Posted on 03/11/2023 7:51:59 AM PST 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 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!
Wow, nice hillside! Your plantings?
Wow! Some heavy insect infestation in your barn! :)
Think how easy lifting hay bales would be!!
I can hardly wait - they’re so beautiful! Fingers crossed mine will do ok.
I love lemons ... saw this recently on how to store them for a long time:
How to Store Lemons (For a Year!) – Fermented Lemons
https://melissaknorris.com/how-to-store-lemons-for-a-year-fermented-lemons/
“Learn how to store lemons for an entire year with this fermented lemon recipe. You can use the lemons just like fresh lemons and the taste is incredible!”
Spent all afternoon in the garden, with the exception of maybe 2 15 minute breaks. I was trying to get wood chips down over certain areas before we have rain tomorrow. Around the raised beds, I used shingles for a weed barrier. For larger areas, after I ran out of shingles, I used cardboard boxes I’ve been saving. The boxes are under wood chips so they shouldn’t be slick at all. Rain coming in tomorrow, so that should settle the boxes in under the chips.
I think I’ve shoveled about half of a large chip pile - my back is not happy tonight. I would guess I’m at about 80% of what I need to haul.
To make the weekend more “interesting”, I think we have a plumbing leak under the addition to the house. I had to cut the water off - too dark/late for me to be crawling around under there. I will have to check out what is going on tomorrow. Sigh.
Those are really good ideas!
I have a bundle or two of old shingles left over I never used on a roof project ten years ago!
Shingles idea is from Diana in Wisconsin. We had an old stack of shingles that probably would have ended up at the dump if she hadn’t told me about using them for a weed barrier. They should last a long, long time & for sure, no weeds will be coming up through them!
Not sure how much of a lesson is needed. If you’ve ever skinned any small game like a rabbit, it’s all the same process. The main thing to remember is not to let the feathers touch the meat. Pieces break off and stick to it, and no amount of soaking will get them loose!
Oh, no - those are wildflowers. I was on a hiking trail on the hills behind my home. I wanted to climb up high enough to see the snow on the far mountains - something that doesn’t happen here very often.
We’ve had a lot of rain this year and I’m starting to see wild flowers I have never see before - I had to get out the Plant Snap app to identify a few of them. Hope for more in the next month or two.
We have a Nor’easter drawing a bead on us this week. It is going to play havoc with town elections and my work on our new coop. Our chicks (9 of them) are entering their “Ugly” stage. Very social and friendly. Five more supposed to arrive at the Blue Seal store this coming week.
The shingles idea came from my 85 year old Mom. She had a few stacks of them in her garage and she was having a new metal roof put on the house and she thought up a way for me to use them. We needed more, so she went to her hardware store and asked if they had any broken bags they’d give her at a discount and they GAVE her two more stacks for free.
She was a Depression Baby. You think some of US are Preppers around here? When the balloon goes up, I’m heading to my Mom’s house, LOL!
“With God as my witness, with God as my witness, I’ll never be hungry again!” ~ Scarlet O’Hara and My Mom :)
I’ve seen fancy jars of these in Gourmet Shops for HUGE money! Suckers. ;)
Looking at some of my ‘best time to buy’ charts, looks like NOVEMBER is the month when Lemons are the cheapest to buy.
Beau has cleaned plenty of wild turkey and pheasant through the years. I think I’ll turn that chore over to him, then!
One LESS thing on my plate, so to speak. *SMIRK*
Save the chickens! :)
We’ve had nothing but the heavy, wet snow this season. We have a metal roof, so the snow usually slides right off, but I have ONE gutter on the place that channels water to my rain barrel - and it’s been pulled off the roof due to the weight, though I’ve bashed the snow off as much as I can.
Other than that, no big problems this winter, thank goodness!
Hunker down and stay safe. :)
Thanks so much, Diana! These look good. I misread one part to “I like to put the garlic and pepper mix around my neck...”
He’d written around his deck. I need coffee!
Stretching Exercises for Older Gardeners...and those of us still shoveling snow!
https://gardentherapy.ca/5-simple-stretches-for-gardeners/
Cute Video Here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOY1LNffjcY
Dad experienced the Depression years during his childhood. He was on a farm so they raised their own food (cattle, sheep & hogs) plus Granny had a very large garden every year. They did fine. Grandad even gave work to at least one man who came & begged for work, could not feed his family (5 kids - he was in poor health himself & desperate). I know, in addition to a small amount if money, he gave the guy a sack of flour & some pork every month as well.
I consider myself fortunate to have known both sets of grandparents (both had farms) & dad has told me stories of how they lived/survived. I at least know “something”. Most folks today will be totally lost if the sh*t hits the fan & there is no food at the grocery, maybe no power, etc.
Anybody grow rutabagas?
I bought my first one the other day ... looking for a low carb substitute for potatoes. I just roasted half of it and it’s really delicious, surprisingly ‘sweet’. Occasionally you get a bit of a mild turnip-y flavor, but not much. I do happen to like turnips.
They really are firm and hold their shape when cut into blocks - would make great baked “fries” and that is what will happen to the next one I buy (maybe tomorrow).
Typical spring weather this past week here in Central Missouri. Cool and wet for the most part, but not wet enough to get the creeks running good. Just wet enough to be a nuisance.
I made more good progress on Mr. Clarence. Final assembly and adjustments have been made to the engine/exhaust/cooling systems. During last weekend’s shakedown cruise Pops noticed the temperature gauge wasn’t working so he’s going to pick one up at the tractor parts store today. Once that’s been replaced I’ll be ready to reinstall the bodywork. The left side drive axle seal is leaking grease into the brake drum but that repair will wait until next winter.
The Georgia Belle peach trees arrived from Stark Bros. on Friday. Nephew and I put them in the dirt yesterday. They’re nice looking trees, but none of them fell into the premium tree 4’-5’ size range that I paid an extra $20/tree for, so I’ve got a query out to them about that.
The pole saw arrived, but in less than pristine condition. The carton had been destroyed and put back together with six rolls of strapping tape. Somehow the contents were intact, with the exception of the saw chain, which was nowhere to be found. So I ordered two of those and notified Amazon support of the problem. We’ll see if they give a hoot. Anyway, the chains arrived yesterday. I assembled the saw, made sure it was working, and commenced to pruning orchard trees. Worked great and was much easier/safer than climbing a ladder.
Somehow I managed to overseed 17-ish acres of hayfield with red clover in between the weekend rains. The old Farmall tractor that I’ve used for that is out of commission right now so I pulled the seeder off of the tractor, mounted it on Mrs. Augie’s golf cart, and used that. It was a bit of a bumpy ride on those little tires but the job got done and that’s what counts. I’ll get to fixing on the Farmall after Mr. Clarence is done and out of my workshop.
The brassicas that I transplanted into the hoop house are thriving so far. There are a few more that are big enough to transplant so I’ll see about getting that done after work today.
I’ve got all sorts of stuff sprouted and waiting to be repotted or set out. Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, fennel, gourds, savory and probably something else that I can’t think of right now.
The spinach that I harvested a week or so ago is almost ready to be picked again. I need to pick up some more seed and stick it in the dirt before warm weather gets here.
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.