Coronavirus Farming: Don't Want To Go To Grocery Stores? Here Are Tips For Planting Cold- And Warm-Weather Veggies
WESTBURY, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- While stuck at home due to the coronavirus pandemic, you may want to put that time to use by doing something that can help feed your family.
Vegetable gardens can be started right now with cool weather crops, and you don't need a backyard, CBS2's Carolyn Gusoff reported Monday.
What if you could skip the lines and grow your own grocery list? At least some of the produce can be do-it-yourself, no experience needed.
"Pick a sunny location, make sure you turn over the soil. You can add some compost into that soil," said Karen Musgrave of Hicks Nurseries.
CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC
- Resources, Hotlines, Unemployment & Covering Bills
- Remote Learning Tools For Parents Teaching At Home
- Ask Dr. Max Your Health Questions
- How Make Your Own DIY Face Mask
- How To Safely Remove Disposable Gloves
- Tips For Parents To Help Kids Cope
- Complete Coronavirus Coverage
Musgrave said seed sales are way up, as are questions about how to a start a vegetable garden. The answer? Just add water and organic fertilizer, and plant some cool-weather crops now.
"That would include things like Swiss chard, carrots, spinach, kale," Musgrave said. "It's all of your leafy greens, all of your root vegetables, like your cabbage, beets, lettuce, absolutely."
MORE: Coronavirus Update: More People Growing 'Victory Gardens' For Food And Stress Relief
The folks at GrowNYC have been teaching city dwellers how to grow in the urban jungle for years. All you need is a windowsill or terrace, with six hours of sunlight.
"If you have a sunny south-facing or morning-facing windowsill, you could grow some herbs like basil or parsley," said Gerard Lordahl of GrowNYC.
CORONAVIRUS: NY Health Dept. | NY Call 1-(888)-364-3065 | NYC Health Dept. | NYC Call 311, Text COVID to 692692 | NJ COVID-19 Info Hub | NJ Call 1-(800)-222-1222 or 211, Text NJCOVID to 898211 | CT Health Dept. | CT Call 211 | Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
You can start from seed and then transfer to containers on a stoop or terrace.
"You could use a milk crate, for instance. You put in some good soil and you could grow a nice tomato all season long," Lordahl said.
Peas can be put outside now.
"I planted the seed about two weeks ago. You see the roots are ready to go into a larger window box," Lordahl said.
MORE: Social Media Roundup: Virtual Photo Shoots, Neighborhood Gardens, Wuhan Reopens & More
With limited space, Aavi Haas is trying out her green thumb.
"It's a novelty, obviously, what I'm doing in my apartment, but if I can have some lettuce and tomatoes by the end of this thing I'll be super proud of myself," Haas said.
The idea of a growing vegetables in times of crisis dates back to victory gardens a century ago during World War I, and the feeling of self reliance is timeless.
"Being round the plants makes you happier and helps you deal with difficult times," Musgrave said.
And sprout hope, looking forward to the fruits of your labor.
