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Just the other day I visited my neighborhood garden center thinking this year I'd just buy tomatoes plants instead of starting from seeds. Much to my shock, the price of a tiny plant has gone from $2.79 last year to $4.49 this year, that's a 60% price increase! I decided to go back direct sowing seeds instead.
Also I visited the feed store to buy straw bale, it has gone from what I recalled as ~$7 a bale now to $12/bale! The lady insisted last year was $9/bale but that's still a 33% price jump.
What's your experience? How has the price increase changes your gardening this year?
I noticed it last year. A small container of tomatoes always were always $1 to $1.50 for 6 plants. Now, they are 1 plant in a 3 or 4 inch pot, a little bit bigger plant, but it's $2.49......I hate to see what they are going to be when the garden centres open this spring.
I do know where there are a couple of private greenhouses that sell stuff....will have to check them out.
I am trying to grow some from seed right now in the house, will see how that goes.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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No difference for me, the soil amendment I use was the same as last year, $9.99/bag, and the seeds from Burpee (planted last week) seemed reasonable enough. I will be buying tomato plants, however, but in our climate they are not available until May. I also bought new plastic to recover the greenhouse, but that was last fall before the big price jumps.
I started gardening again after moving and getting better climate. I've been growing from seeds since starting 35 years ago and was amazed at how much baby plants cost at garden centers. Found a few nurseries with good prices/plants, spend my money for plants that can't be grown from seeds, some hybrid salvias and others.
Maybe someday I'll get better at growing from cuttings, most of mine die that way like roses :-(
This year growing dahlias, first time ever, they are tubers so like a really big seed lol.
Yesterday I visited a garden center across town, the place was amazing, it had a huge assortment of plants. I went overboard, the total was close to 100.00 for an assortment of perennials and annuals. Unfortunately, with a house sale on the horizon, I had to do a few baskets, and pretty up the porch and garden, but still..it was sticker shock. At least the perennials will come along for the move.
I have a lot of seeds left over from years past that Ill be growing....in fact I have tomato and pepper starts to put in the garden this weekend. I wont need to buy anything, as I have fertilizer left over and have a big pile of chicken compost, so Im good for this year.
$3.99 for single tomato, pepper and herb plants at the nursery I visited yesterday. Seeds are still out there, but many types and varieties of seeds are sold out. I wasn't able to get all the herb seeds I wanted locally, and went online. $4.50 for a packet of heirloom seeds. Yikes.
I agree. Down here, we started tomatoes (seed) in September. Already harvesting cherry tomatoes from 6 weeks back. Then a freak cold snap came through and killed back 2 of the 3. I was able to save one, but had to cut on it while I grew out new seed. The seed pkts. were $6.00 online, but I got about 2 months worth of tomatoes out of them.
Also starting 4 types of melons, 1 a watermelon and 3 or 4 cantalope types. Cucumbers started. Bibb lettuce started back about 2 months ago about ready to harvest. It will be my last for this season, too hot already. Going to let one plant bolt so I can save the seed.
I was lucky, most of the seed was from years past that I have kept in the fridge. I did buy some herb seed and the cantalope. 3 cantalopes from Garden centers, about $2.00 a pack. Online cantalopes, one was $9.00 including shipping. (Snow leopard) and the other $6.00. I couldn't buy from same company.
Looked up the viability of radish, I think it said 5 years until it's considered "dead." Well, I had 10 year old watermelon radish so I gave it a try. It was up in 2 days!
I bought heirloom Pink Oxheart tomato seed in November for $5.00 or $6.00. (Amazon) The plants are not doing well for me down here, so I'm not going to attempt them again. I think it's me, just not good at heirlooms, or maybe it's my climate. All my plants are in raised beds.
aquietpath, if you want them, (Pink Oxhearts) send me a message. You can then mail to me a self-addressed stamped envelope, they're yours.
Yes, prices are up. The sticker shock is amazing. Went to replace some garden boards that were $3.50 a year and a half ago, now $8.30. I about croaked.
Seed pkts that used to be $1.25 are now $1.97 and even $2.75 to $2.97 on the racks at local stores. If I buy them online, they start at $5.00 and go up from there. But I figure it is cheaper (and cleaner-I know what's in them) if I grow them myself so onwards I go.
Last edited by TerraDown; 03-24-2022 at 04:31 PM..
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