Time to Think About Your Garden
As you know, the world just seems like it’s getting crazier and crazier. We felt compelled to write this article to encourage you to start to grow some of your own food or if you already do, to increase your production. As you have already felt at the grocery store, prices for everything are going up. We have been dealing with “supply chain” issues since the beginning of the COVID lockdowns. Now with the events in Ukraine and Russia, it is causing even more issues. But there are other events all over the world that are worth noting.
As an example, from the Reuters article “Insight - China Adds to Global Wheat Jitters with Poor Crop Health” March 10, 2022, by KAREN BRAUN:
“GLOBAL wheat supplies are already set to be very tight by mid-2022, but top producer China’s struggling wheat crop could keep a chokehold on stocks into next year. That means China might keep its role as a key wheat importer over the next year or so, which may work in its favor given its recent trade agreement with top exporter and now global pariah Russia. China’s agriculture minister said over the weekend that the country’s wheat crop conditions could be the worst in history after heavy rainfall delayed planting last fall. The harvest will provide supplies for the upcoming marketing year that lasts through mid-2023. That is a highly unusual tidbit for China to share as it normally likes to keep troubles out of the public eye.”
Planting and growing what you are able to may not only save you money and be healthier for you, but if things start to spiral out of control, it could make a real difference in your life.
It’s just little under two months until Mother’s Day. What does that mean? That means here in Pennsylvania, it’s just a little under two months until it’s time to start planting your garden. Traditionally, if you plant before Mother’s Day, you’re risking that one last morning frost. As always, We want to encourage you to become more self-reliant. Take these next few weeks to think and plan what you want and what you can plant. If you have a little space in your house, you can even start your seeds inside, then when the risk of frost is over, transplant them outside. This will give you a head start and not only bring you an earlier harvest, but possibly a longer time in which your plants will produce.
Even if you’ve never done it before, getting started is easy. You may not have tons of yard space, but there are alternatives to the traditional garden plot. Lots of plants grow well in containers (tomatoes, peppers, herbs and potatoes, to name just a few). Even if all you have is a patio or balcony, you can still grow a plant or two that will contribute to your food supply. Another option is square-foot gardening. This is a method of planting that can give you good yields in a small space. There are lots of books out there, as well as information on the internet on how to go about planting your square-foot garden. You can use this method if you are planting in the actual soil of your yard, in raised beds, or in containers (larger containers can be divided into one-foot by one-foot sections).
You can pick up seeds on the cheap at most hardware stores and even a lot of grocery stores. At most places, you can get them for less than a dollar for a packet of seeds. There is real joy in using something you grew yourself, let alone much healthier for you. Think about the kinds of fruits and vegetables that you and your family eat on a regular basis. Our family uses tomato sauce for a lot of our meals, so growing tomatoes, then canning them as sauce makes a lot of sense. We don’t normally eat a lot of potatoes, but it is something that we may grow, just because they are a good, easy source of calories and nutrition. If your family doesn’t eat squash, maybe don’t grow squash (unless you want to give it all away or try to hide it in foods they’ll eat).
Another thing to consider is acquiring some “heirloom” seeds. The term “heirloom” has increased in popularity in recent years, but what exactly does it mean? “Heirloom” describes a seed’s heritage, specifically a documented heritage of being passed down from generation to generation within a family or community. An heirloom variety of vegetable, fruit, or flower must be open-pollinated—or pollinated by insects, birds, wind, or other natural means—and “breed true,” or retain its original traits from one generation to the next. There are numerous places you can get collections of different heirloom seeds to make a well-rounded garden.
The importance of this is the ability to grow another generation of crops from the seeds harvested from the current crop. Most seeds you can get at the store are hybrids. They will generally produce more than heirloom. The catch is you cannot replant the seeds from them, they are sterile. One of the other things to consider is that if you use heirloom seeds, they could cross-pollinate with hybrids close by. This too would make the seeds sterile. Since (as of today) you can still get heirloom seeds inexpensively, I’d suggest getting multiple “sets” or “packs”. That way you can have a few generations of seeds on hand in case your crop gets cross pollinated.
If you already have a garden, take the next month and plan how you can expand it. Think about how you will use your harvest once it comes in. It’s a good idea to have a plan and any equipment you may need to preserve your harvest ahead of time. Often, your plants will give you more than you can use all at once. You will likely need to can, freeze, or dry at least some. Otherwise, it may go to waste. You’ll also want to have that extra food for when your plants stop producing. Taking time to plan now, and putting in a little work in the coming months, will pay off in the long run.