'We are 500% busier': Nurseries overwhelmed as everyone starts quarantine gardens

San Francisco Chronicle / sfgate.com ^ | May 9, 2020 Updated: May 9, 2020 10:09 a.m. | Madeline Wells

[thecodont]

Spring is always a busy time for garden centers. But during a nationwide lockdown, the season is a whole different animal.

"We are 500% busier than we normally are this time of year," said Mario DiGrande, owner of Oakland's Thornhill Nursery. "I've already sold as much soil in six weeks that I do in an entire year. It's just crazy."

Considered essential businesses by California's stay-at-home order, many garden centers have opted to stay open for the past few months - albeit with reduced staff and social-distancing measures such as curbside pickup or appointment-only shopping.

[...]

Herbs, tomatoes, cucumbers, citrus trees, soils and fertilizers are all especially popular items. At Thornhill Nursery, DiGrande, who is currently running the whole operation by himself, says they’ve had to limit customers to one basil plant per person. (And if people aren’t buying edible plants, they’re at least stocking up on houseplants, he added.)

From stockpiling canned and dry goods at grocery stores, to cultivating sourdough starters and baking bread, growing vegetable gardens seems like the natural progression of quarantine clichés.

“It’s survivalist, first and foremost,” explained Melissa Smith, who recently started a garden in her San Leandro home with her family. “People have gone generations without knowing where food comes from and how to provide for themselves.”

There’s even a bit of a history behind this urge to start a garden. During World War I and World War II, various countries, including the United States, were encouraged to plant victory gardens: vegetable, fruit, and herb gardens planted at private residences and public parks to supplement rations and boost morale.

[daniel1212]

https://primepatriot.com/2020/05/09/a-nerve-racking-time-for-growers-dnyuz (from New York Times) A ‘Nerve-Racking’ Time for Growers – DNyuz Across New York and New England, farmers and growers watched with worry on Saturday morning as a late season blast of Arctic air and even snow descended on fragile fruits and vegetables that had just begun to poke through. Workers at Westwind Orchard in Accord, N.Y., about 70 miles south of Albany, on Friday night sprayed water, molasses and kelp mineral on budding apple blossoms to help protect them against the cold. In New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Maine, people woke up on Saturday to find snow falling. The temperature in Worcester, Mass., fell to 30 degrees, breaking the previous record of 31 set on May 9, 1934, according to the National Weather Service.

[thecodont]

This year I started a whole flat of tomatoes and peppers just to share with the neighbors, in case the stores run out.

Very generous and neighborly of you.

[leaning conservative]

I tried to buy rosemary plants today, but no one had any : (
I did score a patchouli candle though. : )

[tubebender]

We are in a solar minimum so cooler temps...

[EinNYC]

My balcony is home to 40 potted hostas and heucheras, 2 hanging fuschias, 2 long window boxes and some large pots of flowers. It is my horticultural link to sanity in these isolated times. At least the plants are thriving and draw a lot of compliments.

[cherry]

got some seeds coming along, planted 4 little tiny cherry tomato plants, hope I'm not too early, have two kind of onions in and of course my garlic....

but we're still pretty cold at night here so my garden is a little slow in the making....

[cherry]

people are sometimes thinking about gardens in the wrong way..

not only is it a joy, a way to keep busy, a way to stay active, but being able to just go clip some fresh lettuce or grab a fresh tomato or cuke for dinner is just the best.....

once your veggies start producing, you can have salad very night....that has got to be healthy.

[cherry]

on craigs list in my area, in the “free” section sometimes the tree trimmers will offer to deliver huge amts of wood chips for free...we got a huge amount of them and it took my husband 100 wheelbarrows full to get them down to the garden, where I distributed them mostly between the raised beds....it’s really helped with the weeds and hopefully, I’ll get a some more this spring...

[Armscor38]

I don’t think people realize how big a garden one needs to provide for a family of four until the next harvest. Most everything grown in a garden are low in calories and you’ll have to eat a lot of garden produce in order to survive.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

My fruit trees looked fine today when I inspected them - BUT we still have Sunday and Monday night freezes to get through!

So happy I don’t have to feed myself anymore than I already do; nerve wracking!

[GSWarrior]

Hardware stores are seeing record sales as well. I work at one.

[a little elbow grease]

However - if any Freepers want advice, we are here to help - and we will!

_____________________

We have a 500 foot long gravel driveway.

For around forty (40) years we have been using those very strong "grass and weed killers" from the stores to keep the driveway clear of grasses and weeds.

I'd like to know if there is a "less toxic" mix I could use that would keep the green down in the gravel.

Thanks for any help you may suggest.

.... we also have a brick patio somewhat like this (without all the fancy stuff) with white sand. Grasses and weeds can be drag in there too.

[a little elbow grease]

Having managed a Garden Center for 10 years...I cannot express to you all how RELIEVED I am to be retired from that life these days!

_____________

You're too young to be "retired".

;-)

[GailA]

We had frost, hubby took a old kiddy wading pool and put over the 4 tomato plants I have,

[GailA]

Do you have a farm CO-OP? You have to plant in side by side rows for pollination.

Our largest problem is feeding beef and pork animals. Most of those round ton hay bails have mold by this time.

States like Michigan soil is SELENIUM POOR, makes your heard animals sick. All kinds of bugs, mites and worms to infest and kill your animals.

NEED Raised bed planters https://tarterusa.com/ 100% USA MADE.

[who knows what evil?]

Lowe’s was out of Black Kow yesterday...fine with me; another local feed store had PLENTY.

[who knows what evil?]

My broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower plants are HUGE this year...it has been chilly in Tennessee. Potatoes are chitting, and are going in this week (dark moon/fertile signs); tomatoes and peppers when light moon returns Memorial Day weekend.

[ops33]

Last year I setup a keyhole garden. Best tomatoes I have ever had. This year well on its way to repeating last year’s crop.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

“Hardware stores are seeing record sales as well. I work at one.”

What are people buying, more than normal? Just curious.

I’m betting paint and ways to spruce up our ‘home prisons.’ ;)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

“I don’t think people realize how big a garden one needs to provide for a family of four until the next harvest. Most everything grown in a garden are low in calories and you’ll have to eat a lot of garden produce in order to survive.”

Very astute observation. It CAN be done, but it takes YEARS to establish, a good amount of manpower and a lot of LUCK, weather-wise. Also, it’s more feasible in say, California with something like 350 growing days, versus t hose of us up here on the Frozen Tundra with about 6 months worth of grow-time.

https://www.ruralsprout.com/survival-garden/

People need to have established their ‘Survival Gardens’ LONG before hard times hit, with a few exceptions: Wartime, when Mother Government MANDATED it or the END of a Civil War when Southerners were given 40 acres and a Government-issued Mule. ;)