Removal of new unopened flowering plant blooms is not good,unless the gardener is Morticia Addams, who famously snipped the heads of long stemmed roses off and declared them perfect.๐Ÿ˜Š

In the veggie plant department, I recall reading that competitive (giant variety) pumpkin growers might snip off some blooms, leaving a few to mature to the biggest pumpkins possible. The theory is that fewer pumpkins might have a chance to get bigger than if all blooms were left on the plant.

I do not recall other veggie plants benefitting from flower removal, but I am sure one of our friends here will think of some.

๐ŸŒธ๐ŸŒผ๐ŸŒบ


55 posted on 06/05/2021 6:08:00 PM PDT by TheConservativeParty (MAGA FOREVER ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ)
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To: TheConservativeParty

Thank you very much. That was very good info for me.


56 posted on 06/05/2021 6:20:47 PM PDT by TianaHighrider (God bless President Trump. Prayers for PDJT and his loyal supporters.)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

Oddly, I like the Kroger brand ‘nice and cheesy’ better than Velveeta. I did get government cheese too, when I was a young mother. But the kind I got was more ‘substantial’ American cheese than the velveeta and nice&cheesy brands. The Government cheese, to me, was more like the Field’s or even boars head (if you are really luck) American cheese.


57 posted on 06/05/2021 6:25:20 PM PDT by TianaHighrider (God bless President Trump. Prayers for PDJT and his loyal supporters.)
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To: tubebender

I planted in November but we have much harsher winters here so I’m sure we are behind you, nice and tall plants but no scapes yet.


58 posted on 06/05/2021 7:31:08 PM PDT by MomwithHope (Forever grateful to all our patriots, past, present and future. )
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To: TheErnFormerlyKnownAsBig

“Island of Misfit Toys.” Love that!

I haven’t had to do it at my ‘new’ (Est. 1900) farm, but at my ‘old’ farm (Est. 1906) when I was seriously growing food to feed three adults and three teen boys, I would have a ‘Whatever’ garden from time to time.

‘Whatever’ seeds were leftover from the previous years got planted. And it was usually successful...though you never really knew what you were going to get. ;)


59 posted on 06/05/2021 7:43:51 PM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin (I don't have 'Hobbies.' I'm developing a robust post-Apocalyptic skill set. )
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To: Diana in Wisconsin
That recipe for mushrooms sounds good. My favorite is to stir fry them with onions, butter, EVOO, and Worcestershire sauce.

I have a huge drawer of where I store 6 crockpots most are around 1.5-2 qt. size. One is 3 qt. oval shape. My oldest one is a 4 Qt. that I store on a utility shelf.

I do all my sides for holiday's in crockpots, turn them to warm when done and it works out great.

Because I love ๐Ÿ’š to use the crockpot for everything - I can fix it and forget it, I am for sure gonna try this one even though I'm not wild about ranch or Italian dressing.

60 posted on 06/05/2021 8:51:28 PM PDT by greeneyes ( Moderation In Pursuit of Justice is NO Virtue--LET FREEDOM RING)
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