Posted on 11/23/2019 7:14:36 AM PST by Diana in Wisconsin
The Weekly Gardening Thread is a weekly 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 non-political respite, although you will find that most here are conservative folks. 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 Weekly 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 our New & Improved Ping List.
NOTE: This is a once a week Ping List. We do post to the thread during the week. Links to related articles and discussions which might be of interest to Gardeners are welcomed any time!
Thanks as always for starting the thread. Nice and sunny here today. Headed out to the turkey farm to get a fresh bird for dry brining. No gardening news except the basil on my windowsill in water is still doing great, growing well and a nice root system. I had some old Job plant sticks in the garage and when I change the water (about every 3-4 days), I drop a tiny chunk of the stick in the water. Pathetic I know but it’s green and growing and I enjoy it.
Cooking some local squash with chops of pork today for lunch.
We’ve been enjoying the tomato bisque based soup this week made from our tomato bounty. I’ll try to send a pix...
Got the tractor out yesterday and used the bucket to give my compost heap a long overdue turning. Looking like the black gold in richness that will make plants leap when I use it.
Study Shows Women Who Are Surrounded By Plants Are Happier And Live Longer
When was the last time you went for a walk in the park? A research supported by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Brigham Women’s Hospital found that women surrounded with plants live longer.
It took eight years for researchers to make a conclusion. Spending your day surrounded with vegetation increases longevity. Nature provides high opportunity for social engagement and physical activity, and forests are less polluted than your neighborhood.
Plants have a beneficial impact on mental health and lower the risk of depression.
But, if you don’t have enough time to walk in the park or don’t like hiking, you should definitely keep indoor plants. This will improve your productivity, purify the air in your home and lower your blood pressure.
According to Peter James, research associate in the Harvard Chan School Department of Epidemiology, vegetation lowers mortality rates.
How to prevent depression? Make sure there are a lot of trees and flowers in your surrounding.
Plants lower the risk of respiratory issues and cancer. This study found that women who leave surrounded by vegetation have 34 percent lower risk of dying from respiratory issues and 13 percent lower risk of cancer-related death.
Final words
Plants decrease mortality and help you be more active. They filter chemicals and boost your mental health. Vegetation mitigates the effects of climate changes, and optimizes your overall health.
My friends are laughing at my 9000 carrot seeds. If they only knew they don’t even fill a tablespoon.
How wonderful!
I currently have 10 6ft citrus trees in my house :)
We got all the citrus and tender plants moved in a few weeks ago. Some are in the unheated garage, not a problem since it doesn’t get super cold here. Rest are in my living room in front of the picture window and in other various places with windows.
I’ve GOT to plant my garlic this coming week along with some bunching onions and possibly some winter wheat and barley.
My ‘SugarBelle’ mandarin tree doubled in size this year. I ordered it from ‘BriteLeaf’ nursery back in May or June. Almost balked at the shipping cost but that dude was literally screwed to the side of the box and not ONE crumb of dirt was out of place. It was not quite 3ft tall when I got it. I mixed up some ‘citrus’ dirt (my recipe is potting soil, perlite/vermiculite, sand and some citrus tone), repotted it into a 3 gallon nursery container and watered it with distilled water + ‘Great White’ microbes. It’s now taller than I am and asks me for a new and larger home every time I look at it...
I’ll be back on here later today...
We got 2 days of rain here, first hard rain since May. Our drinking water comes from reservoirs that get fed from the mountain rains and snows of winter. We also get rain in winter, which would be good for the local plants but no help at all in the summertime. I actually saw a situation like that when I was living in New Jersey many years ago. New York city was awash in color, everything was blooming and the people were on water rations because there was a drought in upstate New York where there drinking water came from.
The ‘boatload’ of jalapeno peppers I picked (in the dark) hours before a big freeze, are gone!! I was supposed to do my final canning Monday ... didn’t happen. Tuesday .... didn’t happen, but I had my canning pot & stuff out - progress! Finally, I got going Wednesday. I use a butane burner outside (don’t want to crack the glass-top oven with a heavy pot) & the wind was blowing in gusts so I had to fashion a wind screen. Then I had batch #3 (of 4) in the pot processing & my phone went off. A family member had just been in a car wreck & was on the way to the hospital, could I help out with some things? Batch #4 went on hold .... fortunately, it was in a good spot to wait until I could get back to it. Finally finished #4 in the dark (& cold) later that evening. It takes the pot longer to heat up in the cold, but I’d put a fresh can of fuel in the burner & it did ok.
I’ve put out ‘the word’ that I’m not giving jelly away for presents this year .... too much work to just give it away & find out 6 months later that some people still have jelly and tell me “we just don’t eat much jelly”. Anyone who wants some has to let me know & get on my list for it .... 5 takers already & they’re actually excited about it - that makes the work worthwhile. The Jalapeno Pepper Jelly is a beautiful color (only use red peppers) & great over a small Brie wheel or cream cheese block and it makes a nice glaze on salmon. The other jelly I make is Blackberry Merlot ... really, really tasty & several people request it for birthday gifts.
Blackberry Merlot Wine Jelly
https://highlandsranchfoodie.com/blackberry-merlot-jelly-recipe-holiday-gifts-from-the-kitchen/
Rather than Certo, I use the one package Sure-jell low sugar pectin method listed after the recipe - works great!
Diana, thanks so much for keeping the thread going. I hope everyone is getting along ok and having success with their gardens.
Temps here on our little One Acre Ranch are now 38 degrees and going to 31 degrees tonight. Greenhouse is currently @ 54 degrees. The coldest temp in the green house so far is 38 degrees on a night when we had hard frost out beyond the room.
We set up the 2 small greenhouses with shelves inside the greenhouse/sunroom. All my herbs are there and on top of heat mats. They are currently @ 70 degrees. I am hoping they can stay there all winter.
I have brought my 2 lemon trees and the aloe vera indoors by the patio door. One of the lemon trees and the aloe vera takes up about 5 feet of space.
The lemon tree actually reminds me of a bush shorter and wider than a tree.
I finished my fall planting last weekend. The Siberian garlic finally came in. Planted that and Winter Rye, Vetch, and a mixed cover crop. None of last weeks plants are sprouted yet. However, the early plantings of rye and garlic are about 2 inches high.
The basement/root cellar area has been excavated for our combo storage/garage/root cellar project. We still have mounds of clay -taller than many men. It looks crappy.
Since winter moved in early, hubby said he’s waiting till spring to do the footings and concrete. He wants to avoid the need to put calcium in the mix, because that eventually helps deteriorate the rebar etc.
Sometimes people don’t use food-type gifts because they don’t know how to use them. I received a gift of lemon grass before GUI and it deteriorated before I could learn what to do with it.
“We still have mounds of clay - it looks crappy.”
My world, too! Beau dug a ditch from the side of the house to the propane tank and installed a better line, now that we have a more powerful furnace. I am LOVING having heat at the touch of a button, versus layering up and having space heaters everywhere while our old (30+!) furnace breathed her last, LOL!
But, with the early snowfall, the ground didn’t get as compacted as it should and I see one of the garden beds got dinged in the process, so my outdoor projects for the Spring are already stacking up!
I bought some Blackberry Merlot jam at a market last summer and found the jar a few weeks back. It did not last long! It was AWESOME on some cream cheese on a cracker.
With a glass of Merlot, of course, LOL! :)
I had a sandwich the other day (Retail Therapy Day with my BFFs) that was grilled sourdough bread with sliced turkey, Guere (sp?) cheese, Blackberry Jam and Gardineria. It was fan-tastic! The gardineria was a tad too hot for me, so I took it off and it was just perfect with a bit less heat.
Ketchup 'n' Fries Grafted Plant
Grow plants in the garden or in a patio container (at least 15 gallons or larger) with a 6 to 8 foot stake or cage - a great variety for maximizing garden space. With a Brix of 10, plants produce possibly the sweetest cherry tomatoes you've ever tasted AND delicious potatoes, too!
During the growing season, 500 or more cherry tomatoes can be harvested. When all the tomatoes have been picked, cut plant back to ground level and 2 weeks later, harvest up to 4-1/2 lbs. of tasty, light yellow potatoes.
Comments? Has anyone tried these? I'm thinking of giving them a go next season, just for kicks. Grafted plants run $11.95 plus S&H, though cheaper the more you buy.
https://www.totallytomato.com/product/T39580/11
"Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should." ~ Jurassic Park
LOL. Yes, we have lots of Spring stuff stacking up here too. Early onset of temps/end of fall means lots of stuff left undone till spring. LOL
Ha-now that looks like a cool experiment. Two of my favorites. Maters and taters.
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.