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

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.


TOPICS: Agriculture; Food; Gardening; Hobbies
KEYWORDS: food; garden; gardening; hobbies
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To: daniel1212
Besides sharing progress, by the grace of God, I use this thread as a chronicle, Main section:

The inexpensive (shop compare) durable permeable ground cover (Weed Barrier Landscape Fabric) works very well to stop weeds (which any uncovered spots reveal) and keep moisture in, thank God.

81 posted on 08/02/2025 9:02:11 AM PDT by daniel1212 (Turn 2 the Lord Jesus who saves damned+destitute sinners on His acct, believe, b baptized+follow HIM)
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To: Liz; Diana in Wisconsin; All

Looking through the recipes on the Corto’s 100% olive oil site & found this one:

https://corto-olive.com/blogs/corto-blog/olive-oil-cured-vegetables

My brother would go on pheasant hunting trips & one of the guys brought oil- cured peppers. My brother raved about them & I kept asking him to get the recipe. Evidently the guy who made the peppers was cagey about sharing the recipe, so I never got one. My brother kept saying he just poured oil over the peppers, but that did not make sense to me.

This recipe does make sense since it uses some vinegar first. The oil keeps oxygen from then getting to the veggies. I might try this - a jar would be a great Christmas gift for my brother.


82 posted on 08/02/2025 11:53:37 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: Paul R.

What was the question again on the Mortgage Lifters? I’ve only grown them once as a trial.

Was it the height of the plant? I would imagine it needs to be BIG as it’s supporting those HUGE tomatoes.

Average Height of Mortgage Lifter Tomatoes

On average, Mortgage Lifter tomato plants can grow to a height of 6 to 8 feet. However, their actual size can vary depending on several factors, including:

Growing Conditions

Sunlight: Mortgage Lifter tomatoes thrive in full sun, requiring at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight daily.

Soil: Well-drained, fertile soil rich in organic matter is essential for optimal growth.

Water: Consistent watering is crucial, especially during hot and dry periods.

Temperature: They prefer warm temperatures between 70-85 degrees Fahrenheit.

https://gardenerbible.com/how-tall-do-mortgage-lifter-tomatoes-grow/

The above article appears to be written by AI. It’s like listening to Kamala Harris talk, LOL! Made my head hurt!


83 posted on 08/02/2025 12:15:08 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: Qiviut

I’ll bet your brother would LOVE that!

When I was running errands yesterday, I was THRILLED to see green peppers being given away at my Thrift Shop. Anything I can salvage for my V-8 Juice this season is a bonus. My Jalapeno peppers are doing great, but the red bells are not the least bit happy this season.

I may just stop growing peppers. They’re so cheap (and sometimes free!) this time of year.


84 posted on 08/02/2025 12:19:24 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: Qiviut

Nice find.


85 posted on 08/02/2025 12:19:27 PM PDT by Liz (')
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To: daniel1212

I’m glad to see you leaving a little more space between your tomatoes. That makes a huge difference to them, all the way around. :)


86 posted on 08/02/2025 12:20:28 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

Hahaha! Thanks for the reply.

What I was looking for, I guess, was actual experience with the Mortgage Lifters, as those AI returns, while usually fairly accurate, sometimes miss important details. I am particularly intrigued that my Mortgage Lifters don’t seem to outgrow their environment the way many varieties try to. But the corollary would seem to be that they could, with adequate nutrition, water, and time (as they seem rather slow growing, in the 1st couple months, even when pampered), end up being really big plants. Now that a couple of the ML’s are taking off (I’ll bet this run of 80’s degree weather will really help), I added height to their support “trees”, a couple hours ago.

(One support actually broke in some wind a couple days ago when the cold front came through. The break was due to both the plant and the wood being old and having a knot. That break folded over the main stem badly (the stem partially broke, actually) and the top of the plant wilted fast... I ended up replanting the bottom half and burying about 3 ft. of the stem in a “slanting trench”, with a little branch still intact sticking up from the ground. That’s recovering and I think it will “make it” - a little behind schedule, tho’, as the other ML’s its age have about 5-6 ft. on it, above the ground, anyway.

I guess I’ll add support to more of the ML’s if they outgrow the current trellis’s or “trees”. I may have to do that with a couple of the Cherry Falls tomato plants too, as they too seem to want to reach the sky. A couple of the overwintered Romas are also really taking off now too. When the ML’s stop growing, I’ll report how big they got (and how big the fruits are.) :-)


87 posted on 08/02/2025 3:57:34 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: Paul R.; Diana in Wisconsin; All

Here is the trellis setup for straw bale gardens, but it would work for pretty much anything: raised beds, buckets, even plowed rows. Some folks use pipe or pvc between the T-posts. Not expensive - some T-posts, wire, & whatever you use at the very top between the T-posts.

The nice thing is you can tent over the wires with plastic or row cover if the weather turns cold or there’s a frost. Netting to keep birds & deer off could go over the wires, even over the top support when the plants are bigger. This trellis won’t break down.

https://strawbalegardens.com/straw-bale-gardens-blog/vegetable-gardening/straw-bale-garden-wire-trellis/


88 posted on 08/02/2025 4:13:51 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: Paul R.

Medium. The small cities up by the interstate are always a few degrees warmer and an AG research center in the other direction is always a few degrees cooler. I think they’re in the holler.

This little cool blast reminded me that Fall & Winter are not too far off. Went through ebay history, emails and pics and I’m coming up on two years since I started buying little things for the tunnel and setting pipe trusses in the ground.

Time to finish that thing up.

Then I need to learn to grow in it and what to grow. I probably need to start shopping for seed/varieties where the market gardeners with high tunnels do instead of Baker Creek and local stores.


89 posted on 08/02/2025 4:16:29 PM PDT by Pollard (Sick of the weather? Wait a minute.)
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To: Qiviut

I had ONE bale left last season that I as going to use as mulch. I kept it in the greenhouse to keep it out of the weather. The puppies decided to, ‘raid the greenhouse’ and they tore it all apart and spread it all over the greenhouse floor and napped on it on cooler days as we headed into Fall.

The photo of bales lining the inside of the greenhouse made me think of that.

And if I were a puppy? I’d do the exact same thing! :)


90 posted on 08/02/2025 4:26:18 PM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin (I don't have, 'Hobbies.' I'm developing a robust Post-Apocalyptic skill set.)
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.


91 posted on 08/02/2025 4:39:47 PM PDT by MomwithHope (Forever grateful to all our patriots, past, present and future.)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

I had a horse named Henry .... sweetest guy. For stall bedding I would get loads of wood chips/shavings from a local logging mill. For whatever reason, I switched to straw for a while. Henry would be in a clean stall, fluffy straw up to his knees when I said ‘good night’. The next morning, the only straw in Henry’s stall was a spot of wet & poopy straw in the middle of his stall - the rest was gone ... he’d eaten it! Straw is not that appealing - most horses won’t eat it. He had hay & grain (which was gone) so maybe the straw was dessert! After a couple of mornings, finding him with no clean straw, he got changed back to shavings & only the brood mare got straw.


92 posted on 08/02/2025 6:23:00 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: Qiviut

Yeah - THAT’S not right, LOL!


93 posted on 08/02/2025 6:41:20 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

Down to 52 here this morning with 90-100% humidity but will be warming back up after this.

Cool snap has me rereading about tunnel ventilation and climate control. Nothing I haven’t read before but it’s been a while.

Temp vs humidity for Fall/Winter is going to be a balancing act. Can’t keep a plastic bubble closed up 24/7 with our humidity but ...

We get a lot of ice too. Freezing rain that builds up on every surface. That’ll be interesting with roll up sides. The locals remember a time when they had 2 inches of ice and were stuck at home for a week or two.

Evidently my son felt like turning on the heat yesterday morning too because I noticed this morning that a space heater was pulled out and aimed under the kitchen table which is our fix for cool mornings.


94 posted on 08/03/2025 2:21:50 AM PDT by Pollard (Sick of the weather? Wait a minute.)
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To: Pollard

55° outside & foggy this morning. I love the cool air after sweltering under a heat dome the last couple of weeks with high humidity & a heat index of 100+ almost every day. Mom is very thin & cold-natured .... she’s going to want the heat on in the car when we go to church.

Stepping outside, the air smells strongly like fresh mown grass. The neighbor behind us had his field cut for hay yesterday & I mowed as well - the cut grass smell is ‘delicious’! I saw several other tractors busy in fields yesterday, either cutting, baling, or loading bales to haul - with very little rain in the forecast for the next 10 days, it’s ‘making hay while the sun shines’ time.


95 posted on 08/03/2025 5:27:08 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: Pollard

One last ‘cool’ day for us, too - then back to high 80’s again. Got the lawn mowed yesterday - but it’s been taking longer than normal because the grass just won’t dry out!

I see I may have a few more ripe tomatoes to pick today, so trying to get motivated to make/can V-8 Juice.

We shall see. Not making any promises until AFTER more coffee, LOL!


96 posted on 08/03/2025 5:29:12 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: FRiends

HAPPY SUNDAY!

97 posted on 08/03/2025 5:32:49 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: Qiviut

I wonder if it was oat straw.


98 posted on 08/03/2025 5:47:13 AM PDT by MomwithHope (Forever grateful to all our patriots, past, present and future.)
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To: MomwithHope

I’m almost positive it was wheat straw. Oat straw has a lot of purported benefits (which I did not know until now):

“Exactly how oat straw works is one of nature’s mysteries. However it seems to provide deep nourishment in a way our bodies can easily assimilate and use.

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, consuming oat straw alleviates conditions related to anxiety, mood imbalance, and sleep. Some of the many reported benefits of oat straw include: calming and strengthening the nervous system; nourishing and circulating Qi; relieving stress and calming emotions; reducing depression; enhancing clear thinking; aiding digestion and stabilizing blood sugar; reducing inflammation; nourishing the heart and circulatory system; and encouraging a deep and restful sleep.

Interestingly some of the key Western actions and medicinal (biochemical) uses for oat straw are as an antioxidant and anti-depressant; as a rich source of carbohydrates; lowering cholesterol and blood sugar; preventing heart disease; increasing blood flow to the brain (via increased nitric oxide synthesis); and stimulating estrogen.

Oat straw is a deeply nourishing herb filled with vitamins and minerals. It’s a herb that works immediately but is most effective if used regularly over time helping to strengthen those who may be sleep deprived, exhausted, weak or anxious.”

https://www.treeofqi.com/2018/02/herbal-spotlight-oat-straw/


99 posted on 08/03/2025 6:08:52 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: All
So you went berserk over the fruit at the Farmer's Market? Hey, it happens to everybody.

Time to make this Glazed Fruit Tart in Shortbread Shell.

ING---VANILLA PASTRY CREAM: 1 1/2 cups whole milk 1/2 vanilla bean seeds 6 tb sugar 4 egg yolks 3 tablespoons cornstarch 2 tablespoons unsalted butter SHORTBREAD TART SHELL: 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature 1 1/2 c flour 1/4 cup sugar 2 large egg yolks 1/4 teaspoon fine salt FRUIT FILLING: 3 sliced kiwi 1 mango, peeled and sliced 1 pint blueberries 1 pint strawberries, hulled and sliced 2 tbl apple or apricot jelly (for glaze)

COOK--PASTRY CREAM: on med, combine milk, split vanilla bean, and seeds. Set offheat as soon as small bubbles start to form at perimeter. Whisk sugar/egg yolks smooth. Sift in cornstarch; whisk smooth. Add 1-2 ladles hot milk mixture; whisk immediately. Pour egg mixture into milk mixture and return to heat, whisking constantly 1-2 min to thicken. Offheat whisk in butter. Sieve hot mixture into shallow bowl. Saran touching surface. Chill thoroughly.

SHORTBREAD TART SHELL in stand mixer fitted with a BeaterBlade attachment; mix all ing on low to evenly combine; mixture looks crumbly. Press crumbs evenly in bottom/up sides of 10-inch removable bottom tart pan. Freeze 20-30 min while the oven preheats. Preheat oven to 350F (lower temp by 25F w/ dark tart pan). Place tart shell on rimmed sheet pan; bake about 15 min, til edges turn golden. Cool completely (about an hour) before assembling.

ASSEMBLE: Spread pastry cream into cooled tart shell. Arrange fruit on top.
Heat jelly w/ bit water to melt; makes a glaze; brush on fruit. Chill til service.

100 posted on 08/03/2025 7:05:16 AM PDT by Liz (')
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