Weekly Garden Thread - December 31-January 6, 2023 [2022 Lessons Learned Edition]

December 31, 2022 | Diana in WI/Greeneyes in Memoriam

[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.

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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!

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Yes, those are good racks for seed starting. (Temporarily) anchor it to a wall if you can - just in case!

I’ve used those outside to harden off flats before I had a greenhouse. If you move it outside, and use it with the cover, also anchor it somehow because if the wind catches it...Yikes!

[Diana in Wisconsin]

[Pollard]

Yeah, plastic connectors and no cross bracing. I imagine the cover is part structural. Was definitely planning on anchoring to the wall. Almost thought of getting two but if I were to get one for outdoors, I’d probably go with a bigger one. Sadly, none of the bigger ones are really made to fit 1020 trays, no matter what the brand. You get into the three digit price range pretty quick and they’re still cheapo stuff. Might as well build something in that case.

[Pollard]

I took full advantage of the warm weather over the New Year's weekend to frame the ends of my tunnel house.

Nice and I need to get some of that pipe heating tape too - to keep my pipes from freezing. Had the cold water inlet to the water heater freeze over that cold spell we had.

[spankalib]

First Place Winner: Boerner Botanical Gardens, Hales Corner, Wisconsin

If they're anywhere near, mebbe you can visit...

https://all-americaselections.org/project/first-place-winner-boerner-botanical-gardens-hales-corner-wisconsin/

[Pollard]

1) get some shade cloth in case we have another 100 degree heat wave.

2) keep the dang goats out of the garden.

OR

1) spend money
2) spend money
3) spend money
4) spend money
5) spend money

Seems to be how it’s really going to work. I’m going to try and rework the high tensile wire and will replace the fence charger since the old one quit. If that doesn’t work then I’ll either have to spend upwards of $3k for sheep/goat fence or get rid of the goats. A lot of that will depend on how many goat kids I get this year. They normally have twins but only had singles the first Spring. If they have singles again, it might be time for them all to go. Aside from that;

Upsize seed starting operation
Build a greenhouse or low tunnel close to the house
Finally build the high tunnel

“TEMPTED at the garden centers”

It will be a little tough picking up that mini-greenhouse I just ordered while keeping blinders on to the rest of Lowes.

Going to go through all my seeds and make a list on the PC of what I’ve got.

[Augie]

Busted pipes are no fun. Fixing busted pipes when it’s cold outside is even less fun.

A quick solution to keeping pipes open is to hang a 100 watt incandescent light bulb in the space where the pipes might freeze.

The heat tapes work better in a crawl space type situation where there’s a large open space the pipes run through.

[Pollard]

We don’t have a well yet so our water comes from a tank and the RV water hose coming from the tank always freezes anyway. What I need to do it put some tees in for draining the system like you do with an RV. I can isolate the water heater so it doesn’t drain.

What we really need is a real house instead of the hastily made cabin that was supposed to be temporary, 12 years ago. Just me and the boy now and I have a new job making decent money so I’ll get started on a new house this year.

No building codes out here so I can DIY much of it. I’ll make a place to park the water tank indoors until I can save up the $10k for a 300+ foot well.

[Pollard]

RE: 11

I have 43 packets of seed, all different things.

[Augie]

Have you considered burying the water tank? The house I grew up in had a concrete cistern in the basement. The roof gutters fed the cistern and maintained an adequate supply of water 9 months out of the year. If the water level got low during a dry summer Pops would call the water district and they’d send a tank trunk out for a refill.

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

Augie! Good deal! Throw some high light transmission garden fabric on them and they should be able to handle most of our low temperatures.

I think you have a good greenhouse and about the only thing left is how to handle summer ventilation.

This might have something you can use. Automatic Vents

[Diana in Wisconsin]

I grew up in Milwaukee and that was one of my Grandma’s favorite places to go, so we went often.

Mom is running her model trains there this week at The Domes.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Confession. I received a Menard’s Gift Card from my Mom at Christmas. $20. They have a 15% off sale this week so I bought Burpee-brand seed (just basic stuff) and we had $90 in rebate checks there, so I got the seeds and 72 of the peat pellets we both like so much for...FREE! Total was about $40 in free merch. Yay! :)

So, as far as I’m concerned, I’m ahead of the game. I would’ve bought bags-o-potting mix but they didn’t have that out, yet.

We did buy two roof rakes to pull the snow off of parts of our metal roof that turn into an avalanche if we get 6” or more of snow at a crack. (One for us, one for our cabin, as we have someone renting it for the winter. Beau will be heading up next big snowfall to hunt Bobcats.)

I am saving TP rolls to cut in half, fill with soil and use for seed starting; 72 will fit in a standard flat, for reference. ;)

I am also saving egg shells now, for my ‘calcium stash’ come spring for tomato and pepper planting (zukes and cukes benefit, too!) and since my big compost bin is full to bursting and not breaking down a lot right now, I’m putting ‘compostables’ directly on the raised beds to break down until spring tilling.

So, in essence, I’m STILL ‘gardening,’ up here on The Frozen Tundra. :)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Just reminding myself these days, as we go into yet another string of 30-40 degree days in an overall MILD Wisconsin Winter, that Winter 2014 SUCKED from beginning to end. -20 at 8am in the morning. And, Yes. My old farmhouse WAS down to 56 degrees overnight! (It was just me & my dogs living there, then. I had space heaters in the bedroom and bathroom and the dogs slept in my bedroom.)

I didn't have to go anywhere that day; Wisconsin was officially, 'CLOSED!'

[LilFarmer]

Happy New Year to all!

I have a question. I need to make some room in my freezer and I have a lot of ground beef. I have never canned meat before but I used the directions on https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_05/ground_chopped.html

Anyway, they sealed wonderfully, but have about 1/2” of fat at the top. Is that normal? The directions said to sauté the meat and remove the fat, but didn’t say how to remove fat so I just drained it through a colander. Other sites I read said they drain and rinse the ground beef, and some even boil their ground beef.

I’m curious as to how others prepare their meat for canning.

One neat tip, use vinegar water to wipe off the rims before placing the lids - it helps make sure there is no fat on the rim!

[Diana in Wisconsin]

It’s just coagulated fat. Mix it back in for FLAVOR when you cook with it, or skim it off the top if you don’t want it. Either way it’s safe to eat.

Great tip on the vinegar, too.

Proud of ya! Not a thing wasted! I love that! :)

[Pollard]

So I see

I got mad at Menard's and didn't go there for over a year. I bought a wood splitter there and didn't send in the rebate form soon enough. Big rebate missed. They had just shortened the time limit for rebates. Of course I shouda/coulda sent it in pronto and that's my fault. Sent in and never got back one rebate. Either that or the little piece of mail got tossed accidentally. I hate the rebate game.

I call them the walmart of home improvement and have the same love/hate relationship. In both cases I try to stay away from their store brands. I stayed away from Menard's for 2021 too because they were mandating masks. They're also 45 miles away from home so it's not someplace to go often. Now I work 40 miles in that direction so they're only 5 miles away from work. Could fit quite a few hand tools and hardware in that bag.

I'm sore today. My new job is maintenance at a plastic bag manufacturer. Who knew that plastic bag machines are 2 and 3 stories tall with inbuilt metal stairs? Climbed all over one yesterday that's being decommissioned and replaced, readying it for removal. Let's just say I had to use a 36" long pipe wrench as part of it.

They give out quarterly production bonuses on profitable quarters and evidently the last quarter of 2022 was one. I got $92.35 pro rated. Haven't even been there a month so I'm surprised I got anything. Might get those seed trays earlier than I though I would.

That seed rack should be delivered to Lowes by Wed which is a day I work and that Lowes is near work.

I've got a large tin can full of egg shells, 5 varieties of maters, 4 pepper.(and for some strange reason, 5 watermelon)

Gonna be in the 50s Mon, Tues, Wed but I work Tues, Wed. That's pretty much going to be the story from now on. Outdoor activities will be on nice weather days I have off. 80 days per year maybe? High tunnel will definitely have to be automated and whether he knows it or not, my son is going to be a gardener this year.;~)

Will have to put him on things he likes. Green beans, peas, taters, carrots, sweet potatoes, sweet corn. Could do a three sisters type setup with sweet corn, green beans and watermelon because he likes watermelon too(who doesn't?). Might get him on some paste/sauce tomatoes and making/canning sauce since that's the only way he likes tomatoes. He loves him some hot sauce too so....

[Pollard]

Watched a gardening video the other day and the girl recommended Sharpie Extreme for plant markers/labels because the ink holds up to the sun.

I cut up coffee creamer containers for plant markers last year and they worked well but the regular sharpie ink did fade.

[Pollard]

Have you considered burying the water tank?

Might do something like that when we build the real house. Was planning on earth bermed and saw a design one time where they buried tanks in the berm and fed them from the metal roof and I'll definitely be doing a metal roof.

Plan on putting gutters on my high tunnel and filling IBC totes and might put those in the high tunnel where they'll be less apt to freeze.

Only problem with rain water is that it's basically like distilled water in that it has zero minerals. Fine for plants in the ground of course.