Gardening, Puttering and Adventure Thread, March 25

Happy Spring, everybody! I hear that there is still some cold weather in parts of the country. Around here, in Central California, we have some road closures from flooding, but it's not raining today!

Sometimes someone in The Horde has some excitement in the yard or garden. Usually not this much excitement:

Two pics of what I can only assume is the same lion with her cubs taken about 7 months apart. The second pic, I would not want to mess with that mama lion.
I also feel sad for them, they are covered with foxtails.
From:CaliGirl

Edible Gardening/Putting Things By

From By-Tor is competing again:

Entries for the LA County Fair Culinary competition are ready. Last year I won with jerky and pickles. This year I'm trying with apple butter and sauerkraut

Later,

I turned in two jars of sauerkraut to the LA County Fair, which left me with 5 pints, which I canned today.
It goes well with a veggie omelette and sourdough toast with homemade apple butter.

Looks good. Hoping for some fair ribbons!

I think the following information is from By-Tor's early experimentations with saurkraut, maybe last year, a recipe and tips:

There are a million versions online and on YT. I have tried several- this one is easy and works.
Shred a large head of cabbage minus the core with a knife or food processor. Put it in your biggest bowl. For a large head of cabbage sprinkle 3 tablespoons of non-iodized salt ( use canning salt, kosher salt or sea salt) on it. Let it sit 20 minutes then crunch it up with your hands, squeezing out as much water as you can. Repeat in another 15 minutes or so. Dont throw out the water!
Put the cabbage and water you have made into some sort of airtight jar or tub or food safe bucket with a lid. Leave at least an inch or so at the top.
Make a 2.5% salt water brine, which is 25g of salt per 1000ml, or to keep it simple, about 2 tablespoons salt ( non-iodized) dissolved in a quart of hot water. Top off your cabbage with the brine, put the lid on, and leave alone. In about 3 days it will start turning a light brown. In about 6 days it will taste like sauerkraut. In two weeks it will be really good. I eat some out of the fermenter every day when I am making it.

If you see white specks or film on top, don't panic; it's not mold, it is harmless Kahm yeast. Just scoop it off. There is a 99% chance you will see this. You should briefly take the lid off your container every day or to to let out any CO2. Top off with brine as needed.
When you think it is done ( 3 weeks is about right) you can water bath can it in mason jars, store it in your fridge for months in jars, or freeze it in containers or bags. I usually put one jar in the fridge without canning it, then can the rest. I'm not a huge fan of freezing; better to store your excess in your garage fridge where it will be fine for a year or more, but will probably be gone before that.
Hope this helps. Let me know if you try it.

Later:

Sauerkraut update- fermentation in jars was going along fine, but due to air getting in I was getting daily spots of yeast on the surface. It's called kahm yeast. It is safe to eat, and harmless, and isn't spoilage, but it does impart a sweet, yeasty flavor that doesn't go with sauerkraut. You can skim it off but that gets old. It is very common in fermented vegetables.
Solution- sealed lids with airlocks. Those can be had on Amazon but I chose to use a local business. Where would you get airlocks and such? At your local homebrew store. . . They hooked me up with a nice 2 gallon fermenting jar, a one gallon jug I will use for pickles, and airlocks.
The kraut is basically done but I like it more sour so I'm going to let it ferment another week or two.

Ah, Nature

You could not begin to fathom the drama these seemingly harmless fungi are capable of causing, pic.twitter.com/AURW7bLHYw
— Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (@OKWildlifeDept) March 20, 2023

Gardens of The Horde

For a while there I lived in an apartment that was cement-bound. Well, cement and asphalt.(and brick and stone). This is how I addressed that situation, by placing a planter on either side of my door:

In the pic on the left, you see how the sweet potato vine looks like it's climbing? I had trained it to go up to the side of my door.
I also hung a couple of those impatiens bags on either side of my windows. It really did help to alleviate all that masonry. It just felt stifling without the greenery.
kallisto

They are lovely. I can imagine that they made a real difference to the larger environment. I tweaked the color saturation a little to make up for your phone transmission difficulties. Didn't turn out the same on both photos.

Kallisto also sent in a link to some lovely USPS spring flowers that persevere through the snow, issued in October of last year. Have you seen them?

Hope everyone has a nice weekend.

If you would like to send photos, stories, links, etc. for the Saturday Gardening, Puttering and Adventure Thread, the address is:

ktinthegarden at g mail dot com

Remember to include the nic or name by which you wish to be known at AoSHQ, or let us know if you want to remain a lurker.

Week in Review

What has changed since last week's thread? Saturday Gardening, Puttering and Adventure Thread, March 18

Any thoughts or questions?

I closed the comments on this post so you wouldn't get banned for commenting on a week-old post, but don't try it anyway.

Posted by: K.T. at 01:26 PM

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 not Skip!

Posted by: kallisto at March 25, 2023 01:29 PM (dCxaZ)

2 They are lovely. I can imagine that they made a real difference to the larger environment.

Yes, it was so much nicer to be greeted by the plant life than the hard surfaces that were just kind of oppressive to me.

Posted by: kallisto at March 25, 2023 01:30 PM (dCxaZ)

3 Was looking at D-Day landing tables
Good afternoon Greenthumbs

Posted by: Skip at March 25, 2023 01:33 PM (xhxe8)

4 Rainy day, did make batch of charcoal yesterday and noticed chives are up a 6 inches so could start using them I think.

Posted by: Skip at March 25, 2023 01:35 PM (xhxe8)

5 Sauerkraut is one of the healthiest foods you can eat. I imagine that home-made boosts the "good for you" quotient.

Posted by: kallisto at March 25, 2023 01:35 PM (dCxaZ)

6 I did call them.

Posted by: kallisto at March 25, 2023 01:36 PM (dCxaZ)

7 Neighborhood "Boy Scout" troop just delivered my bags of mulch. Mostly dads and daughters. Not many boys.

Posted by: Quarter Twenty at March 25, 2023 01:36 PM (DhOHl)

8 Well, I got rid of two cowbirds (male/female) so I've done my part for the local songbirds.
Don't think I'm gonna get a chance to disc my plowed garden. Too wet. Probably gonna be tilling it. Jeesh. Shoulda plowed it last fall, but didn't have the tractor rebuilt then.
Seedlings are growing. Sweet tates are sprouting roots. We divided a few clumps of asparagus to even out the bed last weekend (those roots look alien).
Just about time to expand the strawberry bed.

Posted by: MkY at March 25, 2023 01:37 PM (cPGH3)

9 Oh... and inverted the bees hive boxes.

Posted by: MkY at March 25, 2023 01:38 PM (cPGH3)

10 One of the reasons I envy the Cali Garden Horde is their ability to enjoy the *freshest* produce, sometimes plucked off trees in their own backyards. That truly is luxury.

I'd made an impromptu salad with ruby red grapefruit and avocado slices, with a shpritz of lime, a drizzle of olive oil and salt. It was surprisingly good. Then I thought: that sounds very Californian...and looked up a recipe for it.

Sure enough, the Grandmomma of Cali cuisine, Alice Waters, came up with this recipe a long time ago:

https://tinyurl.com/5d4hekbk

Posted by: kallisto at March 25, 2023 01:41 PM (dCxaZ)

11 If remember right Cowbirds are evil parasites, they lay their eggs in other bird nests to be raised by them. Being bigger often eat more than their share starving smaller bird reluctant hosts

Posted by: Skip at March 25, 2023 01:42 PM (xhxe8)

12 Another round of mowing and bagging to get up the (hopefully) last of the big live oak's leaves and pollen spores. Yard looks so much better. Threw down the fertilizer and am watering it all in. Fingers crossed that the grass will thrive and multiply.

Posted by: Count de Monet at March 25, 2023 01:42 PM (4I/2K)

13 Since we were expecting, and got, a crapload of rain I was out earlier this week with the tiller to prep the garden plot for potatoes in the next week or two. The other veggies will wait until early May. Also have some manure and peat moss to mix in a bit later.

Today, after 3" of rain it's too soggy to mess with.

Tulips are about to bloom... Irises are poking up too.

Posted by: Martini Farmer at March 25, 2023 01:44 PM (Q4IgG)

14 OMG,....MOREL MUSHROOMS!!!!! It's time! Everyone out to the woods!!!!!!!!!!!

Honestly Morels are so TASTY. Just clean them, split them, soak them for 20 minutes in a salt water bath, then FRY THEM UP (with LOTS of butter)!

-SLV

Posted by: Shy Lurking Vote at March 25, 2023 01:53 PM (e/Osv)

15 We are currently having to check for road closures every time we leave town. Doing weed control.

Posted by: KT at March 25, 2023 01:55 PM (rrtZS)

16 Shy Lurking Vote at March 25, 2023 01:53 PM

Sounds great. Lots of butter makes many things better.

Posted by: KT at March 25, 2023 01:56 PM (rrtZS)

17 Last year, the Miracle Gro container mix I usually use was NASTY! It stunk, the texture was all wrong, and it looked like they had tried to hide how bad it was by adding a bunch of charcoal. Did anyone else experience this?

This year I bought Grass Pad's custom mix when I was in the KCK area. I haven't opened the bags yet, but I can't imagine them putting their name on junk. We'll see.

Posted by: Emmie at March 25, 2023 01:57 PM (rFtTt)

18 If you reside in New Yorkget out now before the Brain eating amebas in Albany come for you !!!!!

Lawmakers in New York are gearing up to enact legislation that would prohibit gas stoves from being used in new buildings, including new single-family homes and new commercial properties.

I guess you can use The Clogginstein Fart Tube as your Natural Gas source for your stove !!!!

Posted by: Ferd Berfall at March 25, 2023 02:00 PM (B/7uq)

19 Should look things up before writing off top of my head but I am correct about Cowbirds. On other had Catbirds I get around here

Posted by: Skip at March 25, 2023 02:02 PM (xhxe8)

20 If remember right Cowbirds are evil parasites, they lay their eggs in other bird nests to be raised by them. Being bigger often eat more than their share starving smaller bird reluctant hosts
Posted by: Skip
No, you were dead on, Skip. It's why they get the special treatment.
Should have mentioned... not garden related, but had a dozen hen turkeys and 2 toms out in the yard this morning. Toms were more interesting to the deer than the hens. Spring!

Posted by: MkY at March 25, 2023 02:08 PM (cPGH3)

21 Finally figured out what to do with my confederate jasmine, I want to grow it on an arbor that I am placing in front of a stone path that leads to a gate into the pool. But there are no arbors in stock anywhere. Will have to order, but was hoping to have the guy who is putting the rocks/ stones in on Monday to just do this work. Why are there no arbors to be had when I have these brilliant ideas?!?

Posted by: Piper at March 25, 2023 02:08 PM (ZdaMQ)

22 On the topic of Morels, part of the problem is that we don't really set down roots in communities like we used to.

Example, I could go back to the midwest where I grew up right now, and find 4-6 morel patches that I helped harvest with my granfather and father.

But the US isn't like that anymore, so many of us have moved away from our homesteads and setlled elsewhere. So we've lost that connection with where we grew up and HOW we grew up.

Sorry, this post isn't really about mushrooms, but what I feel we've lost as a nation. A sense of homestead and community.

-SLV

Posted by: Shy Lurking Vote at March 25, 2023 02:09 PM (e/Osv)

23 Emmie, we had the same experience with a Miraclo-gro product (Moisture Control). Never tried the Grass Pad stuff. Suburban has a compost that has buffalo manure in it... we use it for vertical mulching on trees.
Leftover goes into our raised beds, and it looks gorgeous.

Posted by: MkY at March 25, 2023 02:10 PM (cPGH3)

24 Woohoo!
Hi KT.
Love the Coug pixs.

Posted by: Diogenes at March 25, 2023 02:12 PM (anj39)

25 It's officially spring time in our backyard: our white oak is budding. It is always about the last to show new leaves and the last to drop leaves in winter. I've never figured out if it is retarded or just damn stubborn.

Posted by: JTB at March 25, 2023 02:14 PM (7EjX1)

26 It has been snowing. It has also been down to freezing a couple of times. So far none of my fruit trees are blooming, though the earliest plum is "just about" to pop blossoms out. It does that every year, the tease that it is. Last year was a terrible year for most of my fruit trees, I hope the Spring will be nicer for setting fruit.

I helped my sister plant potatoes in planters on the concrete porch in front of her place. She was happy about that, it will be better than her original idea of digging up her landlord's lawn.

I found that all the apple seeds, and a fair number of plum pits I put in baggies of dirt in the fridge have sprouted. I potted them to see which ones come up.
None of the cherry pits have sprouted yet, but a few that were in a pot in the back yard did. I am hoping to use some of them as rootstock for grafting, the rest will be for a "thicket o' fruit trees" I plan on putting in by the back fence.
The tulips my wife planted are coming up, as are the yellow violets I planted a few years ago.

Posted by: Kindltot at March 25, 2023 02:14 PM (xhaym)

27 Suburban has a compost that has buffalo manure in it... we use it for vertical mulching on trees.
Leftover goes into our raised beds, and it looks gorgeous.
Posted by: MkY at March 25, 2023 02:10 PM (cPGH3)

What is vertical mulching?

Posted by: Emmie at March 25, 2023 02:19 PM (rFtTt)

28 Good luck, Kindltot. I didn't get a serviceberry pie last year cause all my fruit tree blossoms froze. I removed two peach trees cause of it... 5th year, no fruit. They had to go.
I need more apple trees. I have an idea to expand my electric fence to protect them from the deer.

Posted by: MkY at March 25, 2023 02:20 PM (cPGH3)

29 Why are there no arbors to be had when I have these brilliant ideas?!?
Posted by: Piper at March 25, 2023 02:08 PM (ZdaMQ)

One of the things you could look at is using cattle fencing panels, they are galvanized, and are about 16' x 4'. They will last a long time, and once they are covered, they look pretty nice.

If you want them black, I suppose you could use Krylon. There are a lot of pictures of them from gardeners online. you don't have to use T-posts.

Posted by: Kindltot at March 25, 2023 02:22 PM (xhaym)

30 MkY, are serviceberries good to eat fresh? I've heard them compared to blueberries, but using them in pie implies they are tart.

Posted by: Emmie at March 25, 2023 02:23 PM (rFtTt)

31 What is vertical mulching?

Might be easier to search the term than to describe it, but we use 2" earth augurs, go 12"-15" deep, about every 3'-4' under the critical root zone of trees, kick the clay away, and occupy the holes with compost. Our soils are heavy- roots are aerobic- so it makes little micro-climes where roots can proliferate deeper.
It's also the only way to overcome compaction on construction damaged trees.

Posted by: MkY at March 25, 2023 02:24 PM (cPGH3)

32 Have a dead tree half leaning on a smaller tree in my front yard. Inquiring getting a 50 foot bucket lift and work it top down. It's 10 inches at bottom but 20 feet up probably barely 6 inches. And have another on side dead but at least on its own to do same.
Should be fun as soon as rental company gets their lift fixed.

Posted by: Skip at March 25, 2023 02:25 PM (xhxe8)

33 MkY, your description makes sense.

Posted by: Emmie at March 25, 2023 02:25 PM (rFtTt)

34 ... think about it. We haul all the organics off our turf (which is where most trees are grown)... we mow 25 or 30 times a year, so we have compaction, ignoring any other foot traffic... we overfertilize...
We've lost more old trees due to the lawn guys and the flowergirls than diseases.

Posted by: MkY at March 25, 2023 02:26 PM (cPGH3)

35 Serviceberry are sweeter than blueberries. They also do have pectin, so none is needed when making jams or jelly.
First pie we made was too sweet, cause we used a blueberry recipe.

Posted by: MkY at March 25, 2023 02:28 PM (cPGH3)

36 Beginning my annual battle with the carpenter bees. Instead of the usual $20 trap, I built my own out of a jar and a leftover piece of fencing. We'll see how it works...

Posted by: Hawkpilot at March 25, 2023 02:28 PM (EJsE+)

37 Thanks for the reference about kraut. It reminded me to check our air locks and other fermenting supplies. I plan to do more fermenting and pickling this year for the taste and health benefits. Kraut, of course, but also carrots, beets, cauliflower, and turnips. The Lebanese side of the family always had containers of them in the fridge come summer. My cousin and I (the two big boys) could make huge inroads into my grandparents supply.

We don't grow any of the veggies I prefer for pickling but the local farmers market will have excellent goodies to use.

Posted by: JTB at March 25, 2023 02:28 PM (7EjX1)

38 Oh, nice mountain kitties. Waiting for the bears to arrive here...

Posted by: Hawkpilot at March 25, 2023 02:29 PM (EJsE+)

39 MkY, do they have a nice texture? I guess I wonder if they are so tasty, why aren't they sold in grocery stores? Sometimes it's because they don't ship or keep well.

Posted by: Emmie at March 25, 2023 02:30 PM (rFtTt)

40 >>> 30 MkY, are serviceberries good to eat fresh? I've heard them compared to blueberries, but using them in pie implies they are tart.
Posted by: Emmie at March 25, 2023 02:23 PM (rFtTt)

I never ate any from my bushes in CO because I bought them to feed the birds - the robins loved them.

I've read serviceberries are the berry to use in pemmican.

Posted by: Helena Handbasket at March 25, 2023 02:31 PM (llON8)

41 I was distracted by the morel photo, and tore off to find out where it might grow in upstate SC. We had a place in Sweden where we used to pick them. It was beside a very steep path, where you had to bend over and sometimes use your hands to climb. No one else ever found those morels : )

Posted by: Miley, okravangelist at March 25, 2023 02:31 PM (Mzdiz)

42 Thank you MkY, I have been trying to figure out what I want to replace a hedge with, I have been mulling service berries against salal. I need to go see if I can get some service berry cuttings to root. If I can do that, it simplifies my question about what to get.

Speaking of cuttings, I still don't have roots on the grape cuttings I am trying to root, but when I trimmed back my black currants I stuck the good looking cuttings into the bed between the surviving plants. They are budding out right now and looking very hopeful for me.

I had no idea what currants would be best for my yard, so I bought ten separate varieties, and planted them, figuring that some of them would survive. the nursery owner said to just plant the cuttings in the winter to propagate them, that is what she does for her nursery stock.

Posted by: Kindltot at March 25, 2023 02:31 PM (xhaym)

43 I finally started vegetable and flower seeds and re-potted the grapevine that's on the deck and trained around a tomato cage - actually got a few bunches of grapes last year. Didn't get around to wrapping the fig trees before the cold set in, but it looks like they made it through the winter. Unfortunately, it's too dreary this weekend to get the garden beds ready as originally planned. Was hoping to at least put down the green onion and carrot seeds.

Posted by: Hoplite Housewife at March 25, 2023 02:33 PM (V66kM)

44
Have a dead tree half leaning on a smaller tree in my front yard. Inquiring getting a 50 foot bucket lift and work it top down. It's 10 inches at bottom but 20 feet up probably barely 6 inches. And have another on side dead but at least on its own to do same.
Should be fun as soon as rental company gets their lift fixed.

Posted by: Skip at March 25, 2023 02:25 PM

Do you have a 'come along'? Mine is rated around 5,000 pounds.

I have a smallish poplar (maybe 50 foot) that I may be able to yank back from where it got wedged into another tree. Not sure if it's gonna do the job. Sure not gonna try it until the weather is better.

Posted by: Divide by Zero at March 25, 2023 02:35 PM (enJYY)

45 there a dairy farm about 7 miles from me that manufacuters there own "black gold'

they have these immense plastic hoop tents with enormus machines that turned the cow shit over and over

last year, I loaded my 2500hd full for 50 bucks

Posted by: REDACTED at March 25, 2023 02:35 PM (us2H3)

46 I'm envious. We have snow on surrounding mtns and it's 32.

Posted by: Infidel at March 25, 2023 02:35 PM (DnRmW)

47 Howdy, Helena! Sounds like maybe they dry well.

Posted by: Emmie at March 25, 2023 02:36 PM (rFtTt)

48 Paper on rooting serviceberry... they say softwood cuttings!

https://tinyurl.com/5cfb45wf

Posted by: MkY at March 25, 2023 02:37 PM (cPGH3)

49 Two pics of what I can only assume is the same lion with her cubs taken about 7 months apart. The second pic, I would not want to mess with that mama lion.

If you're cold, they're cold.

Bring those kitties inside!

Posted by: Bitter Clinger at March 25, 2023 02:38 PM (hKbLg)

50 REDACTED

That's great! We have a municipal stable that I get compost from, but it has the plastic binder twine that they use for the hay. I'll be pulling it out 2 years later.
But it IS free!

Posted by: MkY at March 25, 2023 02:39 PM (cPGH3)

51 Shhheeeesh....whats going on in the world these days, People posting their loose Morels online for all the world to see? tsk tsk...
I have half a dozen secret spots, but no motherload places. Just a small handful at each. Even when I was a kid and my Gramps would take us to HIS secret spots, the best hauls were under a dozen. A couple of year ago I guy I mentored a bit remembered me talking about Morels, sent me a text "Is this them" showed a picture of HUNDREDS as far as the eye could see, big as your hand, giants, in a debris pile of paddock cleanings next to a "Horse friendly" campground/trailhead near Hell Michigan. He filled up a couple of walmart bags full for me....then left them in the back of his truck for a week before dropping them off. Ruint!

Posted by: birddog at March 25, 2023 02:40 PM (uAI4S)

52 Shoot those vermin.

Posted by: SarkanT NekiM at March 25, 2023 02:43 PM (k8OD6)

53 Good mountain lion pictures, CaliGirl. Please keep those animals out there. Thank you!

Posted by: Eromero at March 25, 2023 02:43 PM (z3WCn)

54 I have been using an auger to dig post holes in the garden during the winter and then I have been filling them with charcoal, compost, and the occasional ham bone or batch of crab shells, and then capping them with a good cover of dirt (two feet down the rats and raccoons don't seem interested)
We have heavy clay here, I can see where in the past someone has mixed in river silt to try to loosen it up a bit. I have no idea if has been working, but it is an interesting thing to do in the winter. I mostly hope I am breaking up the compaction.

Posted by: Kindltot at March 25, 2023 02:44 PM (xhaym)

55 Yesterday Publius made a furrow at the edge of the new garden for us to plant potatoes in today. I've also got about 125 onion sets to plant out there.

A few weeks ago, I rooted 3 garlic bulbs in plastic bottles and got 3 dozen cloves to plant today. To accompany them, 5 shallot plants going gangbusters.

I'll be sowing lettuces, wasabi arugula, spinach and carrots in the container garden.

Posted by: Miley, okravangelist at March 25, 2023 02:45 PM (Mzdiz)

56 My transplanted clematis (purple and white) are loaded with buds. I'll send a photo in to KT when they bloom.

Posted by: Miley, okravangelist at March 25, 2023 02:47 PM (Mzdiz)

57 Cowbirds must have strong wings.

Posted by: JT at March 25, 2023 02:48 PM (T4tVD)

58 > Shhheeeesh....whats going on in the world these days, People posting their loose Morels online for all the world to see? tsk tsk...
______________

Read up on the annual ginseng craziness in Appalachia. That's some serious, off the hook weirdness.

Posted by: Martini Farmer at March 25, 2023 02:48 PM (Q4IgG)

59 Na, said tree cannot be dropped, has to come down in pieces. Did what you suggest years ago on one out back that wasn't any danger to drop whole.

Posted by: Skip at March 25, 2023 02:49 PM (xhxe8)

60 Beautiful 80 degrees in Houston right now with clear skies. I have to enjoy it while I can. The brutal heat is just around the corner.

Posted by: polynikes at March 25, 2023 02:50 PM (IhbYA)

61 I had just moved to the SF bay area, during a major drought, the state tried to ban watering landscapes and offered money to residents/landlords to convert to "dry landscaping" the owner of the complex had all of the garden areas torn out, covered in bark mulch and iceplant stuff. 1st rain hundreds of small grey morels popped, over the next couple of weeks harvested several bushels of them, dried a bunch but was able to finally "Bucket list" the "Cook and eat my absolute FILL of Morels" item. I had them sauteed a lb at a time with steaks, ate them with breakfast eggs. After that 1st year they didn't reappear in anywhere near the same numbers, by the 4th year ...none.I haven't bothered to search very hard for them since.

Posted by: birddog at March 25, 2023 02:50 PM (uAI4S)

62 1st rain hundreds of small grey morels popped, over the next couple of weeks harvested several bushels of them, dried a bunch but was able to finally "Bucket list" the "Cook and eat my absolute FILL of Morels" item.

Posted by: birddog at March 25, 2023 02:50 PM (uAI4S)

You are an evil, EVIL, EV-IL person for taunting us this way.

Actually glad you had that experience, I'm sure very few people out in SF even realized the pure gold that was sprouting up.

-SLV

Posted by: Shy Lurking Vote at March 25, 2023 02:54 PM (e/Osv)

63 A lone pine tree on our common ground has been infested and killed by Japanese tree beetles. Hopefully the treatment will kill them before we take it down. Don't want them jumping to the other nearby pines.

Posted by: polynikes at March 25, 2023 02:56 PM (IhbYA)

64 Cowbirds must have strong wings.
Posted by: JT at March 25, 2023 02:48 PM (T4tVD)

Puny birds.

Posted by: Houseflies at March 25, 2023 02:58 PM (4I/2K)

65 I need to go out and start digging holes. I have elderberries to plant. I picked up a gooseberry and a lilac today too. Will try and see if I can put up the bed for my berry bushes.

I read reviews at Walmart about the potting soil they carry. Mostly got Whitney, which I've used before. And there's a new brand I'm trying too. Soil temps are still cool at night and not all that warm during the day. I will start seeds next month.

Posted by: Notsothoreau at March 25, 2023 02:59 PM (6lj/r)

66 Even though I had hunted morels as a kid, and gathered other woods foods all my life I was never aware/familiar with "Hen of the woods", I found one as big as a bean bag chair, 2 years ago, literally a 50lb or more "Flower", didn't know what it was but took a picture of it because it was strange and cool...like something an alien left behind. Hopefully I can get back to that spot this year, see if it returned. I already have a buyer lined up if it has.

Posted by: birddog at March 25, 2023 03:01 PM (uAI4S)

67 When I was very young our grandmother made apple butter and canned it. We had a jar in our house and we three kids could not get the lid off and our parents were not home. We kept trying and trying and fighting over the jar and the lid popped off suddenly. There was apple butter all over the kitchen including the ceiling. We cleaned it all off as best we could but none of us could reach the ceiling to clean that part off. We sold that house soon after that. I suspect there is still an apple butter stain on the ceiling.

Posted by: Mister Scott (Formerly GWS) at March 25, 2023 03:07 PM (ncXxy)

68 TY MkY

Posted by: Kindltot at March 25, 2023 03:10 PM (xhaym)

69 I read reviews at Walmart about the potting soil they carry. Mostly got Whitney, which I've used before. And there's a new brand I'm trying too. Soil temps are still cool at night and not all that warm during the day. I will start seeds next month.
Posted by: Notsothoreau at March 25, 2023 02:59 PM (6lj/r)

I used to work at a place that made and bagged Whitney Farms steer manure. They had a smaller place that packaged various organic fertilizers including blood meal and chicken and bat guano. We had the GREENEST mud puddles in the parking lot in the Spring!

Posted by: Kindltot at March 25, 2023 03:13 PM (xhaym)

70 Nood pets.

Posted by: olddog in mo at March 25, 2023 03:14 PM (ju2Fy)

71 I've only ever seen a mountain lion once - also with two cubs -and that was in the hills west of Wenatchee, Wa. Seen tracks in the north Sierra Nevada, but never spotted a live one.

Posted by: 13times at March 25, 2023 03:16 PM (ehnmI)

72 Last year I had good luck fending off deer with strobe solar string lights. But as with so many other deer “solutions,” the deer have become inured; the tulips I was anticipating are now little nubs. Back to straining hot sauce through a strainer for spraying. I’m reminding myself that frolicking fawns are more beautiful than anything I have in my garden.

Posted by: Marbucks at March 25, 2023 04:17 PM (IENcU)

73 From Boise area: Lows 28-39 F, highs 45-57. We're still having occasional snow - as we did for a bit today, while I was deciding whether or not to rake and bag more leaves. I decided against.

I finished laying compost on the corn bed but we still need to till it in. I finished digging out the final tomato, zucchini, and parsley roots from last year, and pulling out basil roots. I've added ground eggshells to several beds, but need to grind up the shells I've saved since the last grinding.

Indoor poblano and tomato sprouts still doing well.
The crocus I planted behind the kitchen last fall are making their appearance - deep purple, bright white, and white with dark purple stripes. Hyacinths around them are starting to expend their stems but no flowers yet. Tulips out front about 3 inches tall.
(part 1)

Posted by: Pat* at March 25, 2023 04:37 PM (WAYaX)

74 We're planning to set up a new, slightly raised bed around the stump of the dead maple we cut down last year. Putting it there will also block the view of our neighbors' pool from our patio.

Husband bought a ton of stone slabs we'd previously chosen, and we sorted it by height, into our shed. We spray-painted the edges of the planned bed onto the grass. Later, we'll dig up the sod, and the lilies of the valley, set up the stones, plant in some forsythia (still discussing understory, but we already have the lilies of the valley), and add dirt to fill.
(part 2)

Posted by: Pat* at March 25, 2023 04:47 PM (WAYaX)

75 Attention, all gardeners with physical limitations: I'm looking for advice on how to maintain a garden after having knee surgery. Last year was a very poor year in the garden, I was hoping to work hard on getting good crops this year - but upcoming knee surgery is impinging on my original plan. I'll be able to do all the planting beforehand, but harvesting and processing will be a challenge.

I have one foot tall raised beds to weed, and harvest from. I have a sturdy box-seat with 3 different dimensions so I can sit on it at different heights. I have garden carts and buckets, to carry and drag things around with. I have friends I can ask for help from time to time. And I have the best Husband in the world, who maintains the riding mower, and mows the lawn all summer long (100 degrees here) with no complaints.

But if anyone has ideas I could use, I would be grateful to hear them. I know spring is a busy time and we get lots of material for the Garden Thread, but maybe KT could use "gardening with physical limitations/dealing with getting older" as a future theme for a slow month.
(part 3/end)

Posted by: Pat* at March 25, 2023 04:59 PM (WAYaX)

76 Weather is mocking me today. Same yesterday.

Sunny & cool, almost no breeze, so I put coat on and gather tools... Shazam! Wind kicks up, clouds thicken & then rain/hail. Ugh.

Put tools back. Remove coat... Shazam! Wind dies, rain stops, clouds part. Grrrr.

Posted by: JQ at March 25, 2023 05:12 PM (o0Fxd)

77 Aaaaannnnnd it is now *snowing*

Posted by: JQ at March 25, 2023 05:43 PM (o0Fxd)

78 Thursday was sunny and warm-- almost 70

Posted by: JQ at March 25, 2023 05:49 PM (o0Fxd)

79 I read reviews at Walmart about the potting soil they carry. Mostly got Whitney, which I've used before. And there's a new brand I'm trying too. Soil temps are still cool at night and not all that warm during the day. I will start seeds next month.
Posted by: Notsothoreau at March 25, 2023 02:59

I should have read reviews like you Nots... Do NOT buy Timberline Topsoil by Oldcastle Lawn & Garden Inc. I bought 2 bags of this "topsoil" at WalMart and it is a nasty mixture of clay, rocks and wood chips. Ioccassionaly screen it and mix it w/ other soil to use in certain places. It is junk.

Posted by: Farmer at March 25, 2023 06:01 PM (55Qr6)

80 On purchasing potting soil:

I like Vigoro brand. Has a consistent, medium-fine, fluffy texture. Not the cheapest but is less expensive than miracle gro, and does have the added fertilizer. I think there's a 'moisture control' version as well.

Posted by: JQ at March 25, 2023 06:15 PM (o0Fxd)

81 Cheap crappy potting soil, and old used potting soil? Both can make excellent amendment to ground soil. Assuming they're not full of rocks, of course.

Posted by: JQ at March 25, 2023 06:18 PM (o0Fxd)

82 Thank you By-Tor. I ordered up some fermentation jars and airlocks. I always wanted to make my own sauerkraut. I have a great Kimchee recipe but never mastered sauerkraut. Can’t wait to try!

Posted by: keena at March 25, 2023 07:36 PM (RiTnx)

83 SLV...found out later that the mulch had come from downed trees on the slopes of Mt St Helens, govt land was left untouched,"Natural" in the aftermath. Private timber land was allowed to be harvested, the ash/dust on the govt lands turned to basically concrete, with continuing mudslide, stream polluting, dusty, drought danger, an animal free, vacant, hellscape for a decade, the private land areas were back green and bright, fast growing and "restored naturally" in a very short time. Just the activities of the trucks, dozers, skidders roughed up the ash/ground enough to let regrowth occur immediately.

Posted by: birddog at March 25, 2023 08:21 PM (uAI4S)

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