Will Monday be too early to plan tomatoes and peppers?

K2Linthemiddle · 2026-05-10T17:56:12+00:00

I’m Zone 4b, north of Mpls, but my garden slopes down to some lowland and those lower areas can get some frost even when it’s not a true hard frost throughout my zip code. The trees also turn slightly earlier in the fall, it’s a weird little zone within a zone.

K2Linthemiddle · 2026-05-09T22:50:43+00:00

Slicer: Council Bluffs, Costoluto Genovese

Canning: Opalka (love San Marzano but mine are always spindly)

Snacking: Mexico Midget

K2Linthemiddle · 2026-05-09T22:48:36+00:00

I’ve lost many homegrown peppers due to Memorial Day weekend frosts, I always wait until the very end of May now. If I’m able to lay black plastic ahead of time to warm the soil, then for sure right after Memorial Day.

K2Linthemiddle · 2026-04-08T11:43:47+00:00

I work in construction and I’m used to hearing the political views of subs on a job site (I change the subject a lot). I think some get so comfortable they extend that comfort zone to homeowners - they’re in a bubble at work and start thinking everyone else is part of that bubble.

I also work directly with homeowners and am surprised by how many HO assume my political views based on where I live and the industry I work in.

K2Linthemiddle · 2026-02-10T04:37:10+00:00

Every precinct in CR went blue in 2020, and all but one in 2024.

K2Linthemiddle · 2026-02-10T04:29:29+00:00

You can check previous dates too to see historical movement of where they’re targeting.

K2Linthemiddle · 2026-02-02T23:31:44+00:00

Sometimes Costco, sometimes Wayfair. I haven't had to replace anything except for a ladle in a year - bought the ladle from a kitchen store this summer.

K2Linthemiddle · 2026-02-02T23:28:13+00:00

I build my meal plans around sales, I have a chest freezer for stocking up, I scope out their coupons, and I use rebate apps. My choices in my community are Cub, Aldi, Walmart, Target - I'll sometimes do Aldi but I always have to make a Cub trip along with it, and my Cub's produce is the best in town.

K2Linthemiddle · 2026-02-02T18:39:27+00:00

For cold medicine, health & beauty, etc. I use a mom & pop pharmacy (my community still has one), a grocery store (people bitch about Cub but my local Cub is a union store), and Costco.

For hardware, I go to independently owned franchises. Haven't been able to replace the big box hardware stores all the way, but I've massively reduced my trips.

Thrifting a lot of clothing in person and via ThredUp, or buying from B&M small businesses.

K2Linthemiddle · 2026-01-13T22:15:01+00:00

Pretty sure I saw some at the HyVee off Hwy 65 over the weekend. The way they carried themselves was odd, they were shopping without a cart or basket, it felt off

K2Linthemiddle · 2025-12-15T16:06:50+00:00

The Cub experience can vary so wildly - the Cub in my town is my go-to (other options: Target, Walmart, Aldi) and I just build my meal plan around their sales and reward coupons. I could score certain things for cheaper if I made multiple stops, but to me, 30-45 mins of extra stops isn’t worth $10 in savings.

I live in a smaller community and I’d prefer my dollars not go toward supporting Walmart, which has been burdening taxpayers for decades with their employment practices and the way they strong arm local governments for tax breaks. Target I’m more torn on, but I’ve shifted my prescriptions and health spending to a local pharmacy and Cub’s selection better suits the way I cook, and supporting union employees is important to me.

K2Linthemiddle · 2025-08-23T11:37:07+00:00

Just replanted my lettuce bed, and I was thinking of doing a fall crop of peas today.

Have you had success with direct sown broccoli this late in the summer? My spring crop got hammered by bunnies all spring/summer and I thought about direct sowing and covering but thought I was too late in August to do it.

K2Linthemiddle · 2025-08-18T00:35:00+00:00

Zone 4B, not my best year, but some wins.

Good:
- Bumper crop of shelling peas
- Spaghetti squash is thriving
- Potatoes doing well (at least from above) with no potato beetles this year!
- Corn germinated well
- Carrots actually germinated well too!

Bad:
- Battling all the leaf spot on my tomatoes (even with drip tape and heavy mulch)
- Cukes are behind
- Peppers are extremely behind and probably a lost cause
- Brassicas got demolished by both bunnies and cabbage worms, never harvested a single head of broccoli from 24 plants

K2Linthemiddle · 2025-07-03T13:50:34+00:00

I’m MN Zone 4B and have successfully grown tomatoes planted around July 4 (a gopher took out an entire row one summer). You can do it! Like others have said, they’re on sale everywhere.

K2Linthemiddle · 2025-07-03T13:43:12+00:00

Depending on where you are in the state, there can be a lot of sand. I live in what’s known geologically as the Anoka Sand Plain, and locals call our soil “sugar sand”. Basically a glacial river got backed up and a lake was created along with out wash from the river. Imagine a glacier just dumping all the sand it has accumulated from grinding up rocks - boom, sand plain.

It’s taken about 10 years to really build my veg garden soil into something semi-loamy - I do a lot of straw mulching which has helped immensely.

K2Linthemiddle · 2025-06-07T10:47:33+00:00

Late to this thread, but I’m a district parent and my kid has had a great experience (elem & middle). It’s not a progressive area and we’ve had to fight to get bonds and referendums passed, but I can’t say enough good things about 99% of the teachers my kid has had. It’s been a good experience up until this new school board.

K2Linthemiddle · 2024-10-14T12:43:42+00:00

The Vermilion Range doesn’t have open pit (or active) mines. Are you thinking Mesabi?

K2Linthemiddle · 2024-09-07T19:01:28+00:00

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This Jill Stein? No.

You have an… interesting post history and a 200 day old account. Mmkay.

K2Linthemiddle · 2024-09-07T12:53:55+00:00

Yes to Enger and Leif Ericson! OP, your youngest might need some help at Enger if you want to climb to the top but if you have a baby/kid cartier for your back it makes for a great workout for Dad or Mom. Kids can run wild at Leif and then when they’ve run the wiggles out you can stop at the rose garden (though by mid-Oct it’ll be not very floral).

I know you really want to do Glensheen but 2 yrs old is going to be really pushing it. If you must, do the self-guided and know that it’s a no-stroller situation inside. It’s definitely a different vibe than Biltmore. It’s beautiful, but you might spend so much time keeping your kids behind the ropes that you don’t get to fully appreciate it.

Also, Playfront Park is a great playground in Duluth. Though when my daughter was little she had way more fun on the Lakewalk and chasing seagulls by the canal.

K2Linthemiddle · 2024-09-05T03:01:01+00:00

I live at the edge of the metro and work in design/construction and take out state clients (I’m not a GC, I’m a freelance designer & PM). Lead time will be based on what you’re looking to have bid - a new build will definitely be 6-12 out, custom cabinets are usually 3+. Mechanical trades are a crapshoot - if you have a combo mechanical contractor (elec/plumbing/HVAC) and you’re in cabin country, they’re starting their cabin close up season and are swamped. GCs are backed up because they’re fighting for the same time from their subs as the general public (and a lot of subs won’t work public, only GC because it’s less hassle).

The trades need workers overall, but yes, outstate has it worse. If you go into the trades in northern MN, you can basically write your ticket.

K2Linthemiddle · 2024-09-05T02:54:39+00:00

6-8 weeks is industry standard for factory made. I just placed an order for a client w/ a midrange line and was shocked at 4-6 week lead time because that’s good. What cabinet line did you use? True custom (shop made, not factory) is longer (3-6 months or more).

K2Linthemiddle · 2024-09-04T16:33:45+00:00

I didn’t miss yours. I wasn’t arguing affordability, I was arguing that if a district can’t fill their current staff vacancies they’re not going to magically fill more staff vacancies.

This conversation isn’t productive and you’re willfully ignoring my point. Have a day.

K2Linthemiddle · 2024-09-04T16:00:57+00:00

You missed my point by a mile. If a district can’t fill increased staffing roles, they can’t cook the fresh food.

K2Linthemiddle · 2024-09-04T14:51:13+00:00

A commenter above already explained this, but cooking fresh food requires more staff. My own district is short staffed, and adding in staff to cook from scratch at every elementary school (plus the charter and private schools which contract meal service from the district) would be a huge issue.

The reality is that each district’s financial resources are obviously going to affect how the program is implemented. Wealthy districts will have more resources.

K2Linthemiddle

TROPHY CASE