Posted on 06/01/2026 6:10:43 AM PDT by 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.
So you let them grow as tall as they want?
Absolutely. I just pinch the suckers. Leaving branches that will blossom and fruit.
Thank you, Bert! I get complaints if I make things TOO BIG, LOL!
That sounds FANTASTIC! Keep us updated! :)
Re: Bone Meal. I’m thinking I will give them bone meal in the liquid form once they (the tomatoes) flower. I’m just trying to prevent Blossom End Rot.
This is SO frustrating, and why we suddenly have this much raccoon damage is a puzzle. We generally have dogs running around during the day (with tracking collars; we don’t live by any roads) and this year has been the worst ever.
I’m even taking in all the bird feeders at night, which works well - but then they go after my garden plants! Jerks!
Wifey heard of a significant train derailment from one of her friends who live not too far away from the location of the incident.
What a mess! But, very luckily(!), no one was hurt, no hazardous chemicals were involved, etc. Just think: This could well happen to, say, The City Of New Orleans passenger train (nod to Arlo Guthrie), or to a train carrying nasty stuff and in an urban area to boot. :-(
I’ll bet this will still take a pretty penny to clean up, scrap rail cars and / or the locomotives damaged beyond reasonable repair, salvage or replace goods on said cars, and so on.
There were some severe t-storm warnings in that area at various times, the last day or so — I wonder if the tree was downed by a storm?
Given the advances in drone technology, it wouldn’t take all that much to have a cheap drone fly at just over stopping distance out in front of a train. Maybe 5 drones per train — at any given time: One drone scouting, one headed to / from scouting position, two on charge, and one in reserve. Once set up, the whole thing could likely be run by AI. Maybe bring in new defense companies as partners: I’ll bet the program could be “piggybacked” for all sorts of developmental data and such.
Same here so far as the varmints go. We’ve never had remotely this many, and some big ones, too!
Florida or California Corn in June. Wait for the GOOD STUFF from Wisconsin in August. ;)
Buddha Kitty! Love! :)
They seem to lose interest after a few days. They’re done digging up the Broccoli at least! It’s still another UNNECESSARY STEP I need to take to feed us.
Mandan (Black & Tan Coonhound) will keep them at bay, tonight. He loves a good ‘covert operation’ as much as I do. ;)
“Will post appropriate recipes.”
I suspected as much. :)
I was going to inquire as to who the ‘lucky’ garden guard dog was going to be tonight, but you answered the question :-)
Oh, I was pretty livid. Some bad, BAD words were spoken...words I would NEVER use in front of my Mother, LOL!
But, everyone is tucked back in and watered in again. I’m just grateful that the @#$%^&*!’ers didn’t break any of the stems. I would’ve been locked and loaded for tonight were that the case!
Beau is putting a doghouse and dog on a chain out there tonight. If they can get past Mandan, I’ve got even BIGGER problems on my hands than raccoons.
Aliens? ;)
June Gardening Tips and To-Do List by Planting Zones and Region
Are you new to gardening and wondering what you should be working on this month? If you do a quick internet search, things become confusing.
Should you go according to your region or your planting zone?
The truth is, you should be concerned with both your region and your zone. The reason being is people can share the same planting zones, though they’re in different regions.
Different regions face dry seasons and wet seasons at different times of the year. All these factors can change your gardening tasks.
Which is why we’re going to give you the whole picture. You can match your tasks for your zone with the region you’re in and create a customized to-do list for your garden.
Here are the tasks at hand:
https://morningchores.com/june-gardening-tips/
Zone Five
Mums are starting to appear in this region. It’s important to care for them on a bi-weekly basis. Be sure to prune the mums back ½ inch each pruning session. - I don’t have any perennial Mums planted. DONE! :)
Fertilize roses. DONE!
Harvest asparagus. End of the season for me. DONE!
Begin planting beans and cole crops for the fall garden. - One more bush bean to get in and then I’m DONE! Broccoli and Kale are IN! DONE!
Care for tomato plants regularly to fight first signs of disease or infestation of pests. - Do you mean REPLANT your tomato plants that were dug up by raccoons the very evening of the day you planted them? Then - DONE! :)
I’ve never ‘topped’ tomato plants as I have a shorter growing season than some, anyway. (Zone 5) I DO make sure they are fertilized on time, and I pinch out any suckers, for sure!
BUT - if you’re gonna do it, here is a guide on what to do and when and why:
https://www.tinygardenhabit.com/topping-tomato-plants/
Great question and good Food For Thought! :)
I was kinda’ thinking night scope & a sniper position!
All planted (Lantana, jalapeños & lavender) except for those poor snap dragons ... maybe tomorrow.
Growing in zone 4, what would you replace Buck Thorn with? I was thinking Prickly Ash and ferns.
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.