Posted on 02/01/2025 6:55:11 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.
Nice - down to 15.
I read that about the bugs now allowed in bread. I’m baking my own, today! Ugh!
*APPLAUSE*
Good morning! Buckle up, news is coming at as “fast and furious”. In a good way. I can’t remember Judy’s exact screen name.
I can’t find our tooth discussion but I remembered this. Calcium carbonate is considered to help strengthen tooth enamel. Not taken internally but used in water as a mouthwash, and it also is a very VERY fine abrasive that is used in tooth pastes sometimes or tooth powder. I haven’t used tooth paste in many years but make my own tooth powder, recipe posted on the Natural Health thread, has calcium carbonate as one of the ingredients.
I’ve noticed since using it, one tooth that had a small chunk out of it that was painful, after some time stopped being painful and sensitive. Maybe some enamel grew back? I don’t know, I refuse to go to dentists any more. :-D
Howdy!
I love this idea for my garden area. I only have a small sliver of full sun in my yard, which is on my walkway to the house. This is giving me new ideas how to mix in edible plants with my floral landscaping. The tarragon last season has been such a big hit (as are the other herbs there), and now I have ideas for tomatoes, shishito peppers, and a few spots for baby potatoes.
Happy Saturday! I have no idea what it’s like at my house right now. We’re out in the SF Bay Area visiting son, DIL, and our two grandsons. The younger one turns one next week but his first birthday party was today, and thankfully finished. We had a rainy windy couple of days, but today it’s sunny and beautiful, perfect for an outdoor kids party. Ah, the joys of little ones all running around with unending energy. Now it’s naptime for the baby and quiet time for the rest of us…for another hour. Then the fun starts all over again, with another kids party in the neighborhood. Of course, we came bearing gifts for the grands, and sprinkle the timing throughout our visit. Lots of hugs, stories, and food. No need for me to count my steps while I’m here. I know I’ll get my 10,000 in everyday with this crew.
Deep cycle Marine/RV battery(or two) plus an inverter would probably run them. Charge the battery with generator when you're running the generator to run fridge to save your food. Anyone who has a generator and loses electric, generally runs the generator once or twice a day for the fridge and charging things anyway.
Sounds like you are having a great time. Enjoy!
Thanks - I will pass this along.
A BBC article about a dutch linguist studying cow communication. (I will not say language!)
Stares and ear-twitches: The linguist learning to speak the expressive language of cows
Keeping your herd happy and productive might be worth an afternoon lecture or at least a 4H project! (Something to integrate with a Dairy AG Program at UW Madison? :)
Rotisserie Chickens... Its a great way to get chicken without all that work of cooking. The bones make great broth too!
Aquafaba; The liquid from a can of drained chickpeas. You can whip it up and use it a bit like egg whites.
Aquafaba (See "News" for more info.)
Nice Trophy vine!
Temperature is relative:
35° above Zero: New York landlords finally turn up the heat. People in Wisconsin have the last cookout before it gets cold.
20° above Zero: People in Arizona all die. Wisconsin closes the windows.
0°: Californians fly away to Mexico. People in Wisconsin get out their winter coats.
10° below Zero: Hollywood disintegrates. The Girl Scouts in Wisconsin are selling cookies door to door.
Spring is around a very large corner around here ....
We are expecting 3-6” of snow tomorrow, some pockets of 6-8” over 2000’. Hazardous road conditions. Wintery mix into Wednesday morning before ending, then more ‘stuff’ (snow, sleet, rain) Wednesday night into Thursday.
I will use tomorrow’s snow day for knitting (soothes the nerves & I have a present to finish), but the piano tuner is supposed to come Thursday & we have an appointment on Friday that is over the mountain through a steep S-curve gap & an hour & a half away.
Additionally, the car has needed a trip to the mechanic & yesterday it gave me enough trouble that my cousin had to give me a ride home from church. On the ride home, he took me into town & showed me the shop location of a very good mechanic - closest dealers are 45 min to an hour away while this mechanic is a mere 10 minutes! The car may still need to go to a dealer, but at least I have a mechanic with whom I can discuss the situation. I got the car home & in the garage later in the afternoon, but I will wait until after the snow to get it to the mechanic/dealer.
Wisconsin is in a severe ‘Snow Drought.’ I cannot remember such a snow-less Wisconsin Winter in my life! The snowmobile guys are really p*ssed, as are the snow removal guys, the ski hill operators, etc. Everyone that depends upon SNOW for their livelihoods half the year are having a tough season. I have my snowshoes & poles, shovel, sand & salt bucket on the porch to appease the Snow Gods, but so far - bupkiss!
When Mother Nature finally shakes out her skirts, it’s going to be ugly. I’m predicting a VERY UGLY Spring for my garden. Be prepared for all of my whining and complaining come March and April. ;)
We have had 2 years of severe drought including very little snow the last 2 winters. The farm ponds have been dry, the towns & counties have been water rationing & the river level has been very low to the point boat traffic has been impeded. On our little patch of heaven, we have lost several trees to drought including a large pine & a stately old chestnut.
The snow has really helped & we had a lot of rain last week - I noticed one shallow farm pond was actually full to overflowing yesterday. We are on a main road that is kept open so the only issue is our long driveway & getting to the road. Unlike when I had 5 horses & had to deal with them when it snowed (& get a hayloft full of hay before winter & no pasture grass), I have no animals to care for/worry about so that makes dealing with snow a heck of a lot easier!
“I have no animals to care for/worry about so that makes dealing with snow a heck of a lot easier!”
Current tally:
11 chickens
12 hunting dogs
1 Mule
2 Raccoon
1 Steer
1 house dog
2 indoor/outdoor cats
Beau was joking when we got a DUSTING of snow the other day that he had to tie a rope between the house and the barn, ala ‘Pa Ingalls’ (Little House) so he could find his way back!
I remember the rope to-not-get-lost-in-the-blizzard from Little House... it makes an impression.
In real life, Sue (Life Below Zero show) actually does this at her Kavik River Camp on the North Slope, 15 miles from the Arctic Ocean & 500 miles from Fairbanks. With temps as low as -60°, you could freeze in a hurry!
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