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Weekly Garden Thread - December 7-13, 2019
December 7, 2019 | Diana in Wisconsin/Greeneyes

Posted on 12/07/2019 6:42:01 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!


TOPICS: Food; Gardening; Hobbies; Outdoors
KEYWORDS: garden; gardening; gardenthread
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To: Silentgypsy
Also, eternal truth: With birds comes poop.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I'm surprised at how much they've actually gotten "in" the rain gauge ... not a very big opening!

The 'poopsters' are so cute ... the two that hang around are male bluebirds with their blue 'jackets' & rust upper chests & they puff all up in the cold weather. We have 2 boxes where they nest ... one is a "good" one, with a clean out door, etc. The other was at least 20 years old & literally fell apart last summer - I replaced the roof (split in half) with a mama bluebird sitting on a nest! I moved super slow & was as quiet/careful as I could be & she never budged, even when I briefly used a drill to help take out the screws. I ordered a nice house (a clean out door, wire sub floor, etc.) & took the top off the old one (again) very carefully to make sure there wasn't a 2nd set of eggs ... there was! So, they fledged two nests of babies out of that rickety old house. Finally, the babies were out & I was able to replace it with the new house. They're perching on it & seem to be ok with it so far, so I'm looking forward to more babies next year.

The "derelict" house, after I scrounged a roof off another junked house & replaced it, trying to get the old house through the nesting season:

The new house:

What was in the old, derelict house when I went to put the new one up:

New house, up & ready for the bluebirds. It's a great spot for them - when I mow the surrounding fields, they get really active, catching bugs:


21 posted on 12/07/2019 8:11:38 AM PST by Qiviut (I love the smell of covfefe in the morning - coffee or napalm, depending on the day.)
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To: RightGeek

Beaver.


22 posted on 12/07/2019 8:12:29 AM PST by mad_as_he$$
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To: RightGeek

Beaver, definitely.


23 posted on 12/07/2019 8:14:50 AM PST by Eric in the Ozarks (Baseball players, gangsters and musicians are remembered. But journalists are forgotten.)
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To: RightGeek
Not strictly gardening, but I had to laugh. "Hay Trump"


24 posted on 12/07/2019 8:15:26 AM PST by RightGeek (FUBO and the donkey you rode in on)
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To: MomwithHope

That is a LOT of suet! I think I went through maybe two cases last year - we have quite a few woodpeckers of various types that spend their time on the suet, but the nuthatches & some of the other birds like it, too. I’ve not bought any suet yet, but I need to in the very near future.


25 posted on 12/07/2019 8:23:51 AM PST by Qiviut (I love the smell of covfefe in the morning - coffee or napalm, depending on the day.)
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To: Qiviut

We live on 11 acres of mostly heavy old woods. Many kinds of woodpeckers and other birds like the suet as well. Chickadees, nuthatches, titmice and cardinals too. Our suet cage holds 2 cakes, could hold more. It has 2 small shelves at the bottom for a perching birds to stand on. It’s a Birdola cage but I don’t buy Birdola suet cakes. For one they are pricey and for 2 they just don’t have enough suet and crumble away too easy.


26 posted on 12/07/2019 8:33:39 AM PST by MomwithHope (Forever grateful to all our patriots, past, present and future.)
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To: Oshkalaboomboom

It was driving me crazy, and that’s a short trip, so I went out in the garage and looked through all my plant markers. The pepper is the Costa Rican Red pepper. Better flavor and sweeter than the Carmen. Consistent too we grew them for many years.


27 posted on 12/07/2019 9:18:18 AM PST by MomwithHope (Forever grateful to all our patriots, past, present and future.)
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To: MomwithHope
Many years I ago I lived in the woods and bought a bird suet seed bell sort of like this:

Unlike the picture it had a plastic stem and I looked out my window just in time to see a squirrel bite it off and roll it in to the woods.

28 posted on 12/07/2019 9:23:50 AM PST by RightGeek (FUBO and the donkey you rode in on)
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To: RightGeek

LOL!


29 posted on 12/07/2019 9:26:16 AM PST by trisham (Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkis.)
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To: RightGeek

Ah yes squirrels can be a problem. Our suet cage is on a iron crook which I keep greased. That and we have pretty much decimated the fox squirrel population, The black squirrels moved in and they don’t come anywhere near the house or feeder. Usually starting in January the pileateds start hitting the suet. They are feeding babies then. They can really go through it.


30 posted on 12/07/2019 9:44:18 AM PST by MomwithHope (Forever grateful to all our patriots, past, present and future.)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin
That’s a great idea! Let me think on it. I am interested in that Jalapeno that’s all different colors on the one plant!

They aren't all on one plant they are on 3 separate plants: Jalapeno Orange Spice, Jalapeno Lemon Spice and Jalapeno Pumpkin Spice. If you were into grafting you could make a Frankenpepper plant. I know people who have done that successfully.

31 posted on 12/07/2019 9:52:10 AM PST by Oshkalaboomboom
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To: ArtDodger

I like the Jason and the Argonauts reference.


32 posted on 12/07/2019 9:53:50 AM PST by Oshkalaboomboom
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To: Qiviut
You're a bird whisperer! We're not whisperers but we no longer use the front door since somebody periodically nests with babies above it. (Our neighbors think we're goofballs but they are real country people so they're pretty tolerant lol!)

If you do social media, there are some really neat backyard bird watching pages on Facebook.

33 posted on 12/07/2019 10:40:17 AM PST by Silentgypsy (Call an addiction hotline and say you're hooked on phonics.)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin; MomwithHope; All

Howdy. First off, it’s Anniversary of PEARL HARBOR today. I just want to give thanks for our Great Military and prayers for all of our service members and their families. May God be with them.

My Dad was in the Coast Guard. He participated in the Atherton and USS Moberly’s sinking of the last U boat of WWII, off the coast of POINT JUDITH LIGHT-New England.

We got our first seed catalog yesterday-Seeds n Such-never seen it before. Today we got BAKERS CREEK—ShamWow! I’m letting hubby have first dibbs. Just briefly reviewed some notes on growing your own fertilizer from Ecology Action booklet.

I opened my garden folder to start thinking about what to plant this Spring, and the article on top was GARDENING IN THE SNOW. So I was going to set up a link to the article, but didn’t find it.

However, I did find many others of interest, that I’m going to post here for later reference/reading in case anyone else wants to take a look.

8 Snow-Hardy Vegetables You (Really) Can Grow During Winter ...
https://www.offthegridnews.com/survival-gardening-2/8-snow-hardy-vegetables-you-really-can-grow-during-winter/
It is known that scallions, onions and leeks can survive under the snow if mulch has been used to create a layer of protection. The best time to harvest your winter produce is when temperatures are between a high 20 degrees Fahrenheit and low 30 degrees.

Winter Gardening Guide | Fix.com
https://www.fix.com/blog/winter-gardening-guide/
Zone 8. Temperatures usually stay above freezing in this zone but in rare cases they can dip to negative 12 degrees Fahrenheit. Some regions in this zone get snow and others get heavy rainfall. In arid areas without much wind, mulch may be the only protection needed to keep winter crops thriving most of the time.

18 Delicious Vegetables to Grow on the Winter and How to Grow ...
https://morningchores.com/vegetables-to-grow-this-winter/
So keep this in mind if you are saving plants from your summer garden, so you can have a fresh tomato or pepper over the winter months. 3. Overwinter and Plant in a Heated Greenhouse. This final option is for people that want to be able to grow anything they want, any time they want.

How To Grow Vegetables Outdoors in The Winter | Empress of Dirt
https://empressofdirt.net/grow-vegetables-in-winter/
Oct 3, 2016By planting a winter vegetable garden in the late summer and early fall, the vegetables have time to get established (tender roots and shoots will freeze, older ones will not) and you’ll have lots of food to harvest throughout the winter and into spring.

Winter Gardening: Best Crops to Extend Your Harvest ...
https://learn.eartheasy.com/articles/winter-gardening-best-crops-to-extend-your-harvest/
Aug 13, 2019Planting enough crops in late summer and fall to harvest throughout the winter. These late-sown crops reach maturity before the cold hits, but they hold well in the garden so you can harvest them when the rest of your crops has long tapered off.

Your Guide to Winter Container Gardening | Earth911.com
https://earth911.com/home-garden/winter-container-gardening/
Jan 8, 2018The Basics. Since plants in containers are more vulnerable to cold than plants in the ground, the general rule for winter container gardening is to choose plants that are hardy to at least two zones colder than your own. Of course, this isn’t completely ironclad, as many trees, shrubs and perennials that are hardy in your zone can live...

PDF Fall and Winter Vegetable Gardening in the Pacific Northwest
https://catalog.extension.oregonstate.edu/sites/catalog/files/project/pdf/pnw548.pdf
Many cool-season crops produce well in the fall and, in mild-winter areas of the Pacific Northwest, hold through the winter if protected. You can plant these vegetables in mid- to late summer after you harvest spring crops and as space is available.

Snow Tolerant Vegetables - Harvest to Table
https://harvesttotable.com/snow-tolerant-vegetables/
Snow on the winter vegetable garden does not mean the end of harvest. Snow will insulate winter crops from freezing temperatures and protect them until harvest. A killing frost or freeze will do more damage to winter vegetables than snow. Carrots, turnips, Brussels sprouts, and cabbage, chard, and head lettuce can be harvested from under a blanket of snow.

Winter Gardening Tips: Best Winter Crops - Mother Earth News
https://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/gardening-techniques/winter-gardening-tips-best-crops-zm0z13onzsto
But many gardeners are discovering the joys of harvesting fresh produce all winter long, which allows for feasts of cold-hardy crops that are just-picked and just right for the time of year. According to Jodi Lew-Smith of High Mowing Seeds in Wolcott, Vt., the seed-buying season used to be January, February and March.

Top ten winter vegetables | Life and style | The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/gardening-blog/2013/dec/06/top-ten-winter-vegetables
Dec 6, 2013Savoy cabbage. Winter-cropping plants are incredibly forgiving, as long as they’re given the chance to build up a strong root system in summer. Good-sized heads will naturally follow. ‘Alaska’ ( Marshalls) is a favourite of mine because it’s compact and stands incredibly well through the winter.

Now I have to go do some bible study until the glare on the computer is gone—afternoon sunshine to enjoy in the greenhouse —great for reading fine print. Ha.

HAPPY WINTER GARDENING—LOL—God Bless you all.


34 posted on 12/07/2019 12:09:31 PM PST by greeneyes
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To: Oshkalaboomboom

Frankenpepper LOLOLOL


35 posted on 12/07/2019 1:28:19 PM PST by MomwithHope (Forever grateful to all our patriots, past, present and future.)
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To: Qiviut

https://m.youtube.com/user/LesleytheBirdNerd

If you haven’t seen this YouTube channel you should check it out. Very nice if you like nature shows or birds.


36 posted on 12/07/2019 1:54:47 PM PST by Califreak (If Obama had been treated like Trump the US would have been burnt down before Inauguration Day)
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To: Califreak

Thanks! Looks interesting :-)


37 posted on 12/07/2019 2:01:02 PM PST by Qiviut (I love the smell of covfefe in the morning - coffee or napalm, depending on the day.)
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To: RightGeek

Put another notch in the ‘Beaver’ column. I can’t think of any other critter that would do that. What a shame, but they’re industrious critters, for sure.

I had Beau look at it. He’s the Love Child of Ted Nugent and Jeremiah Johnson and he said, ‘Beaver,’ too.


38 posted on 12/07/2019 2:05:58 PM PST by Diana in Wisconsin (I don't have 'hobbies.' I'm developing a robust post-Apocalyptic skill set.)
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To: MomwithHope; All

Made a note of the Costa Rican Red Pepper, as ‘Carmen’ is one of my favorite peppers and has been for years. I’m doing more peppers this next year for sure. I have GOT to cut back on the tomatoes - I’m killing myself here, LOL!

Also - if I even THINK about growing any winter squash - somebody shoot me!!


39 posted on 12/07/2019 2:09:32 PM PST by Diana in Wisconsin (I don't have 'hobbies.' I'm developing a robust post-Apocalyptic skill set.)
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To: RightGeek
"Unlike the picture it had a plastic stem and I looked out my window just in time to see a squirrel bite it off and roll it in to the woods."

Those bratty Squirrels! However:


40 posted on 12/07/2019 2:11:50 PM PST by Diana in Wisconsin (I don't have 'hobbies.' I'm developing a robust post-Apocalyptic skill set.)
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