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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.
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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.
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Click here: to donate by Credit Card Or here: to donate by PayPal Or by mail to: Free Republic, LLC - PO Box 9771 - Fresno, CA 93794 Thank you very much and God bless you. |
Hey, I’ve seen those green beetles here before. So pretty. Glad they are beneficial.
This Canadian smoke can go away and stay away. Good grief. It finally gets cooler but it sends awful smoke our way.
Happy August!
🌸🌺🌼
Thanks. I tend to eat it plain with just some sausage added.
Doing a lot better than I am!
It’s August. Why do I feel like turning on the heat? Because it’s 55 degrees with 100% humidity. A few days ago, I was running the AC in the truck on the way to work because it was 80 with the same 100% humidity. This morning, I’ll be running the heat.
A month ago, I was dealing with bare 98 degree soil. No wonder the plants aren’t happy this year.
You must have a really nice cool spot there!
NWS Paducah reports 63 deg. F this morning, and ditto for us — but that’s good enough! I stepped out half and hour ago, and it’s just plain delightful to have this in early August! Presently, the forecast is a slow warming trend next week, but we don’t get above 90 deg. F until next Friday.
I’ll take it. I just hope we get some rain by the end of next week - we’ve quickly gone from soggy to dry. All that evapo-transpiration, ya’ know!
A couple questions and notes:
Under good conditions, how tall do Mortgage Lifter tomato plants get? 8 feet? Ten? Mine are finally really taking off, and it looks like I need to build taller supports, as they are harder to “loop back down and around” than, say, the Cherry Falls tomato plants, as the stems (vines) seem “stiffer” at a given diameter.
Are Lemon Boy tomato plants sort of a “one round of fruits and then done” variety? The Lemon Boy of mine that fruited first did so seemingly early (considering development of the plant overall, but, it “seemed healthy”. But, after one round of fruits it suddenly died for no reason I can ascertain. Other plants around it seem ok. All are in similar pots w/ similar soil, have had the same watering, etc.
Notes:
1) I’m pretty convinced now that Roundup works better with rainwater than our (pretty hard) well water. I don’t notice much difference (rainwater vs. well water) with 2-4D, but, I’ve only tried the 2-4D once with rain water.
2) Mortgage Lifter tomato plants are unusual in that, kept in a small “starter” pot, but otherwise well cared for, they usually don’t try to outgrow the pot. So far, most I didn’t transfer to a “larger environment) have just stayed “dwarf” Mortgage Lifters under 8” tall (most didn’t even get to 6”), with no flowering (but even the ones outdoors in the ground have not flowered yet). They don’t even grow a dense root ball / don’t look root bound. THEN put them in the ground or in a 5 gallon pot — after a bit they’ll they grow slowly, and then a few weeks later, will begin to take off.
Most tomato plants will grow faster and exhaust a small pot (and then often die or look very bad).
The ML’s I transferred early to medium size pots, and then again fairly quickly to 5 gallon pots or (one) into the ground*, grew slowly but steadily until about 4-5 feet tall, and now they are taking off, it seems.
*I gave the 1st ML in the ground a spot on the slightly higher side of the garden area, so, it didn’t drown!
3) At least some “organic” fertilizers / plant foods will attract critters that dig. Ditto for chicken guano that has gotten a broken egg(s) into it. :-(
4) Lemon Boy tomatoes not allowed to FULLY ripen are pretty darn tart. But, once fully ripe, then you have to use them quickly.
This one also doesn't set any fruit - and looks more like a small saguaro - both are very very old, I inherited them years ago:
This is prickly pear. Strangely believe it, but the plant grows wild in the nearby Tennessee State Park
51 degrees when I got up this morning, but dewy grass and hazy skies. No wind.
But - as an added bonus - I got to watch a crop duster in his bright yellow plane, a few farms over from us. We don’t spray and neither does the cattle operation that butts up against ours, but you can see for MILES from up here on the hillside and that operation has thousands of acres of beans and corn getting doused this morning.
Love the sound of it. :)
Going out to pick beans in a few. Beans and cukes and MONSTER zukes are all I’m harvesting this season. :(
Yes, that flat-leafed cactus is the Prickly Pear that Mom had. I remember blooming, but no fruiting - but it was growing in Wisconsin, which was amazing in the first place.
A number of years ago we were in Alabama visiting Beau’s family and one neighbor had Prickly Pear all around her mailbox, LOL! I’m sure the Mailman just LOVED that! (Not!)
Prickly Pear grows wild all over California too - I remember a friend picking the “fruit” for her dad - who loved to eat them and knew how to “de-fang” them. Tasted one once and was not impressed. You can buy prickly pear candy in desert communities in California, Nevada and Arizona.
I’m pretty sure there are juvenile stink bugs that grow into the larger ones.
Lemon and Olive Oil Pasta w/ carmelized lemons
A quick pasta dish packed with flavor. "Corto’s 100% EVO" is the base for a citrusy, spiced sauce.
Ing / Serves 4 12 oz dry spaghetti 6 tbl evo 2-3 lemons, in half moons 2 c yellow onion, thin-sliced lengthwise k/salt, to taste 5 thin-sliced gar/cl, 3⁄4 teaspoon turmeric 1⁄2 tsp ea crushed chili flakes, grnd coriander seeds, black pepper, 1⁄2 c fresh oregano leaves, rough-chopped lemon zest garnish
Directions SPAGHETTI Btb large pot of water; salt generously. Once boiling, cook spaghetti al dente, 7 min. Reserve 1 c pasta water. SAUCE Heat 2 tbl evo on med-high. Once hot, carefully add lemon slices; cook/stir til caramelized, 5-7 min. Set aside on plate. Wipe pan clean and turn down heat to med. Add 2 tablespoons evo to pan, then add the onion, garlic, and 1⁄2 tsp salt. Stir til coated w/ oil and salt. Cook/stir very soft, but not mushy a bit brown, about 7-9 min. Stir in turmeric, chili flakes, coriander, pepper. Once fragrant, add cooked pasta. 1⁄4 c pasta water. Stir to coat; add more pasta liquid, 1⁄4 cup at a time, to reach consistency. Then add lemons and oregano leaves; s/p to taste.
Serve with a drizzle of evo and lemon zest for garnish.
That looks amazing, Liz! I’d probably add some grilled chicken to that! Thank you!
LOL!!
That looks amazing, Liz! I’d probably add some grilled chicken to that! Thank you!
But yes, your addition of grilled chicken would be fab.
Footnote to my question about Mortgage lifter Tomato plants:
It turns out there are multiple cultivars of Mortgage Lifter tomato plants. All I know about mine is that the ones I bought at Menards are the generic Menards 6-pack plants. The ones from seed are from Livingston.
We used to have a pretty decent view to the West, until the silos went up next door to our West. OTOH, the duster-helicopter has to pull up sharply when he gets to those silos - there is a field both South and West of the silos. With the big spray rig on the chopper, and the loud noise of the chopper itself, it’s quite impressive.
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