The Garden Thread - March, 2024

March 2, 2024 | Diana in WI/Greeneyes in Memoriam

[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!

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Looks like you got MY snow - sorry about that! ;) The only good thing about Spring Snow is that it doesn’t last long.

[CottonBall]

“NOT use for food, feed, or oil purposes.”

Does that mean you can’t grown them for food or not eat the seeds?

[Diana in Wisconsin]

LOL! Who has more fun than you? Not many!

[Diana in Wisconsin]

“It’s almost surreal seeing the fires & hearing about them and all the places are ‘familiar’.”

When I lived in Imperial Beach, CA some bums burned down one of our HUGE piers; I could see it every morning from my kitchen window, and I also walked it a lot and fished off of it. That was the end of that!

It’s hard when we lose familiar landmarks. Hope they can get this NEW fire under control. Fire has got to be the worst thing to go through - for man or beast. :(

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Mom’s coming to stay for a few days next week. I’m buying an extra dozen eggs so we can try this. I have a number of the ‘natural’ ingredients on hand.

I really love the Robin’s Egg Blue shade from red cabbage. Who knew? :)

[CottonBall]

I’m sorry, I don’t know how I missed this ping.

TY, and I’ll put it on the prepper thread. or direct the prepper list to this thread. or both!

Diana, the prepper thread is barely moving along, if you ever want to combine them, let me know.

[CottonBall]

wait - you have the prepper list, right?

so it’s a done deal, with this post.

I can send you an updated list, if you like

[Diana in Wisconsin]

That’s ‘Lawyer’ for ‘Do Not Eat - ya Dummy!’

[Diana in Wisconsin]

I think they can stay separate, but we can ping one another back and forth if things get slow one place or the other.

There’s plenty of topic overlap. :)

[CottonBall]

gottcha!

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

Thank you! Link and picture forwarded!

[Redleg Duke]

Greetings from southern New Hampshire where, after a week or two of false spring, we had a few inches of that white Sh%t and now we have something that can be considered rain, but can’t be considered snow.

This past week, we had a nocturnal visit from the local Black Bear. It climbed the railings the first time, so I set up an electric fence. The second time, it went up the steps and through the gate…so I re-arranged the fence and we will see what happens.

The Boss has me building raised bed, half barrel planters for the greenhouse. I have one finished and in place and now need to cut out the frame pieces and fabricate the remainder (3) planters.

I took a load of trash wood to the local transfer station and picked up a load of compost and brought it home to use, screened, in the new planters and elsewhere in the garden.

Now, I just need for the precipitation to stop and the snow to melt.

The Boss is busy planting in the basement.

We contracted with a local pest control company to eradicate the rat population. In addition, I busted one of the two we have been observing with rat shot out of my .22 pistol yesterday.

[Pollard]

wait - you have the prepper list, right?

so it’s a done deal, with this post.

I can send you an updated list, if you like

I have A prepper ping list. Seems like you tried to give me yours but it wasn't in a format I could copy/paste.

I kind of gave up on prepper threads because the one's I did had little response. One had 37 replies. Even my ping here on the garden thread resulted in 1 or 2 replies so it's not something I plan to do often. I just figured the extreme weather was a good excuse and it's a good time to remind people to grow a garden.

[CottonBall]

yup, great idea

I know you gave it a go, thanks for trying. There’s very little response on the thread still, so I’ll probably shut it down soon. If not today. I’ll just need to inform everybody.

I can give you the list I have in a better format, do you want it separated by semicolons? However you want it I can make Excel do it and then freepmail it to you.

If not, I’ll have it in case you or anybody else wants to try a prepper thread again.

[Pollard]

LOL! Who has more fun than you? Not many!

Think I'll go light the yard on fire. Add a little excitement to digging holes, watching things burn.

I could have a lot of fun with my autistic son but it would be at his expense. I home-schooled him so he wouldn't have to deal with that every day, all day. I try and do it just enough so he's not clueless as to when it's being done to him. I can't stand those buzzers at work so I'm not bringing one home. Might make my morning coffee LED lights flash

Speaking of fun NOT. We heard dogs up close to the house yesterday. Went out and my oldest doe is laying on the ground twitching and shaking. Scared the dogs off, may have yelled some things at the neighbor. Went back to look over the doe and see if she needed to be put out of her misery. No blood, no marks at all. Squatted down and laid my hand on her and spoke easy to try and calm her. First time I've ever touched her. She calmed down so I walked away. She was up and about 10 minutes later. Drama queen.

Had some fun dumpster diving this week.

Most of those old panel doors are narrow but this one's the full 3-0 or 3 foot 0 inches aka 36". Not many that were originally made with a glass pane either. Plenty have been hacked later out to put glass in. I have a place to put it too. We have a blanket separating the foyer from the house. Just need to frame up a few foot of wall, drywall it and install the door. I can tackle that on a day that it rains during vacation. Tempted to strip it and see what the wood looks like. Might be a beautiful thing with some stain and urethane.

I'll be looking forward to my desk/chair at work when I go back to work.

[Qiviut]

MAJOR progress due to rain:

**211 West Fire: 2,000 acres, 70% contained

Serenity Ridge Fire: 600 acres, 50% contained

Shenandoah Forest Fire: 120 acres, 70% contained

**
UPDATE 3.23.2024: As of Saturday morning, the New Market fire, which was previously reported as the Route 211 fire between Page and Shenandoah Counties but included within the Waterfall Mountain Complex, is not currently burning. According to the Shenandoah County Department of Fire and Rescue’s Facebook page, crews continue to monitor for hot spots and any areas that may rekindle after rain ends and winds increase Saturday. They are asking residents to not burn any material. All families that were evacuated in this region Friday night may return home.

[who knows what evil?]

Your guess is as good as mine. :-)

[who knows what evil?]

My bone of contention is the inconsistency in marketing and the customer service. No 'caution' in the catalog, no 'caution' in the on-line solicitation, but the 'caution' appears on the actual pack when it turns up in my mailbox?

I e-mail TT with my query re: these seeds...no response. Then I try voice contact, and get put on hold for more than twenty-five minutes, where the recording assures me that my call is 'next in line'. As it played out, this was obvious bunk.

On the sunny side...assuming this might be 'lawyer driven', I planted them in a separate container of cells, and they ALL germinated. So there's that...

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Good! And I’m glad you resisted licking them, LOL!

I don’t know what to tell you other than some seeds are treated for their own good, or for packaging, or for germination, etc. Sweet Corn is a good one for having been ‘coated’ with a similar product, yet Popcorn seed is not. I don’t know the ins and outs of it, but they certainly wouldn’t sell something that would intentionally harm us gardeners; hence the ‘Lawyer Wording.’

If in the future this is an issue, just switch to totally organic seeds from The Seed Savers Exchange or any other totally organic company.

Though, my thoughts still stand - it’s GOT To be that they come that was from the ‘manufacturer’ and that coating IS needed to get the end product to us for better germination.

If you end up liking that pepper, do some research in the off-season to see if you can find it in untreated form.

But let us know either way if this variety is a keeper! We love hearing about really good results and ‘favorites.’ :)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Great news!