Posted on 11/01/2024 6:46:36 AM PDT 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!
I have done a number of things over the years. Currently I start seeds in the shop under lights beginning around the end of February. I also use a heat mat for the stuff that wants more heat for germination. It is important to keep the lights right down on the plants so I have them on chains that I can adjust.
Along about the middle of April I start moving into a greenhouse that I converted from an old cabin. There is a big wood stove in there if the temerature gets threatening.
I put potatoes in the ground around the 15th of May depending on how the weather is going. At that time I also put in carrot and pea seed.
I don’t put starts out in the garden until June 1st.
If you are lucky you will have until the middle of September, but the third week of August can be risky for a frost for some reason.
Things like tomatoes, peppers, cukes etc. go in the high tunnels in the first week of June.
We are finally getting cooler weather in So Cal and it is such a relief! Possibly even rain today. Summer flowers are making their last hurrah.
Last of the Silk Floss Tree flowers:
This very odd succulent decided to bloom - smells terrible. Planted so long ago I've forgotten its name - attracted a lot of flies!
Hibiscus, Rum Runner:
He's ready for the next holiday, Thanksgiving! (coming fast).
I had them pretty well organized by folder in my browser's bookmarks and the app turns those folder names into tags. It has a tag cloud and each bookmark lists what tag(s) it has. Homestead tag is 407 of the 452 links and this is homestead folder in my browser.
The app: The links are collapsed so the descriptions don't show. That's done with the down arrow to the right of Links per page. Same button will expand them.
The tags are in small black text.
Tag Cloud is in the menu. (lgds = LGDs as in livestock guardian dogs)(mt180 is my tractor model#)(high and tunnel are high tunnel)
I'll have to add links from my profile page. Meanwhile, I give you, my bookmarks - https://pauldingtree.com/shaarli/
There's a handy link on my bookmarks bar that will auto-add whatever tab I'm on to the app and bring me to the app page to finalize it.
There's another app that didn't work the first time I tried but will try again. It's an RSS feed reader. On my desktop feed reader, I have FDA and USDA recall feeds. NWS has a ton of feeds -- https://www.weather.gov/rss/. Even though I always have an FR tab open, I have the rss feed on the reader because it gives me a popup showing the latest items. I have it set to refresh the feed every 2 minutes.
Would be nice to have one public page with all that type of info, food safety, major weather, emergency situations.
Hi, was just thinking yesterday we had not heard from you in awhile. The first picture is a Stapelia gigantea
https://www.google.com/search?q=Stapelia+gigantea&kgmid=/m/025x3vc&hl=en&gl=US
Thanks for the beautiful pics as usual.
I’m in Zone 5a and that’s pretty much my routine, too. I try to have all the warm crops in by the 1st of June - but into the ground, of course. My cool-weather crops go in anytime in May - salad greens, spinach, peas, etc.
My greenhouse is unbearable past Mid-May. It’s vented, but still hits 100 degrees, easily. Today it’s 54 degrees outside and still over 70 inside the greenhouse, so as you can see, I could and SHOULD be growing more cool-weather crops and greens right now, but - Puppies! If the front doors are open for ventilation, they are in there messing around.
The best I’ve done with extending the season is to have full-sized tomatoes ripe and ready to eat at Christmas one year. But, that was a one-off; we had a 72 degree day on Thanksgiving that year. We moved the festivities out into the yard because we hadn’t had any snow then, either. Fun memory. :)
Your dog is so adorable! Love that ‘Rum Runner’ Hibiscus; I’ve never seen that color before. Just gorgeous! :)
Thanks for the info - I have been waiting for two years for it to bloom. One of the stalks from the original plant broke off and now I have two that are blooming. I was warned not to get too close (smell!). We have a wonderful little garden store here that sells only succulents and cactus, the owner, a really young guy, knows a lot about each plant.
I have been traveling a lot lately visiting family on the East Coast, Colorado and Oregon, four trips that were very close together. I am home now and plan on staying home the rest of the year!
Best to you MomwithHope!!
This is 'The Back 40' at my other farm. Every year that hill put on quite the show!
The view South from my front porch:
The view West from my front porch:
That CRAZY lime-green is the Catalpa tree with a Red Sugar Maple behind in our back yard:
We have five Oaks at the edge of the drive and every one turns a different color! The orange-leaved tree to the right is my Contender Peach tree, and in the forefront is my Whitespire Japanese Birch clump, Red Twig Dogwood and our Concolor Fir which will be more visible as the Dogwood loses more leaves.
We have stunningly BEAUTIFUL sunsets to the South West in the Fall. Here's an example:
And I was able to capture the Moon as she was setting one morning over big, fluffy clouds:
BLT Salad Bites
Delicious for a party table, or treat the family to your food artistry.
Ing 1-2 mini heads Sweet Gem lettuce (uses 12-14 leaves) 2 tbl mayo 1/4 cup ranch dressing 3 leaves romaine (shredded) 6 slices crisp bacon 1 cup Candyland cherry tomatoes 1/4 cup shaved Parm 1/4 cup diced green onion, 1/4 tsp ea sea salt/pepper.
Instructions Wash lettuce leaves and p/towel dry. Arrange on server. Whisk mayo/and ranch; toss in shredded romaine to coat evenly. Set into each lettuce leaf. Top with crumbled bacon, cherry tomatoes, shaved parm, diced green onion, s/p.
The nabes and I had a running thing for a while to see who could eat a red tomato on the 4th of July. I usually have some in late July or August. Most the the crop is still green in September when I harvest but I lay them out under lights on teh same shelves I use for starting. We were done processing last month. I had one Degma’s Perfection that was six inches across. The real trick turns out to be pruning them severely in mid August. Take off anything without fruit on it. Even if there is a flower it is not going to be a tomato in time. Look at old photos of tomatoes and you will see what looks like a stick with tomatoes hanging on it.
Yes, severe pruning will give you monster fruits on just about anything.
I’ve tried to switch to Determinate varieties of tomatoes so I get them all at once and then I can get my canning done more efficiently in a shorter time frame.
Sometimes it works, other times it don’t! ;)
For a determinate I grow Polbig. It makes a nice attractive round, red tomato. Even though they are determinates you still have to support them. I usually use tomato cages even though I hate the darn things. Like rassling an armload of porcupines!
Through the years I’ve invested in the collapsible 4-sided tomato cages. They are taller than normal and fold flat for storage - but are still only slightly less of a PITA!
Nice pictures especially Stew. Do you think Ithaca has caught on to what is happening to his barn buddies? They come and go.
Ithaca will most likely outlive us all. ;)
He has a noble face.
Got an e-mail this morning that my seeds are coming from Bounty Hunter! Trying 'Harvard Square' as well as the 'Sebelka' you recommended. Mom will totally get a kick out of the coloring of Harvard Square:
Wow that is different. I haven’t ordered yet.
I am told that on the streets of Cairo, Egypt there are vending machines from which one may purchase a hat.
Yup..
Fez dispensers.
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