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The Garden Thread - March, 2024
March 2, 2024 | Diana in WI/Greeneyes in Memoriam

Posted on 03/02/2024 6:26:35 AM PST by Diana in Wisconsin

The MONTHLY Gardening Thread is a 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 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/removed from our New & Improved Ping List.

NOTE: This is a once a MONTH Ping List, but we DO post to the thread all throughout the month. 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; march
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To: metmom

Sounds like you have a great week ahead of you. If you don’t want to can the tomatoes, they freeze well when mashed. I’ve done that many times.

Enjoy your days off - sounds like you will! :)


281 posted on 03/23/2024 6:27:03 AM 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

Freezer space is the problem.

I prefer to save that for things that cannot be successfully canned.


282 posted on 03/23/2024 6:54:48 AM PDT by metmom (He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus…)
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To: Pollard; Diana in Wisconsin; All

Our ‘flatland’ house (2 hours east of mountain house) got 2.5” of rain overnight. We have big enough puddles that ducks could swim around the front yard. I hope the mountains got similar rainfall to help with the wildfires. What really stinks is that a Wind Advisory has been issued about the time the rain ends early this afternoon & into tomorrow - gusts up to 55 mph.

The big 2000 acre fire has been combined with another large fire & it is now called the Waterfall Mountain Complex fire. 0% containment, last I heard. All the fire departments are volunteer. The community has pitched in to support them with plenty of food - water & Gatorade donations & money for fuel are still needed/welcome. Signs have gone up all over supporting EMS, LEO & Fire first responders. The small/mostly country community pulling together & looking out for each other is wonderful - can’t wait to be there full time - my ‘crazy’ will fit right in with the mountain people :-)


283 posted on 03/23/2024 7:10:11 AM PDT by Qiviut (If the genocide was unintentional, they would have pulled the poison vaccines, long ago.)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin; Pollard; All

Fire pics if you’re interested. The top left pic is a good view of the mountain ridge from the Gap & running to the right... at the bottom of the mountain ridge is the river. We are beyond the fire to the right on the other side of the river from the mountain. The river is maybe half a mile down the road from the house. Looking from our place and to the left down the mountain ridge, we have a view of the gap & fire. These pics are more of a straight-on view. A wildfire like this, even viewed from a distance, is scary as all get-out. Houses have been lost across the river & down the road from us, but no injuries that I’ve heard of. Schools were closed Thurs-Fri & the gyms were used to shelter evacuees.

https://x.com/forecaster25/status/1770793053017502112?t=zaaXZAIxqIrJtgRgBuxfHQ&s=07


284 posted on 03/23/2024 7:24:20 AM PDT by Qiviut (If the genocide was unintentional, they would have pulled the poison vaccines, long ago.)
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To: 4everontheRight; Augie; Apple Pan Dowdy; Aevery_Freeman; ApplegateRanch; ArtDodger; AloneInMass; ...

285 posted on 03/23/2024 7:30:11 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin (I don't have, 'Hobbies.' I'm developing a robust Post-Apocalyptic skill set. )
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Instructions:

https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-vibrant-naturally-dyed-easter-eggs-holiday-projects-from-the-kitchn-112957


286 posted on 03/23/2024 7:30:39 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin (I don't have, 'Hobbies.' I'm developing a robust Post-Apocalyptic skill set. )
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To: Qiviut

WOW! THAT is scary! This was a ‘controlled burn’ that got out of hand?


287 posted on 03/23/2024 7:33:22 AM 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

I Used To Make These:





Back when I had better eyesight. They are done with hot wax and require several dippings in graduated dye baths. Then you have to melt all the wax off.br>
ML/LTOS

288 posted on 03/23/2024 7:35:46 AM PDT by left that other site ("Salvation is of the LORD" (Prayer of St. Patrick) from Psalm 3:8)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

A suggestion for dyeing Easter eggs.

Make sure they are clean but also make sure your hands are clean. The oil from your hands will prevent the dyes from taking leaving splotches so wash your hands well and handle the eggs as little as possible.

Lessons learned from many years of making Ukrainian Easter Eggs.


289 posted on 03/23/2024 7:36:10 AM PDT by metmom (He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus…)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

Very cool on the colored eggs, stole it. We got 6-7inches of snow woke up to a sunny beautiful scene. Temp is workings it’s way up to 30, high 35 today. Garlic is just barely peeking above the snow.


290 posted on 03/23/2024 7:37:51 AM PDT by MomwithHope (Forever grateful to all our patriots, past, present and future.)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

Just passed it on to my creative kids.


291 posted on 03/23/2024 7:41:57 AM PDT by Sacajaweau
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To: Diana in Wisconsin
I turned off my VPN so wunderground wouldn't think I'm in frickin' Chicago. Wunderground is a little quirky. I can set it by my zip code for current, hourly and 10 day but if I click on calendar, it changes to St Louis and then when I go back to hourly, it's still for St Louis.

This is kinda cool. Tomorrow will be 2 minutes, 27 seconds longer, woo hoo.

For those that plant by moon stages but I'm not there yet; which is exactly what I said about watering by the weight of cell trays; but guess what I just started doing?

This one's handy too. A nearby MU AG Research center. They're instruments are in a valley though so their wind is lower speeds and temp can be really low as cool air slides down into the valley.

The asterisk for soil temp is "bare soil". I have no idea what the 2 means. Maybe 2 inches down?

Maybe not. Maybe 2 and 4 inches? I have a probe thermometer so I can check my own if I want.

Seed Room Wx. Just realized I can tell when my son opens the window(s). It's the little dips in the middle of the humps.
Never thought I'd be tracking my son as data. (you opened things up a little late every day this week buddy)

I could get a really loud buzzer and a stack light from work and have some fun with him. No temperature dip by 11am and the buzzer goes off, light goes to red and starts flashing. LOL


292 posted on 03/23/2024 7:51:57 AM PDT by Pollard ( Seed Room Wx: 63 degrees - 37% humidity )
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

No - the runaway controlled burn was a week or more before this one. I haven’t heard what started this one, but it happened when there were High Wind Warnings ....60 mph gusts. Fires were breaking out all over the place, not just on the mountain, but in the valley. There were fires also on the east side of the mountain (we passed one with flames at the edge of the road with a fire crew, EMS, LEO watching it). There were several small fires near our ‘flatland’ house as well - one close enough to send smoke to the northern part of the city (we are in the western ‘burbs’ - didn’t smell anything).

Our road at the mountain house goes down the hill about half a mile to the river, crosses, then branches right & left. To the left is the big ‘complex’ fire & where houses were evacuated, etc. To the right, the road climbs the mountain, eventually turning into gravel & goes up to the top of the ridge ... there is a fire up there as well. I used to do a marathon hike (32 mi. in one day) every spring in that area, so I’m familiar with it & some of the landmarks they talk about in reference to the fire. It’s almost surreal seeing the fires & hearing about them and all the places are ‘familiar’.


293 posted on 03/23/2024 7:53:26 AM PDT by Qiviut (If the genocide was unintentional, they would have pulled the poison vaccines, long ago.)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

Someday I would like to try doing the natural egg-dying method. I haven’t dyed eggs in several years.


294 posted on 03/23/2024 7:58:03 AM PDT by FamiliarFace (I got my own way of livin' But everything gets done With a southern accent Where I come from. TPetty)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

Great find, Diana!


295 posted on 03/23/2024 9:27:19 AM PDT by mairdie (Fireworks Beethoven's 9th https://youtu.be/cHboDhFT9dc)
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To: Qiviut
We're all volunteer fire dept out here too but since we're right up against the Mark Twain National Forest, the US Forestry will help out with bulldozers and helicopters, especially if the National Forest is endangered.

I'm thinking I'll get enough trees down this year to start to get a view from my place of a ridge about 1/8 mile away. I can see it from the end of my driveway. Always hazy in the mornings.

I had a cute little homemade wooden mailbox but the mail carrier made me swap to an approved one before she retired. Guess she had to get her route inspected pre-retirement. A week later some kids decided to beat it up and leave a beer bottle inside and few more on the ground. Welcome to the neighborhood.

The guy that used to own the land on the right all the way out to that first ridge liked to burn the whole place every Spring in a set it and forget it fashion. That was scary.

There's been a ton of controlled burns this Spring. Came home from work a couple of days ago and saw smoke billowing up from this direction. Once I got closer, I could tell it was past here which is the National Forest. I still worried because I still have too many trees too close to the house. Gonna try and get a neighbor who does dozer work to come up here and spend a day later this year.

Northeast wind 8-11 mph today so I might do a little burning myself. The gravel road is on my Southwest so E to NE wind is the safe time to burn. Predominate wind is S to SW but that's blowing towards 100s of acres of other people's wooded properties.

296 posted on 03/23/2024 9:29:57 AM PDT by Pollard ( Seed Room Wx: 73 degrees - 33% humidity )
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

beautiful eggs!!!

I love the turmeric and blueberry one.

Although I don’t think I would sacrifice blueberries to color eggs


297 posted on 03/23/2024 9:48:00 AM PDT by CottonBall (The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.)
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To: left that other site

beautiful!!


298 posted on 03/23/2024 10:02:03 AM PDT by CottonBall (The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.)
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To: left that other site

Gorgeous! My boss’ wife used to make them, too! She generously gifted a number of them to me. So pretty and SO MUCH WORK! My Mom has them now and she puts them out every Easter. :)


299 posted on 03/23/2024 10:04:24 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin (I don't have, 'Hobbies.' I'm developing a robust Post-Apocalyptic skill set. )
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To: metmom; FRiends

Another thing on colored Easter Eggs: Mom used to take a damp rag, put a number of complementary colors on it with the paste food coloring, then put the egg inside the rag and randomly swirl the colors together. They looked tie-died and were so pretty!

She also insisted that the eggs, when the coloring was dry, be coated with solid Criso shortening. It gave them a pretty sheen and they lasted longer if you were leaving them out.

OR - you can just buy a cheap package of the PAS die kit and get on with your life, LOL!


300 posted on 03/23/2024 10:11:16 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin (I don't have, 'Hobbies.' I'm developing a robust Post-Apocalyptic skill set. )
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