Weekly Garden Thread - April 29-May 5, 2023 [Why Plants Love Rainwater the Best Edition]

April 29, 2023 | 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.

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[Pollard]

Extreme hardening off.

Put my mater seedlings out yesterday afternoon and forgot about them so they were out all night. Oopsie. Don’t seem any worse for wear but it’s supposed to get pretty gusty today so I’ll have to bring them in soon. In fact I see the trees swaying so I’m doing it now.

[FamiliarFace]

Yes, those would work, too. This one shuts off automatically when it hits a rock, which I like. Probably happens with those augers, too.

[Qiviut]

When I was backpacking, if there was a whippoorwill in the area, it would just about drive me crazy, especially since I never slept well in a tent!

My SIL has been feeding hummers for years, far longer than I have. They nest in the bushes around her house. The feeder(s) hang on her porch with a great view from the eating area window. If you sit on the porch near the feeders, you’ll get “buzzed”.

I have one feeder I can observe from my front porch - it’s under a maple tree & the hummers like it the best of the two I have. They feed & will fly up in the branches for a little rest. I am glad I get a few on my feeders, but I suspect my SIL gets most of them.

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

Paul. I have used my blender for this but it does cause a lot of wear.

Perhaps something like this? Fill it up and put some steel bearings in there and run it a while. Lists for $69, but might be able to find it for less or maybe used?

https://www.harborfreight.com/dual-drum-rotary-rock-tumbler-67632.html

https://rocktumbler.com/blog/used-rock-tumblers/

Good luck!

[Diana in Wisconsin]

A close relation, no doubt!

[Diana in Wisconsin]

What I am planning to do, and what others have suggested, is to shop Goodwill or whatever thrift shop you have in the area and get a full-sized blender for your shell crushing convenience, versus a coffee bean grinder. Also - ask friends and neighbors. For some reason, people keep all manner of gadgets that they’re no longer using. ;)

I let the shells dry out thoroughly, then put them in a heavy Ziplock bag, then use a meat mallet (flat side) to crush them up. then they go into an old, covered, ice cream tub for use in the garden.

But, your idea with the gravel in a laundry detergent bottle, and shaking, sounds like a good ‘Field Expedient Method.’ (Army-Speak)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Done that, myself! Glad you’re having better luck with your seedlings this year. I told you there was a learning curve for that particular skill. ;)

Had something happen last week that I’ve never had trouble with, before. I started Sunflower Seeds in pots, and since the weather was cooperating, I put them in the greenhouse to germinate.

Overnight, a little mouse dug up EVERY sunflower seed, neatly split it in half, ate the meat and left the two halves on top of the soil. All 20 of them.

It was actually pretty cute, and if I were a mouse and found a free meal, I’d do the same.

But, they’re all re-planted (I had enough seed on hand for two rounds) and are germinating in the house - where I don’t have any mice, thanks to our two cats.

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

This seems like a good place to post this!

Turning eggshell Calcium Carbonate into Elemental Calcium that can be used by plants. (Tomatos and blossom end rot!)

Using eggshell for plant fertilizer

Snip......"You’ll often see advice from gardening and houseplant bloggers and YouTubers around using eggshells as a natural plant supplement. Some say to roughly crush eggshells and put them in water to make an eggshell tea. Others advise using crushed eggshells as a soil amendment.

This advice won’t harm your plants, but it might just be a waste of your time. Eggshell calcium needs to be in a format that your plants’ roots can absorb—and it takes a long time for eggshells to break down to that point, even in water or soil. Eggshell fragments are often found at archaeological digs, if you’re wondering how long it can take!"......Snip

This is small scale kitchen project, but you can upscale it for larger amounts. I used a 5 gallon bucket when I did this with a quart of ground up eggshells! (It foams a lot!) I used the calcium water on my tomatos but also took the residue and dried it for

If interested some discussions of the chemistry here:

Eggshells in Vinegar and

[Bon of Babble]

I have one David Austin rose that I bought last year - and it hasn’t done well. I suspect it needs to be moved to a sunnier location, although other roses in that location do fine.

I’ve hesitated buying another one even though I love them.

My rear neighbor had one that flopped over my (very tall) fence - new homeowner must have cut it down b/c I haven’t seen it since they left.

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

And Diana’s idea of shopping the thrift stores for a used blender is probably the best economical idea!

[Diana in Wisconsin]

As you know, I’m all about the CHEAP, LOL!

[Pollard]

Pro Tip (or something I stumbled on)

One of these...

about yay big...

works great for holding the temperature probe for heat mat controller. Wire fits up by the squeeze handle end and clip tip goes on black plastic of 1020 tray or cell tray.

about yay big? Well that's no help. My blue collar self must know how the sizing system works and what size the one I have is.

Mine is just over 9/16" which puts it at 15mm wide and it's just over 1 inch tall. Looks like they also go by capacity aka how thick of a stack of paper it will grasp.

This be them. 0.6" - 15mm wide with 1/4" capacity.(aka Mini) - https://www.staples.com/Staples-Mini-Metal-Binder-Clips-Bulk-Pack-Black-3-5-Size-with-1-4-Capacity/product_566942

Packages of 120-144? Glad I found one laying around at work and snagged it. See dollar store or office supply for Binder Clip Assortment.

1/2" wide with 1/4" capacity(which is the more important measurement) - qty 12 for $1.49 - https://www.staples.com/Acco-ACC72010-Binder-Clip-Mini-1-4-Capacity-Black-Silver/product_477981

If my phone wasn't dead, I'd upload a pic. It really does work perfect. Clip grabs onto thin plastic tray material and thermo wire fits through but doesn't get squished. Close enough fit so it doesn't slide though. A Wonder Clip might work too.

---

Spring cleaning and tool organization continues today. I was running the wet dry vac at 9pm last night cleaning up the foyer. Totes sitting in bedroom will be going out there. I cleared off an 18x36 rubbermaid shelving unit out there and it will be going elsewhere, either in shed or the room where I'm starting plants. Lucky me, I get to clean up after 20+ years of a family of four(12 years here) and revert back to single guy mode but with son living with. It requires a bit of alcohol. The day I go through pictures it might have to be the hard stuff. I might need that still Diana. Mek me some distilled fire water.

ALL tools are in the shed which I had to clean out first. I'll be going back there shortly to start organizing tools and setting up my many tool boxes. Going to make up a tool kit for the house, some Ryobi cordless stuff will be going to work and the rest will stay in the shed.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

I like that idea. Science! :)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

I used (copper colored) binder clips on my garden flags to keep them from wrapping around on themselves. They are handy little gadgets for all kinds of things:

26 brilliant ways to use a binder clip

https://www.cnet.com/home/smart-home/brilliant-ways-to-use-a-binder-clip/

[Pollard]

Here we go

[FamiliarFace]

***As you know, I’m all about the CHEAP, LOL! ***

Inexpensive, Diana, not cheap!

My sweet Mama always told me that cheap meant something was an inferior quality item as well as less costly. Like the stuff that’s made in China.

I agree about shopping at thrift stores. You can find some real bargains at those places if you know what you’re looking for.

[Paul R.]

And here I went and passed up a medium size blender in very good condition at a yard sale a few days ago...

In fact, if it had been a bit rough and $6 (hahaha), I would have bought it, but, I was thinking about the wear too. It was also sort of an off brand, so I wasn’t sure about replacement blades. Plus I’d already spent more than I intended — darn seller had too much really useful stuff! Like, a “cast net” in good condition for $5 — if one lives near many lakes & ponds, and 2 large rivers, that could be a lifesaver in a real SHTF scenario. And a big chicken feeder for $8. And...

However... It dawned on me after I left that although it’d be a shame to beat up a nice blender, for smashing egg shells, etc., who cares about blade and canister wear if it’s basically a “dedicated” unit?

RATS! Maybe I’ll stop back by there and see if these people still have the blender. They kinda know me by now, as they run yard sales every year and I usually stop by. They even saved string for a trimmer I bought from them, last yard sale. (They’d mentioned having it but not on hand. Instead of selling it they figured I’d be by again sometime! :-) )

I could try Goodwill, too.

In the meantime, I think I’ll try the gravel in a laundry detergent bottle, and report back... ;-)

[Paul R.]

This was the “cheapy unit.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/354744334053?

Available from several sellers, and Amazon too for a bit more. $25, IIRC, if I want to risk an ebay seller in Vietnam with “0” feedback. (NO!)

[Pollard]

Like I said, the preppers long ago agreed that the Victorio, now VPK Brands was the cheapest worth buying and the Country Living Mill was the best of the best.

Flour doesn’t store for long but wheat kernels last forever. Takes a grain mill to turn those kernels into flour. Either that or some tedious pounding labor. For that, they came up with three pieces of water pipe taped together with duct tape and used to pound the kernels. Like an impact mortar and pestle.

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

Humm....Frugal, not Cheap! A virtue whether man or woman!