Posted on 08/01/2025 6:03:57 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.
Salmon and grouper are my favorites. I know what you mean about bones.
The smoked SWEET is the best. They are out right now but given they probably source it from down south I would think it would be soon.
We ate fried perch early every Friday. I hated picking out the bones and more than once I had one catch in my throat. One so bad it took a couple of bread balls to shake it loose. No fun when you are a kid.
I’m not sure what kind of fish we ate as young kids. I do know I hated fish sticks. Had to eat them anyway. If you didn’t eat what was put in front of you, you went hungry. If you complained about how you didn’t like something, you got a smack AND had to eat all of it under threat of more severe punishment. There was no pussyfooting around that. Amazingly, I am not a picky eater, save for a very few things, which I still sometimes try, and still reject. (I don’t like bleu cheese or goat cheese. I keep trying them every so often, but I still haven’t taken a liking to either of those.)
Weird weather - very cloudy, looks like a storm any minute, but nothing on radar. It’s “cool”, high 70’s with a bit of humidity. There’s also been quite the breeze. All of this has Fall on my mind. The gray days remind me of November skies except it’s not cold.
Perfect day for shoveling that second load of dirt out of the trailer. It’s all in the 3rd bed, mounded up & tarped. I waited a week to pick up this load after we had a spell of heavy rain - the rain had drained out of most of what I got ... dry dirt isn’t near as heavy as wet dirt (duh!).
I didn’t mention that we saw “wildlife” going across the mountain for the dirt. A handsome red fox crossed the road in front of us so I slowed down to look in the woods - it had stopped & I got a good look. That was going .... coming back a snake crossed the road in front of me. It was on a fairly steep downhill and I was hauling heavy so I didn’t brake or swerve .... snake made it without getting hit. The interesting thing about the snake was that it sure looked like a Timber Rattler to me! I have seen plenty in the mountains doing trail work & hiking so I know what they look like. As long as I don’t see any Timbers around our place, I’m good with just seeing them in the mountains.
No more work today that involves my back. I think I’ll go on a date this afternoon with Clyde :-)
So, you KNOW what I’m takin’ about with the fish bones in the throat!
Beau drags home Northerns and Muskies and Walleye. Bone City. I have expressed my displeasure! MANY times!
Pan fish or NO fish! Perch. Sunfish. Bluegills - all the fish I grew up on and never tried to kill me!
In the past I have made a tasty Stuffed Lake Trout on the grill, and I have fond memories of catching Trout with my Battalion Commander the year I was his driver. Those saps filing through the Mess Hall doors THOUGHT they were getting Trout for Breakfast. Nope. Just us, LOL! ;)
Unless you’re going to stuff them and hang them on the wall, I want nothing to do with monster-sized fishes. ;)
I need to add more Salmon into our diet. LOVE the stuff. :)
Yet another busy day for you! I’ll bet you’ll be very happy when Fall falls at your place. :)
I haven’t seen a Red Fox in ages. They are few and far between up here in The Driftless. :(
We’ve had and are having t-storms all around us, lots of impressive cloud formations included, but, no rain for US. Drat!
At least it’s going to cool off some, esp. this weekend. Just in time for the big picnic @ my wife’s church! :-)
That (a simple bone structure) is one of the things I like about catfish. But, from my childhood I recall fresh Canadian walleye as being the best tasting fresh water fish of all. (Maybe that was partially because we were at a cabin in Canada!) Bluegill out of good water are #2, in my book, tied with catfish (from 3-6 lb.*) out of clean water, and trout from good water, or put and take trout which apparently are raised in pretty decent water @ the hatchery.
*Ie., channel cats big enough to have turned mostly piscivore, young enough to be at peak taste.
If you wanna fight bones, silver carp are truly nasty (but they taste quite good, well prepared.)
OMG. It’s a good thing my wife doesn’t make all these recipes you post, because I’d be a balloon! ;-)
OMG. It’s a good thing my wife doesn’t make all
these recipes you post, because I’d be a balloon! ;-)
If stored rainwater has been kept in a sealed container (even milk jugs will do), and not exposed to light (esp. sunlight*), the gases and minerals are not going anywhere, and bacterial growth should be minimal. Basically, if the rainwater water looks clean and clear, it should be fine for plants.
Note however that uncapping a container a couple days before using it will “aerate it” quite well if the water level is where the container reaches full diameter or width. (This is a small consideration for me with our well water, which is NOT very aerated, of course. But, then again, chicken guano compost has LOTS of nitrogen in it, and we, er, our chickens, generate plenty.)
*A milk jug of rainwater exposed to sunlight will of course go “green” quickly. In a shaded indoor environment (covered / no direct light), it should keep for months. This assumes reasonably clean roofing and guttering as the “collector”. In my case, the rainwater presently comes right off a large awning. To save more water, by happenstance to this discussion, I in fact just bought a 55 gallon plastic drum @ Rural King today, using some rewards $$. It was on sale ($19.60). I’ll have to make sure it’s not translucent - if so, I’ll paint the exterior black or dark blue with some spare paint. (Opaque containers are best if light can get to the container.)
Oh, I know, but there are enough... ;-)
(It was just a gentle kidding anyway! Including of myself!!)
(It was just a gentle kidding anyway! Including of myself!!)
Thx. I would add smell.
, I in fact just bought a 55 gallon plastic drum @ Rural King today, using some rewards $$. It was on sale ($19.60)
Good price. I use washed, old trash bins, preferably with lids. I cover some others with screening to deter mosquitoes. Spraying non-stick food spray helps also.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.