Sticker Shock

[Luckyforward]

This year I totally forgot to get seeds started for plants for the garden.  By the time I remembered it was way too late.  Went to Home Depot today to get a few plants: maters, peppers, etc.  The prices were ridiculous!  $5.47 for a tomato plant?   Geeze Louise!

At least seeds were still fairly cheap . . . 

[Omega]

I got hit with sticker shock too, but my issue was the weather.  I started my seeds early enough, but because I could not get them out due to the freeze warning days so they got a bit leggy.  I put them out but they didn't look too good after a day or two.  My usual place seems to have closed, they had inexpensive plants in a 4x4 or 6x6 container for what Rural King, Wal-Mart and the other box stores want for their single plants.  I still purchased a few, but looked for ones that had two or three plants in the container because it was just too expensive for a single plant.  I stated more seeds but don't hold out too much hope they will germinate since they were a bit older.

[Luckyforward]

I was shocked that Walmart's plants were more expensive than Home Depot and Lowes!

[FUJIMO]

Unfortunately for whatever reason it pays to shop around for anything garden related this year. Neighbor and I were discussing varying "good deals" promoted by the local plant shops vs your big box stores. Turns out you have to be willing to drive around a 30 mile loop to get the best deals. I guess it could be some people are trying their hand at gardening in order to offset rising food cost. Which is ironic considering what I see in the buggies at the checkout.

[gregintenn]

Our local Piggly Wiggly has garden plants in 4 pack containers for $1.99. 
 

I’m guessing you didn’t buy fertilizer or sweet corn seed. WOW!!!

[Luckyforward]

1 minute ago, gregintenn said:

Our local Piggly Wiggly has garden plants in 4 pack containers for $1.99. 
 

I’m guessing you didn’t buy fertilizer or sweet corn seed. WOW!!!

You got it, buddy!

[gregintenn]

We usually try to buy what we can at the high school agriculture class greenhouse. It helps support the program, but I sure wish they’d have the sale about 3 weeks later than what they do.

[Luckyforward]

1 minute ago, gregintenn said:

We usually try to buy what we can at the high school agriculture class greenhouse. It helps support the program, but I sure wish they’d have the sale about 3 weeks later than what they do.

None around here, but I have gone to M'boro, but the schools there have sold out.

[gregintenn]

7 minutes ago, Luckyforward said:

None around here, but I have gone to M'boro, but the schools there have sold out.

That’s what I’m saying. They have their sale about the middle of April. I have a hard time keeping the stuff alive long enough to plant.

[No_0ne]

Growing up, we, like everyone around, had a large garden.  My grandfather, who lived across a cotton field from us had a truly immense gardening operation, more akin to a truck farm.  I spent many hours in our, as well as his garden.

After leaving home, I haven't raised so much as a single plant.  Reading this thread reinforces that decision.  Grocery stores and farmer's markets have lots of relatively cheap produce, which I can pick up at my leisure without breaking a sweat.  I like it much better that way ...

[CMDRStormBorn]

So a couple of years ago my mother finally got a greenhouse up & I thought it would always stave off the unforeseeable in the gardening category on the farm.  One of my businesses involves festivals & has expanded into both spring & fall- putting us into the same position of not getting plants started on schedule.  Mom is 80 and afterwards I felt ashamed when I made her show me the tiny baby $5 tomato plants at Lowes.  I additionally wouldn’t  believe that had no chemical fertilizer.  Now I find myself making an ever-expanding list of things that are either gone or gone obscenely up in the last 2 years.  I won’t bother you with publishing that here and besides the server probably doesn’t have that much bandwidth.  Simply the latest item today:  I’ve been planning on selling my zero turn mower & going to a diesel garden tractor style mower with 4wd as I have a hundred acres and don’t want to use my tractors for the vasty residential mowing areas.  My unit of choice, the John Deere signature series x758 has not changed in any way but price since prior to 2020 and is now $2,000 higher.  Yes, I will spend the money but I will absolutely be remembering this when the opportunity to vote comes along. 

Edited May 8, 2023 by CMDRStormBorn