For all you vegetable gardeners...

[Mule Packer]

Maybe it's just out here in the rural areas where people normally plant their big vegetable gardens in the spring, but when I pulled into the local nursery in the old pickup truck this morning, I could tell things weren't going at the usual, everyday pace.

I had to take a number and wait outside until my number was called in order to buy seed...and it wasn't a short wait by any means. Now, granted, I'm not talking about the little one-dollar seed packets you pick up at your local hardware store. I'm talking about bulk here....corn, beans, peas, etc.

Never saw that before in all the years I've lived here. You could tell most of the folks there were rural people...boots, jeans.

I don't know if any of you other vegetable gardeners have experienced this yet. Crazy. I'm wondering if there are folks out there who have never planted a produce garden who are thinking seriously about putting one in this spring.

 

[arjay]

I suspect a lot of people are worried about the food supply in a few months or being able to afford it

 

[Mule Packer]

I suspect a lot of people are worried about the food supply in a few months or being able to afford it

Y'know, arjay, I think you're probably right.

 

[6518John]

Chip the nursery I drive by on the way to work was PACKED this morning. This is right in the middle of town a few miles from the State Capitol. I think city folks are garden planting too. I will admit there has been a big trend of urban gardening, garden/farm to table, with young city people I know (which I think is excellent). But this seemed more than normal to me too and I was just driving by.

 

[Rudi]

I was at the feed store last week. Got my seed potatoes and a bunch of organic stuff. Everything was calm. I hope there is no problem in late April when I get my starter plants. They should be allowed to stay open, since they sell tons of critter food, hay, straw, etc.

 

[Mule Packer]

I think city folks are garden planting too. I will admit there has been a big trend of urban gardening, garden/farm to table, with young city people I know (which I think is excellent).

John, I agree. As I was told many, many years ago as to why I should plant a garden every year....1) It helps with the groceries, 2) It's fun to watch things grow, and 3) It's good therapy! I have found that to be true...especially point 3.

Back in the early '70's, I was reading in some agricultural news that a 10'x10' garden plot, if planted judiciously, could produce $250 worth of groceries. Now that was back in the early '70's. Of course, you couldn't plant crops that take up a lot of space and you would have to do some succession planting, i.e. when you harvested your peas, you planted lettuce in their place, etc.

I'll bet a lot of urban dwellers could find a 10'x10' space or make a couple of grow boxes. Hmmm. It'll be interesting to see how things materialize.

 

[vonn]

Gardens were a standard item for most when I was growing up and they canned any surplus that wasn’t eaten fresh.

 

[Mule Packer]

Gardens were a standard item for most when I was growing up and they canned any surplus that wasn’t eaten fresh.

Yep. That's what we do.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

edited!

So now I'm retired, and we live in a condo, No room for a real garden, but we still have cherry tomatoes, herbs, and pea pods. In other words, things that grow like weeds, poor soil and little sunlight.

People are finding out that working from home 2 to 4 days a week, gives them all that travel time to grow good food! We weren't certified Organic, but we stuck with various manures for fertilizer and didn't spray for bugs, the food was so full of flavor. Unlike those hydroponic tomatoes at the store. Yuck!

Ivan

 

[llowry61]

When I was a kid I spent a lot of time weeding and working in the garden. My dad grew everything you can imagine. We had apple trees, cherry trees, peach trees, pear trees and even some grapevines on the property as well. We would sell some of the excess sweet corn, tomatoes green beans etc. and I got to keep the spare change it produced as a reward for my efforts. My dad moved to a much smaller property, but still gardens around the house in his neighborhood. I am amazed at the tomatoes, peppers, radishes, lettuce, herbs etc, that he grow on his small suburban lot and you never even notice the plants. Where there is a will there is a way.

 

[k22fan]

I'm in Western Washington. With over 2,220 confirmed infected and 110 dead this is ground zero. Most people think the only loose fresh foods that are safe to buy are ones that can be peeled or washed with soap. Tomatoes, apples, bell peppers and similar fruits can be individually washed with your hands using dish soap. Beautiful displays of veggies that can not be washed like broccoli, cauliflower and lettuce that are priced lower than when they were in season late last summer sit untouched. I already miss regular lettuce salads so I have the seeds in the ground.

My regular veggie garden is only 25' x 10'. Along with my dozen dwarf fruit trees that was enough for a hobby. I should look at expanding the veggie garden or fencing another spot. I have to keep the deer away from all the food I grow. It always was more about getting outside than saving money. Now it's about safety.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

I'm in Western Washington. With over 2,220 confirmed infected and 110 dead this is ground zero.

Hang in there brother, a lot of us are praying for those of you in the hot zones!

Ivan

 

[Old Arkansawyer]

I grow all our vegies in raised beds, a cold frame and DIY green house.
As stated above I plant several different plants in the same space
over the growing season. Usually freeze, can or give away the excess.
I agree that store bought produce which is usually picked before ripe
and shipped in just doesn't have the flavor as home grown.
Plus you can grow things like kale, swiss chard, Egyptian onions and
some others not found in my grocery store.

 

[gregintenn]

We went to Co-op Saturday to get garden seed and fertilizer. We were about the only people there who didn’t work there. They hadn’t gotten in any purple hull seed yet, but had everything else the wife wanted.

 

[Ole Joe Clark]

I am going to plant some tomatoes in containers this year. We used to have 1/4 acre in veggies. Much sweat equity involved, but well worth it. A real tomato sandwich would be great.

Have a blessed day,

Leon

This is as close as I can get to that tomato sandwich.

 

[k22fan]

Tomato sandwich, the improved version.

First spread tuna fish on your bread then tomato slices. That goes in the oven to heat so there is nothing cold under the cheddar cheese that you put on last and broil.

Fresh tomatoes are better but then so is home made bread. If you could get out on a boat and catch your own tuna then you'd be living.

 

[schutzen-jager]

our out of touch politicians initially closed all nurseries , feed stores , + garden centers along with firearm sales - allowed garden centers to open starting today - home gardener seed packets at open big box stores already exhausted this past week end -

 

[susieqz]

i order online from the same people i've bot from for decades, so i had my seeds months ago.my chard, spinach n arugula are up [a little blizzard won't hurt them.my tomatoes will be ready to plant out on the frost date.
looks like i'm expanding my garden a bit, since crazy people seem to be causing shortages.

 

[memtb]

If this insanity continues, I’ll be putting steel traps around the garden area....trapped coons and rabbits will be used instead of the stored foods. A “win-win”.....meat and veggies! . memtb

 

[Chubbs103]

I've already been pinching the first buds off of my tomatoes. Everything planted as seedlings are doing great. I had some seeds that wet in a little late for this area that I hope will still do well.

Last year was really bad for tobacco horn worms. They pretty much won the fight for my pepper plants. As soon as I got them recovering last year, we had an early frost that killed them with peppers growing.