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The Garden Thread - June, 2025
June 1, 2025 | Diana in WI/Greeneyes in Memoriam

Posted on 06/01/2025 5:48:14 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.


TOPICS: Agriculture; Food; Gardening; Hobbies
KEYWORDS: food; garden; gardening; hobbies
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To: Tilted Irish Kilt; All
They've got several calculators, charts and downloadable spreadsheets and with the calculators and spreadsheets, there a place to plug in your first or last frost date to set it up for your locale.

They're here -- https://www.johnnyseeds.com/growers-library/online-tools-calculators.html

At 6b, you should be about the same as me. I'm in this area - 6b/7a.


Made it to the other end of the tunnel with grass/weed pulling.Took almost two hours, I didn't start until 8am - was supposed to be 6am but I was lazy. Kinda warm before I was done. Also need to kill the rest of the grass/weeds in the tunnel.

I had thought about "living pathways" but screw that. The entire tunnel will be mulched with something most of the year if not all the time. Now that all but the sides are pulled or short, I can use my black rubber mats and heavy black plastic to kill off the rest and cover with mulch as I go.

I'm trying to pull as much as I can out by the roots. Getting harder to do now that things are finally drying up.


Rearranged my controllers and have one I can put in the tunnel now that will read a temp sensor to get soil temp. Good to know for direct sowing sometimes.(98 frikkin degrees) Did everything I needed to do in the shed for that(with a fan on me) and will do the outdoors part when it's cooler.

I already have an outside air temp/humidity sensor. It says it's hot and humid LOL. Bit of a breeze today which helps.

Saw a Japanese Beetle today oh joy. I killed it but I doubt it was the only one I'll see.

601 posted on 06/26/2025 1:02:45 PM PDT by Pollard (Rambling Man)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

If I were close enough, I’d do it! :-)


602 posted on 06/26/2025 3:07:40 PM PDT by Qiviut (Imagine waking up in the morning & only having the things you thanked God for yesterday. (S. Peters))
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To: Diana in Wisconsin
Day three was an active one so she's tired and gonna lay right here in the mineral bucket


603 posted on 06/26/2025 4:19:16 PM PDT by Pollard (Rambling Man)
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To: Pollard

If I fits, I sits! *HEART*


604 posted on 06/26/2025 4:37:17 PM 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

Hi, Diana!

I’ve seen Turmeric (pardon my spelling error, earlier), Turmeric plus milk, and Turmeric plus milk and Neem Oil suggested for plants with damaged or poor root systems. And then I’ve seen cinnamon recommended as a rooting powder. Both Cinnamon and Turmeric are claimed to have anti-fungal properties. My Mom had a lot of Cinnamon left when she went to the nursing home, and I have a nice size container of Turmeric. It’s from Big Lots and was much cheaper than root hormone, I seem to recall. My wife uses it for one of her Asian dishes. I’d have to ask which one, but, I don’t think it’s any of her “regulars”. A lot of my plants suffered from soggy soils and even rather soggy pots this spring because of the almost incessant rains. The Turmeric plus milk seems to be helping, though I’ll grant you my tests are poorly controlled! I’ve not tried Cinnamon except for one successful cutting start - but one isn’t much of a test!

I do have two different jars of root hormone powder, but it doesn’t seem to work into soil well at all for plants already in the ground. I guess I could try dissolving some in water, which is what I do with the Turmeric, then I add milk to make a 3:1 water to milk plus a dash of Turmeric mix. I also have a jug of liquid root compound that contains the chemical Indole-3-butyric Acid - the same ingredient found in the powders.

It is quite likely all the rain washed nutrients out of many of my pots: A larger scale version of your description of those plants @ Menards. My one potted Opo that was growing well and had just set a couple fruit suddenly stopped growing and one of the fruits has classic blossom end rot going. I’m thinking maybe it just needs a quick shot of calcium, so, maybe milk would help? Would you haver a recommendation for how much? The vine is presently about 11 ft. long, and just under 1/2” diameter @ the base of the stem. The pot is big - about 16” diameter.

As I mentioned, I didn’t buy any of the on sale tomato 6-packs @ Menards, as I have too many plants already. A few of mine are somewhat similarly stressed, as I kept them “in”, mostly in 4” pots, so they didn’t face drowning! Your advice should be good for those. It is interesting to see how some varieties seem to survive better under low nutrition conditions than others...

Thanks much!


605 posted on 06/26/2025 5:46:17 PM PDT by Paul R. (Old Viking saying: "Never be more than 3 steps away from your weapon ... or a Uriah Heep song!" ;-))
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To: Pollard

When we get there, repost the list to the July thread.

I have tomatoes, pepper, sweet potatoes, a couple of watermelon and some volunteer pumpkins. There really is not much room for anything else.


606 posted on 06/26/2025 7:43:22 PM PDT by Pete from Shawnee Mission (Zone 7B KS/MO border 10:30 pm 82F Clear)
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To: MomwithHope
Mom...Its odd, but I do not recall ever seeing Orioles In N Illinois or here in Kansas.

Good luck with the weed wacker! I have been doing some pulling in my garden as well.

607 posted on 06/26/2025 7:49:02 PM PDT by Pete from Shawnee Mission (Zone 7B KS/MO border 9:48 pm 76F Cloudy, intermittant rain & Storms)
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To: Tilted Irish Kilt
Tilted.... Thanks! I have used the red before and it does heat up the soil.

If you use them you do have to plan for watering and make certain your crop is getting sufficent moisture or it will affect growth. (I used it on Tomatoes and realized i needed more water after the fact!)

608 posted on 06/26/2025 7:54:38 PM PDT by Pete from Shawnee Mission (Zone 7B KS/MO border 9:48 pm 76F Cloudy, intermittant rain & Storms)
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To: Pollard
No, the Japanese Beetles are doing their thing all over my Plum Trees.

Unfortunately something poked into all the plums...there were not that many...and they all had little gum deposits at the injection site. Better safe than sorry. I picked and discarded them.

609 posted on 06/26/2025 8:01:00 PM PDT by Pete from Shawnee Mission (Zone 7B KS/MO border 9:48 pm 76F Cloudy, intermittant rain & Storms)
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To: Pete from Shawnee Mission

The Jap Beetles might help you out with that


610 posted on 06/27/2025 12:53:21 AM PDT by Pollard (Rambling Man)
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To: Pollard

4:05 am and I leave for work in 15 min. If I wasn’t in the middle of my 60 day review process, I’d call in today and work on homestead things. They’re making room for a new CNC mill so two existing mills have been moved but not set back up yet. With not enough machines for all, the new guy gets sent to another dept to do boring work and I’m that new guy. Tomorrow and Sunday I’ll be running a mill and then Monday, back to boring-ville. Oh well, same money.


611 posted on 06/27/2025 2:11:16 AM PDT by Pollard (Rambling Man)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

I have 4 dahlias ... zero tubers I bought came up. When I took them out of the packaging, they were ‘papery’ & seemed to have no solid insides. $10 wasted on 2 tubers (Kelvin Floodlight & Creme de Cassis). What I do have are the 4 dahlias from seedlings my niece gave me. I got them at Easter & they didn’t really start growing until about 2 weeks ago. One of them got really weird, wrinkled sort of leaves & I almost got rid of it, but the new growth seems to be normal. I’ll likely top them & see what happens.

I FINALLY got the grass cut (entire acreage) yesterday. It’s been close to 100 this week & actually got to 101 on Wednesday plus we got a big T-storm fairly early in the afternoon, so mowing was a no go. Wednesday was also the 2 week mark since the place was mowed & some weeds were knee high (grass, not so much). The plan was to mow over last weekend, but circumstances kept me 30 miles away Saturday & Sunday.

So yesterday, at 2:00 and 98 degrees with a heat index of 104, I got on the mower. The front yard is about 2/3 shaded so I spent the first hour or so there. After that, it was full sun until the last 45 minutes or so when storm storm clouds were spinning up. I quit at 6, 92 degrees, 98 heat index. At 7, a storm with heavy rain came through, but unlike Wednesday’s storm, no heavy winds/lightning. The raised beds got a nice watering.

While I was mowing, a movement caught my eye and when I looked, it was a doe deer streaking across the back/side field and into the front yard. I have seen a lot of deer, but I have never seen one run so fast. She was a vertical streak of brown ... no upwards movement at all. I guess I scared her, but most of the deer around here are ‘ho hum’ about the mower ... until you get off. This deer was running like she had a pack of wolves after her. I think she stopped when she got to the big bank at the road. I could see just her head/ears next to the fence and I suspect she jumped the fence into the brushy, overgrown lot next to us.

Yesterday, the paving company arrived and took the asphalt off the part of the driveway that goes up the hill from the road. He left some paving at the end of the road in the event we did get a storm - didn’t want gravel washing into the road. It’s a good thing he did that because the road bed did wash ... gravel went sideways into the culvert. He’ll likely be smoothing out the rough road bed and putting down gravel today. The new loop to the front of the house was prepared last fall & just had to be driven/rained on to settle it ... one more layer of fine gravel & it’s ready for paving. All paving should happen next week. We’ll be stuck for 24 - 36 hours unable to drive on the straight driveway & 3 to 4 days of no driving on the loop. The paving contractor (in business for 69 years, father now son) is one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. He’s also a ‘perfectionist’ and does a really good job.

Today, I should be back on the barn lean-to project. It looks like I’m going to have one board left (of the 18 I brought from the old house). So far, I’m pleased with the way things are turning out - mom said it “looks nice” as well. Once the grass dries, I need to do some trimming, too ... the mailbox is across the road & we can hardly get to it.

Speaking of the mailbox, I ‘should’ be getting two cookbooks today: ‘The Victory Garden Cookbook’ (I have a copy packed up somewhere, but need Marian’s carrot cake recipe) & ‘The Best Casserole Book Ever’ by Beatrice Ojakangas ... it has 500 casserole recipes! Both are ‘used-good’ so didn’t cost much (free delivery, too). One friend from the Boston area, 2 couples from our old town & 2 repeat guests are going to be visiting over the next 2 to 3 months so I need ideas.


612 posted on 06/27/2025 3:47:16 AM PDT by Qiviut (Imagine waking up in the morning & only having the things you thanked God for yesterday. (S. Peters))
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

“vertical streak of brown” ...LOL .... that should be ‘horizontal’ ... no caffeine yet this morning.


613 posted on 06/27/2025 3:52:33 AM PDT by Qiviut (Imagine waking up in the morning & only having the things you thanked God for yesterday. (S. Peters))
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To: Pete from Shawnee Mission

It was all baby chickweed that came up after the first tilling. In very loose soil. So weedwhacking is the easiest and can pull it right of the ground. Did not take long.
Orioles as far as I know like heavily wooded areas the best, better tree choice for hidden nests and lots of bugs crawling on trees to eat. We have both.


614 posted on 06/27/2025 4:44:07 AM PDT by MomwithHope (Forever grateful to all our patriots, past, present and future.)
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To: Paul R.

Re: Rooting hormone. I didn’t know you were meaning it for plants that are already in the ground.

There is a product by Fertilome (I think?) that is used to soak and then pour on the soil, for bare root trees and shrubs. We used to sell it at Jung’s when someone bought a bare root item.

My OLD computer is giving me heartburn this morning, but if I can find it for you, I’ll send you a link and you can look at the make-up of the product.


615 posted on 06/27/2025 5:51:59 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: Paul R.

Sorry! Product is made by Bonide, not Fertilome:

“This unique concentrate of 4-10-3 fertilizer plus IBA Growth Hormone stimulates fast, strong root development and reduces transplant shock. Highly recommended for promoting greener, more vigorous plants. Use when planting new flowers, trees and shrubs.”

https://www.jungseed.com/product/J51115/1020


616 posted on 06/27/2025 5:58:24 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: Paul R.

Yes, a splash of milk might help the Opo situation. I would give it 1/4” cup at the base of the plant, then water that in.

Can’t hurt, might help! When I have an empty 1-gallon milk jug I always fill it up with water right away with any of the little drips of milk still in the bottom. I use that on houseplants and my porch pots in the Summer months. Works really well; it’s a CHEAP fertilizer for all blooming things.


617 posted on 06/27/2025 6:05:32 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: All
=

Patriotic Rosette Napkins Ring Supplies:

12″ x 12″ patterned scrapbook paper 8 1/2″ x 11″ red, white, and blue scrapbook paper Red, white, and blue 1″ grosgrain ribbon Blue 1″ blue grosgrain ribbon Punches Plastic shower curtain ring Craft glue Hot glue gun Directions: Cut a 1 1/2″ x 12″ strip of scrapbook paper and fold it in 1/4″ accordion folds. Join ends together and glue seam. Flatten out the circle and hold it together to make a tight rosette. Glue punched out circles to the front and back of the rosette to keep it together and provide stability. Glue an additional smaller punched circle and star to the front to decorate.

Hot glue 2 3″ pieces of red, white, and blue ribbon to the back of the rosette. Place a drop of hot glue on the shower curtain ring and adhere the end of a 12″ piece of blue ribbon. Wrap the ribbon around the ring, pulling taught as you go until the ring is covered, and hot glue the end in place. Hot glue rosette to the ribbon-covered shower curtain ring.

618 posted on 06/27/2025 7:19:42 AM PDT by Liz (This then is how we should pray...."Our Father, who art in heaven......" )
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

Ah-Ha! Did you notice the active ingredient? That same stuff: Indole-3-butyric Acid

I have 3/4+ gallon of this version:

https://www.amazon.com/Green-Light-Organic-Stimulator-Solution/dp/B000BZ8HHW

It does seem to help rooting when transplanting from those 6-packs, in particular.


619 posted on 06/27/2025 7:36:23 AM PDT by Paul R. (Old Viking saying: "Never be more than 3 steps away from your weapon ... or a Uriah Heep song!" ;-))
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

Noted & thanks!

I do the same thing often, BTW. We re-use all 1-gallon milk jugs for something or the other around here, and when I rinse them out I often water plants in or near the house with the 1st round rinse water. The Opo is 150+ ft. away, out in the garden though, so normally milk jug rinse water doesn’t get that far.

“Done” on the Opo. Hopefully it will help! It might take, what, maybe a week to see any effect?


620 posted on 06/27/2025 7:42:41 AM PDT by Paul R. (Old Viking saying: "Never be more than 3 steps away from your weapon ... or a Uriah Heep song!" ;-))
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