Every gardener should immediately assess your needs for gardening materials and get them purchased NOW, before they become scarce or MUCH more expensive.
I’m thinking specifically of FERTILIZERS and SEEDS.
Anyone remember last year? Some fertilizers increased in price over 400%! They may do it again, or even worse.
It is SIMPLE, but don’t put off doing it! Here’s how:
1. Measure the total length of your beds or boxes (Example 5 – 30′ beds = 150′).
2. Total the amount of fertilizers you’ll need for one feeding:
A. Pre-Plant – 150 ounces (1 ounce per running foot).
B. Weekly Feed – 75 ounces (1/2 ounce per running foot).
3. Estimate how many times you’ll feed during the season:
A. Pre-Plant Mix – 1 – single crop, 2 – ever-bearing.
B. Weekly Feed Mix –
1. Single-crop varieties like cabbage = 5-6 X crops.
2. Ever-bearing crops – temperate zone = 10-12 prox.
3. Multiply ounces/feeding X expected feeding times:
A. Pre-Plant – (Ex. 150 oz X 2 feedings = 300 oz).
B. Weekly Feed – (Ex 75 oz X 12 feedings = 900 oz).
4. Convert ounces to pounds, or grams to kilograms:
A. Pre-Plant Mix – 300/16 = 18.75#
B. Weekly Feed Mix – 900/16 = 56.25#
5. Double the amounts for 1 year for a 2 year cushion.
6. Buy and mix your fertilizers, then keep them dry.
7. Calculate the seeds you will need, and buy them now as well.
I recommend every person who is concerned for your family’s food supply consider seriously getting a #10 can of heirloom garden seeds.
You can get what I believe is one of the best deals anywhere on these storage seeds – IF you want the mix of 16 seeds that are provided – either at the FFEF website at foodforeveryone.org/garden_ store/, or directly from the
Mountain Valley Seed Company at www.mvseeds.com.