Quarantine Gardens are popping up all over town. Here's what you need to know to get started
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First it was toilet paper.
Then supermarket meat.
Now there’s a seed rush going on.
The owner of Plant Kingdom, Stephanie Bluekens says this has already been a busy year.
“It’s just more people realizing, especially where we are located... if anything were to ever get cut off from the food supply, it’s good to start thinking about those things,” Bluekens said.
Bluekens explained that when the pandemic started, she lost sleep worrying about her business. There were both seed and soil shortages.
“You spend all winter preparing for a season, but something like this... we need to get this going now, and then all of a sudden [supplies are] hard to get,” she added.
Luckily, Blueken’s business was able to get the supplies they need and are happy to help all the first time gardeners that walk through their door.
First, Bluekens says, you have to figure out what kind of sunlight and space you have.
“A southside is when you are going to have your full on heat all day, and your North side is where you get your morning sun and some afternoon sun.” Bluekens said. “It’s really figuring out what area you are in and how much sun exposure you will be getting throughout the day.”
Many first time gardeners may only have porch or container space. But with so many choices and different types of plant variations, which do you choose?
“I would recommend things that are relatively easy to start off with -- so you have your basil [and] lettuce.. there is zucchini made for just container gardening... and then also tomatoes that do well in containers rather than outside,” Bluekens explained.
Once you take your new plants home, Bluekens said to slowly adjust them to their new environment.
“A lot of times people will just bring plants right outside and then [they] will burn. They need to adjust. It's kind of like going to Hawaii -- you need to put sunscreen on.” Bluekens added.
And remember, don’t get frustrated.
“What do they say... ‘If you aren’t killing plants, you aren’t expanding yourself as a gardener'.” Bluekens said. “There was definitely my learning curve my first year.”