Now is the best time to plant a vegetable garden

[NeoGreen]

https://www.treehugger.com/sustainable-agriculture/now-best-time-plant-vegetable-garden.html

Now is the best time to plant a vegetable garden
Katherine Martinko, April 3, 2020

It will help you to spend time outdoors, supplement your food supply, and teach kids about the life cycle of plants.

Stuck at home with nowhere to go, and feeling increasingly concerned about the security of one's food supply, there is no better time than now to start a backyard vegetable garden. It's a lower-risk endeavor than 'panic buying' chicks (Melissa advised against that last week) and can provide you with both fresh vegetables and a pleasant outdoor hobby throughout the coming months.

The Huffington Post reported that sales of seeds and seedlings have skyrocketed. One hardware store owner in North Carolina said, "People are buying plants and seeds a month ahead [of the regular planting season]. It’s thrown greenhouse growers and bulk seed suppliers into overdrive." Some online heirloom seed companies have had to pause orders because they're so busy filling the ones already made. Renee Shepherd of Renee's Garden Seeds in California told the Post, "We pack seeds based on our projected demand and no one predicted this. A lot of seed companies are running out of packets."
Growing one's own food in a time of crisis is not uncommon. It happened during the two World Wars, when Americans were urged by their government to plant "victory gardens". By 1944, 20 million families had planted gardens and were growing 40 percent of the country's produce. (You can see a wonderful collection of old Library of Congress photos of victory gardens here.) A similar surge in gardening happened during the recession years of 2008 and 2009, with the number of households growing their own food increasing by 11 percent and most doing it for the first time.

[5X]

1. For once, I was ahead of the curve.

Started mine a couple months ago, at least indoors.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. It's still too cold here - it's snowing right now - but

I've started some seeds indoors and will plant as soon as it warms up enough (maybe even next week). Our Master Gardener group has already been promoting victory gardens.

[2naSalit]

3. We have a week or two before we can even think about

working the soil but seedling are being started indoors already.

[niyad]

4. I have 4 inches of snow right now. We generally don't plant outdoors til Memorial Day.

But I do agree with what you are saying, for those with space, anfd physical ability.

[gay texan]

5. Yep, i'm waiting on my seeds to show up!

I'm doing okra, cherry peppers, salsa tomatoes, purple potatoes, and maybe some corn. I'm doing it all in raised bed gardens out of recycled bricks.

[alittlelark]

6. My greenhouse is filled.

As soon as it warms up I'll be BUSY !

[Siwsan]

7. I started tomatoes, sweet peppers and herbs, today

Golden Jubilee, Roma and Black Krim tomatoes. I have no confidence that my local plant nursery will be able to open in time for me to buy any back up plants. Last year I had pretty good luck with the stuff I started from seed, so fingers crossed.......

[Backseat Driver]

9. Let me know how the Black Krims do - Mine didn't fruit last year

and their color has me intrigued. I do plant 6 Romas and make sauce for the freezer. I'm also scared not to find transplantable veggies to go into my north 40 inches.

[Backseat Driver]

8. Ready to amend my north 40 inch garden as soon as

the weather warms up just a bit. Got a good harvest and made tomato sauce and freezer cuke pickles for the freezer, and still had enough for tomato sandwiches, salads, and shared the peak with neighbors. Even had one butternut squash that went for that silky smooth soup. Think I'll begin with some cooler weather peas, hoping for harvest when the Romas and cukes can go into the ground.

[Kimber432]

10. Rather afraid to go to stores to buy plants

Do I need a mask to go to the garden area? Tried looking on ebay, etsy but man alive, they are exorbitant on there. Snow's mentioned a couple times in our (Illinois) weather too, darn it anyway.