Is COVID-19 Leading to More Gardening?

[boskone]

Related to this, I just discover "sub-irrigated planters" are a thing, and can be made looks like pretty easily out of plastic totes. I think I have a project for this weekend.

I figure I'll build tw, get some kitchen herb seeds for one, and put like 1ea tomato and potato plant in another. Just see how well they work, what the returns are, and so on.

I'd been putting off gardens because I want to sell the house, but if I could build a couple or so plastic totes I think I'll just go ahead. I think 18 (or 30) gallons of dirt will be too heavy to carry, but would be reasonable to throw on a cart and move around.

[Confucius]

Related to this, I just discover "sub-irrigated planters" are a thing, and can be made looks like pretty easily out of plastic totes. I think I have a project for this weekend.

I figure I'll build tw, get some kitchen herb seeds for one, and put like 1ea tomato and potato plant in another. Just see how well they work, what the returns are, and so on.

I'd been putting off gardens because I want to sell the house, but if I could build a couple or so plastic totes I think I'll just go ahead. I think 18 (or 30) gallons of dirt will be too heavy to carry, but would be reasonable to throw on a cart and move around.

Yes they are, and they're pretty great. Built one (with critter cage) a few years back in ground with a pond liner. Use it mostly for greens and herbs (too short for tomatoes or the like). Only add water once or twice a season, and the odd thunderstorm is plenty to keep it topped off.



Digging in a larger traditional garden bed this year. Nothing to do with Covid, just have a bit of extra time to double-dig and want good tomatoes.. Hell of a time finding seed potatoes this year.

[boskone]

Related to this, I just discover "sub-irrigated planters" are a thing, and can be made looks like pretty easily out of plastic totes. I think I have a project for this weekend.

I figure I'll build tw, get some kitchen herb seeds for one, and put like 1ea tomato and potato plant in another. Just see how well they work, what the returns are, and so on.

I'd been putting off gardens because I want to sell the house, but if I could build a couple or so plastic totes I think I'll just go ahead. I think 18 (or 30) gallons of dirt will be too heavy to carry, but would be reasonable to throw on a cart and move around.

Yes they are, and they're pretty great. Built one (with critter cage) a few years back in ground with a pond liner. Use it mostly for greens and herbs (too short for tomatoes or the like). Only add water once or twice a season, and the odd thunderstorm is plenty to keep it topped off.

<snip>

Digging in a larger traditional garden bed this year. Nothing to do with Covid, just have a bit of extra time to double-dig and want good tomatoes.. Hell of a time finding seed potatoes this year.

Good to know.

I don't know how bad the critters will be around here, that's part of the experiment. I think birds will be the only possible problem, unless a neighbor's dog get in my back yard and gets overly curious.

[jor-el]

Is anyone out there from Michigan?
Can anyone confirm or deny this? https://www.rt.com/usa/485572-michigan- ... ronavirus/

https://www.metrotimes.com/news-hits/ar ... ery-stores

https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2 ... seeds-and/

[EBuff75]

Is anyone out there from Michigan?
Can anyone confirm or deny this? https://www.rt.com/usa/485572-michigan- ... ronavirus/

https://www.metrotimes.com/news-hits/ar ... ery-stores

https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2 ... seeds-and/

Yes, shutting down gardening, paint, and furniture sales areas of big box stores was specifically called out in the latest executive order here in Michigan. Many of the smaller stores were already shut down by the previous executive order, as they weren't considered to be essential businesses.

And if your garden happens to be at your cottage / cabin / BOL, you're out of luck even more. That same executive order also banned people from traveling to those vacation / secondary properties in order to prevent infected people from overloading the more limited health care facilities in the rural areas of the state.

Here's the link to Executive Order 2020-42: https://www.michigan.gov/whitmer/0,9309 ... -,00.html

[jor-el]

According to Politifact, gardening is NOT banned. Just that the areas of the big box stores are closed off to the public that have anything to do with gardening. If you could just magic the seeds into your hands without trespassing within the store, you should be good.

In a slightly unrelated matter, Michigan also has a no motorboat use order: https://www.mlive.com/public-interest/2 ... order.html



Just one question; this is a low res map, but I see quite a few islands that are inhabited but without road access. How is anyone to move about without a boat? Swim?

[EBuff75]

Just one question; this is a low res map, but I see quite a few islands that are inhabited but without road access. How is anyone to move about without a boat? Swim?

The larger islands which have people living on them generally have some type of commercial ferry service. For smaller islands which are privately owned, I imagine that using a boat to travel to and from them is still okay, as long as the travel is for approved reasons (traveling for food, medical care, travel to/from jobs providing essential services, etc.). The ban is for recreational marine power sports.

Enforcement of the executive orders has generally been in the form of warnings, since the police don't want to have to deal with the paperwork and close contact that citations and/or arrests would require. They're mostly going after egregious behavior such as parties, groups of people playing sports, etc.

[RoneKiln]

I heard on the radio this morning that nurseries and gardening stores in the greater Vancouver BC area are selling 3 times what they normally do for this time of season.

The seed and seedling sections at my local box store looked very well stocked a few nights ago though.

We've also had unusually nice weather the last two weeks. People may also just be getting an early start on landscaping projects.

[Stercutus]

Just one question; this is a low res map, but I see quite a few islands that are inhabited but without road access. How is anyone to move about without a boat? Swim?

The larger islands which have people living on them generally have some type of commercial ferry service. For smaller islands which are privately owned, I imagine that using a boat to travel to and from them is still okay, as long as the travel is for approved reasons (traveling for food, medical care, travel to/from jobs providing essential services, etc.). The ban is for recreational marine power sports.

Enforcement of the executive orders has generally been in the form of warnings, since the police don't want to have to deal with the paperwork and close contact that citations and/or arrests would require. They're mostly going after egregious behavior such as parties, groups of people playing sports, etc.

https://www.mlive.com/news/2020/03/mich ... virus.html

Yes, with a lot of caveats. More evidence about having a proper BIP as well as a workable BOP.

[Halfapint]

Dropped off stuff at my moms house and took the long way out. I counted 12 new garden plots in houses that had previously had none..... 12.....

Now, these are just ones I can see. Not ones in backyards.

I did noice loads of dirt/compost piled in front of houses, down with the new garden beds, some without.

Either way, I think “victory” gardens are definitely making a come back. Now, the money will be in someone developing an app that allows you to post in a certain geographic area, what you have excess of, what you’re willing to trade for, and the exchange rate.

[Abuhin]

also
a warning

[RoneKiln]

There are no canning supplies or equipment available anywhere in my area. Every store is stripped clean. I went looking for jar tongs this last week and all canning supplies are gone. I've been using string loops to lift my cans out of the canner.

I suspect the surge in canning is related to a surge in gardening.

[Valeri21Ens]

Certainly, it will lead to this. Maybe just for the quarantine period but it will, it will