The Victory Garden Thread - June, 2026

June 1, 2026 | Diana in WI/Greeneyes in Memoriam

[Diana in Wisconsin]

The MONTHLY Victory Garden 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 Victory Garden 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.

[AFB-XYZ]

This year he is getting his choice of three cherry types for snacking

If you ever decide you wanna adopt an extra son, let me know! Always have loved cherry tomatoes. Heh. :-)

Since I'm here, thought I'd also ask for tips on pole beans. I can grow regular bush-style green beans, but have never tried pole beans before. I don't have a trellis, but I do have several old 6-to-7-foot curtain rods left behind by the prior owner, that I was thinking of using instead. Any tips from anyone would be most welcome. :-)

[Qiviut]

I’ve been looking at the individual “Hot Dish” recipes. My biggest “issue” is that most of them call for a can of soup with cream of mushroom & cream of chicken being the most common. One recipe has cream of broccoli & cheese & there may be a cream of celery, too. Canned soup is quick, easy & convenient.

However, I am doing my best not to eat processed foods plus anything with “cream” is going to set off my lactose sensitivity. What to do? There are many recipes for homemade soups to replace the canned ones. They all have milk, but I can use Lactaid milk. For non-dairy there is also the option of coconut milk (some brands don’t have a strong coconut flavor). If a recipe calls for milk & heavy cream, I have had good luck just leaving out the heavy cream - haven’t tried that with the soup recipes .... there is a lactose free half & half if I can find it or there are drops you can treat milk, h & h or heavy cream with to get rid of the lactose.

I did make a homemade cream of celery for a recipe months back & it worked great & added flavor the canned version did not have.

Here is a recipe site with all of the most frequently used soups ... the link is for mushroom but just scroll down to see chicken, celery & broccoli.

Cream of Mushroom Replacement
https://www.budgetbytes.com/cream-of-mushroom-replacement/

[Diana in Wisconsin]

I wish! All of us Wisconsin Farm Gals look alike; we’re usually sweaty, dirty, wearing barn boots and have some form of manure on us at any given time, LOL!

But I have been in a commercial for Jung’s and also for the company that did such a good job cleaning my old bat-infested attic and making it livable again so I could sell.

I was on local TV a few times during Operation Desert Storm to get the word out about the services we were offering for families that had never been through a military mobilization before.

And then there was that time I tried to drown my car...

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

Things to play with!

If you make ghee you have a butterfat that could give you the cream fat flavor. The process of making it removes about 99% of the lactose.

Soup base....Almond or Rice milk without Carregean. Thicken with corn starch and gelatin. Add powered mushroom and beef stock to flavor?

Diana has mentioned aquafab before. Could probably encorporate it into a soup.

https://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-chickpea-whipped-cream-236591

Gook luck!

[Diana in Wisconsin]

I have two pole bean supports that are a hollow metal rod in the center that sticks into the ground, and then what looks like two bicycle tire rims; one at the top and one at the bottom.

I string the support strings up and down and tie them to the top and bottom 'rings.'

https://savvygardening.com/pole-bean-support-ideas/

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

Resource; (Predator insects, Nematodes etc.)

Evergreengrowers; Biological Pest control

Our Mission is to assist growers in integrating biocontrol into their protocols, supplying the highest quality products for the long-term benefit of our customers.

Our Vision is to be the biocontrol products supplier of choice, offering sustainable solutions for plant protection to growers of all crops and sizes through cost-effective programs, exceptional customer service, and ongoing support.

We want our Commitment to preserving the planet and healthy communities to be reflected in each plant grown with beneficial insects and lower-risk fungicides and insecticides.

[Qiviut]

I make ghee & use it almost exclusively for cooking because it has a high smoke point & contains butyric acid which serves as the primary energy source for colon cells, supporting gut health and reducing inflammation. Right now, my primary focus is gut health.

I’m also mostly low carb so staying away from beans (aquafab) & I don’t like almond or rice milk. I think with Lactaid & coconut milk, I’ll get the desired soup substitute to use in hot dishes & casseroles.

Thank you for the suggestions- much appreciated :-)

[AFB-XYZ]

You are a treasure. So clever! And, it looks so easy that “even a caveman can do it”. 😀

Many thanks! Signed, The Neanderthal

[Paul R.]

NWS Paducah radar is nuts with flash flood warnings, mainly over toward Evansville, IN, but, there’s an extremely heavy band right over their (Paducah) radar site. They may get to experience in person their forecast of as much as 6” of rain today, somewhere in their forecast area. Spots in SW Indiana may already have it.

All this moisture is going to make the heat next week really nasty. :-(

[Albion Wilde]

[Paul R.]

Now, THERE is something I don’t recall seeing used in sci-fi in a major way:

Evil, killer aliens who look like rabbits.

Plot: Carrot Top is in extreme danger from these aliens.

Just kidding! :-)

[MomwithHope]

You are not fooling me - that is an antenna!

[Paul R.]

Multiple tornado warnings around Paducah, KY. The storm now to the east of Paducah looks weak but the rotation is holding together.

[Paul R.]

Uh-oh, possible debris signature, just north of Calvert City, KY.

[Paul R.]

New warning for (basically) the Metropolis, IL, area too. :-(
That’s very close to several tornado tracks in prior years.

Send out Superman!!!

[Albion Wilde]

LOL!

[Paul R.]

Diana is signaling the aliens who are after Carrot Top! /s

[Paul R.]

Things have finally calmed down. We have a little roof (shingle) damage - not catastrophic, but a leak causer and a PITA to repair, esp. with very hot weather next. (6 a.m. roof repairs(?), but then it’ll be damp up there.)

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

Oops! Spelling...Gook Luck should be GOOD luck!

[ApplegateRanch]

Thanks, Pete.

Worst of the 22 or 23 years of the garden, including when elk tore down the deer fence coming in; ate a 30’ wide row of carrots down to 4-5” below ground level; then tore down more leaving out the opposite side...and let deer in to ravage more before I could complete repairs.