Gardeners: COVID Vegetable Seed hoarding madness!

[mathnerd]

I have been watching somewhat bewildered, the mad rush some people are making to buy (and hoard) vegetable seeds because of the COVID scare. People who would never in their life muck around in the garden with manure and compost are hoarding seeds preparing for Armgeddon. Most hoarders are thinking that they could grow their own vegetables in order to survive if the produce supply chain shuts down or if the produce is tainted with covid virus and worse, if they got laid off and could not afford food 😞 I met a lady today who has purchased 100+ packets of many varieties of tomato seeds and she has a 8000 sq ft suburban yard. She says that she is ensuring that she would not be left high and dry if none of the seed companies survive next year or the year after next.

 Two of the most popular seed selling websites crashed and were shut down in the past few days after weeks of historic sales. My local Home depot had empty slots in seed racks for regular seeds like roma tomatoes, corn and bell peppers where normally they would throw out massive amounts of packets at the end of the season because of low sales. I could not get some seed varieties from Baker Creek's website which was down for a few days and kept crashing all day long due to too many customers flocking to order at once. After seeing empty produce sections in stores and empty toilet paper aisles, I am seeing that the craze has moved on to the seed rack at the local stores 😕

Edited March 24, 2020 by mathnerd

[Arcadia]

That’s bizarre. I went to Lowe’s Sunnyvale to buy lightbulbs yesterday and didn’t notice anything amiss about their seeds rack. Have you tried Summerwinds Nursery? They usually don’t sell out that fast because they are slightly pricier.

[Pen]

Hunh.  Interesting to know.

sad.  

Gardeners IME are usually great people eager to share knowledge, saved seeds, etc. 

but I guess these aren’t the usual gardeners... 

I hope that lady loves tomatoes :) 

 

[klmama]

Especially tons of tomato seeds.  I'm guessing the hoarding lady never raised tomatoes before and doesn't realize how many grow on each plant.  

Edited March 24, 2020 by klmama

[KungFuPanda]

I wonder if the rush is regional or I just missed it here since I've been staying home.  I'm in my second year of winter sowing, so I started most of my seeds in February outside in milk jugs.  It would seem so bazaar to stock up on seeds and not actually have a garden prepped or even planned.  

Coincidentally, my name came up for a garden plot near me.  There are about 18 different plots to choose from so now I'm wondering what drama went down at the community garden that left so many plots available.  Dh doesn't even know I put my name on the waiting list.  I thought I wouldn't get called for at least a year.  😄

[mathnerd]

@Pen @KungFuPanda MIGardener's website Baker Creek had to shut down this week due to crazy buying sprees of hoarding people.

@Arcadia Summerwinds told me that they don't want customers inside their store and are only doing curbside pickup of all orders. I could go to Yamagami's on De Anza tomorrow to look for seeds or else I will check Lowe's. Thank you.

 

[KungFuPanda]

 

1 minute ago, mathnerd said:

@Pen @KungFuPanda MIGardener's website Baker Creek had to shut down this week due to crazy buying sprees of hoarding people.

@Arcadia Summerwinds told me that they don't want customers inside their store and are only doing curbside pickup of all orders. I could go to Yamagami's on De Anza tomorrow to look for seeds or else I will check Lowe's. Thank you.

 

 

I wonder if it's crazy hoarding, or just the result of so many people being stuck at home and looking for a project to do around the house and a place to order those supplies online.  If we ALL decide that THIS is a good week to garden and order seeds and that we don't want to risk a germy store to buy them, I can see how it could crash without anyone shopping out of desperation.  There is part of me that wonders if the hard core preppers are having a fabulous time right now.  It must feel like the olympics to them.  The chatter on those board would be super interesting right now.  

[Carol in Cal.]

15 minutes ago, mathnerd said:

@Pen @KungFuPanda MIGardener's website Baker Creek had to shut down this week due to crazy buying sprees of hoarding people.

@Arcadia Summerwinds told me that they don't want customers inside their store and are only doing curbside pickup of all orders. I could go to Yamagami's on De Anza tomorrow to look for seeds or else I will check Lowe's. Thank you.

 

What are you looking for?  Maybe I have some for you.  I seem to buy seeds and never plant them, year after year.

[Melissa in Australia]

there is a run on seedlings and some seeds here, and has been for a week. you can still get some seeds but may have to go to several shops.

sprout seeds are sold out everywhere.

 There apparently is a run on chooks, and apparently you cannot buy a chook anywhere.

[Condessa]

Not just seeds, but there has been a run on chicks here lately, too.  My dd has been planning on raising chickens this year, and the places we have tried have said they were selling out within half an hour of getting their weekly chick shipments in.

[mathnerd]

53 minutes ago, Carol in Cal. said:

What are you looking for?  Maybe I have some for you.  I seem to buy seeds and never plant them, year after year.

Thank you! I have the usual seeds bought a few months ago and already started my seedlings in January and am in good shape for spring and summer. I was merely browsing for varieties new to me, that was all. I am mostly fascinated by human behavior during trying times because, first there was police guarding toilet paper aisle to stop fights from breaking out and then vegetable seed websites crash. 

Edited March 24, 2020 by mathnerd

[mathnerd]

33 minutes ago, Melissa in Australia said:

there is a run on seedlings and some seeds here, and has been for a week. you can still get some seeds but may have to go to several shops.

sprout seeds are sold out everywhere.

 There apparently is a run on chooks, and apparently you cannot buy a chook anywhere.

This is what I am seeing now. 2 people my DH works with ordered goats so that they could have uninterrupted milk supply! I live in the epicenter of the epidemic and now that it has spread all over, it seems that all of america suddenly woke up to the fact that Covid is a bad virus and collectively panicked about running out of food supply and decided to stash seeds and seedlings (I was trying to find powdered milk online just for backup and it is gone from all the stores though I am able to find plenty of fresh milk locally).

Edited March 24, 2020 by mathnerd

[Rosie_0801]

1 hour ago, klmama said:

Especially tons of tomato seeds.  I'm guessing the hoarding lady never raised tomatoes before and doesn't realize how many grow on each plant.  

 

People don't seem to know how long it takes, either. People thinking they'll be harvesting broccoli two weeks after they plant their seedlings.

[Pen]

47 minutes ago, Melissa in Australia said:

there is a run on seedlings and some seeds here, and has been for a week. you can still get some seeds but may have to go to several shops.

sprout seeds are sold out everywhere.

 There apparently is a run on chooks, and apparently you cannot buy a chook anywhere.

 

The last place I went before I went into my own personal stay home entirely mode was our nearest feed and seed — I didn’t get any, but they had plenty of chicks, cheeping away in brooder.   

 Could this be partly seasonal? I don’t think chooks  would be much available here at all in fall. 🐣 🐓 

[Pen]

19 minutes ago, Rosie_0801 said:

 

People don't seem to know how long it takes, either. People thinking they'll be harvesting broccoli two weeks after they plant their seedlings.

 

Those are probably the ones who kill their dandelions. 

[Ausmumof3]

2 hours ago, mathnerd said:

I have been watching somewhat bewildered, the mad rush some people are making to buy (and hoard) vegetable seeds because of the COVID scare. People who would never in their life muck around in the garden with manure and compost are hoarding seeds preparing for Armgeddon. Most hoarders are thinking that they could grow their own vegetables in order to survive if the produce supply chain shuts down or if the produce is tainted with covid virus and worse, if they got laid off and could not afford food 😞 I met a lady today who has purchased 100+ packets of many varieties of tomato seeds and she has a 8000 sq ft suburban yard. She says that she is ensuring that she would not be left high and dry if none of the seed companies survive next year or the year after next.

 Two of the most popular seed selling websites crashed and were shut down in the past few days after weeks of historic sales. My local Home depot had empty slots in seed racks for regular seeds like roma tomatoes, corn and bell peppers where normally they would throw out massive amounts of packets at the end of the season because of low sales. I could not get some seed varieties from Baker Creek's website which was down for a few days and kept crashing all day long due to too many customers flocking to order at once. After seeing empty produce sections in stores and empty toilet paper aisles, I am seeing that the craze has moved on to the seed rack at the local stores 😕

If she’s never Gardened before she might need 1000 seeds to get seedlings 🙂 

[Ausmumof3]

Fodder shop can’t get layers and says you can sell chooks for $50 right now

dd is selling out fast and wishing she’d hatched more chickens now.  

Edited March 24, 2020 by Ausmumof3

[Melissa in Australia]

37 minutes ago, Pen said:

 

The last place I went before I went into my own personal stay home entirely mode was our nearest feed and seed — I didn’t get any, but they had plenty of chicks, cheeping away in brooder.   

 Could this be partly seasonal? I don’t think chooks  would be much available here at all in fall. 🐣 🐓 

you can usually get chooks year round here. Don't forget all of Aus can have chooks outside all year round

[Shoeless]

Oh man, I'm really upset about people buying up all the chicks. Those poor birds will end up getting dumped in a few months. 😞 

I have no idea why people think there will be no produce. The stores near me have been FULL of produce (tomatoes for 25 cents a lb!), and everyone is zooming past it to get tp, water, and pasta. 

I'd love to get a little garden going, but it's always seemed like a huge amount of work for just the 3 of us. 😕 

Edited March 24, 2020 by MissLemon

[maize]

3 hours ago, klmama said:

Especially tons of tomato seeds.  I'm guessing the hoarding lady never raised tomatoes before and doesn't realize how many grow on each plant.  

Nor how long it takes to grow a plant from seed...

[Carrie12345]

I acknowledge that there are jerks out there and people who don’t know what they’re doing but, big picture, I think it’s just a combination of normal people planting larger gardens buying some things earlier than usual and new people looking to plant average gardens.

I can’t speak for everywhere, but my local stores get really low on the “big” seeds by mid-season. They appear to place one large order for the year, and know how much they usually sell. The influx of sooner/bigger/newbies would, mathematically, wipe that out early. No hoarding necessary.

[maize]

I don't know how things are right now but last week there were plenty of both seeds and chicks to be had--the local farm supply store still had two week old chicks along with the little two day old newbies last time I was in there, so clearly there hadn't been a run on chicks there. We lost a couple of hens to a raccoon (finally caught the dastardly varmint!) but I have a nice little flock of chicks in the brooder. I have heard that online plant nurseries are seeing unusual volume and when I stopped at my favorite local nursery there were a surprising number of cars in the parking lot for a rainy weekday. It didn't seem at all crowded as I shopped but it's a massive place with literally acres of greenhouses and outdoor plants to walk through.

I'm hoping to go back in a couple of weeks when they hold their gallon tomato plant sale. Maybe I shouldn't though if it might be overrun? I've only got cherry tomato seeds because I always buy most of my tomato plants at that sale.

[Wheres Toto]

Our stores have still had plenty of produce.     It's early to plant around here, although some seeds can be started indoors.   I told dh we should probably buy seeds soon.

[BarbecueMom]

We’re not gardening this year because we’re getting ready to do a few outside remodeling projects.  Well, hopefully sometime this year.

Next year, I’m going to go to garage sales and buy everyone’s tools and planter boxes after they figured out gardening is a PITA.  🤣

[ScoutTN]

Plenty of gardening supplies here, so far. Just crummy weather. Cool and raining. I spent my birthday money on some seeds and bulbs.

John Scheeper's Kitchen Garden Seeds is one of my favorite catalogs. And  Southern Exposure. 

[ScoutTN]

Anyone have a suggestion for short (under 12") perennials for zone 7a? 

 

[Ailaena]

That figures since this is the year I finally readied a garden area and promised my son we could grow some stuff 🙄

I am further horrified at people buying actual, live animals without understanding how to house, feed, and care for them properly.  

Edited March 24, 2020 by Ailaena

[Ausmumof3]

4 hours ago, MissLemon said:

Oh man, I'm really upset about people buying up all the chicks. Those poor birds will end up getting dumped in a few months. 😞 

I have no idea why people think there will be no produce. The stores near me have been FULL of produce (tomatoes for 25 cents a lb!), and everyone is zooming past it to get tp, water, and pasta. 

I'd love to get a little garden going, but it's always seemed like a huge amount of work for just the 3 of us. 😕 

I hope that’s not the case with the people buying ours.  They all seem to have either done their research or had chooks before and decided it was time to go back to it.  If anything it’s been a good thing because at least one rooster has a home with lovely ladies and two weeks ago he was looking like heading to the pot. 😞 and he was much too nice a rooster for that. 

[SamanthaCarter]

I’m not sure that the rush to garden centers is a food security thing. Maybe for a few silly people it is. I think more likely that self isolation is giving people more time and/or interest in maintaining a garden or landscape. I fully believe the northern hemisphere is going to have some fabulous private gardens this year! ❤️

[SamanthaCarter]

In other news, I get a big truckload of mulch delivered this afternoon! Yay! 

[Arcadia]

7 hours ago, mathnerd said:

(I was trying to find powdered milk online just for backup and it is gone from all the stores though I am able to find plenty of fresh milk locally).

India Cash & Carry and Chavez should have powdered milk. Think it’s mainly Nestle. 

[Emba]

I bought a few seeds Sunday at the grocery store. There were plenty. I figure I have the time, might as well not put off starting my garden as late as I usually do. But I normally do have a small garden.

A friend of mine mentioned yesterday that she is planting a garden for the first time in years because her husband’s hours at work have become reduced/uncertain because of what’s going on and supply chain disruptions. 😢

[4Kiddos]

I love John Scheepers Kitchen Garden Seeds and Johnny's Seeds and I don't think they have had a rush so perhaps you can find what you want there.

I placed my seed order from Baker Creek and Johnny's in January and now I am so thankful. I couldn't believe the rush! We have a greenhouse and have been enjoying microgreens and lettuces. It is still too cold to plant outside but I am excited to start our garden.

I am trying a new pelleted lettuce from Johnny's this year that is supposed to be pretty heat tolerant so I am excited for that!

[maize]

1 hour ago, Ailaena said:

That figures since this is the year I finally readied a garden area and promised my son we could grow some stuff 🙄

I am further horrified at people buying actual, live animals without understanding how to house, feed, and care for them properly.  

Chickens aren't especially hard, people might do better with them than you are anticipating.

I had zero experience when we got our first chicks two years ago, I've mostly relied on backyard chicken forums online for information.

[SamanthaCarter]

58 minutes ago, WendyAndMilo said:

If anyone was planning on buying from Baker Creek and can’t get them now, I’ve got 48 different varieties from them, most with a 100% germination rate this year.  PM me; if I have the variety you want, I’ll send you some seeds 🙂

Do you have lavender? What variety? 

[Carol in Cal.]

I think this might be aspirational.  A lot of people are doing things at home that they always wanted to do, and finally have the golden opportunity to try.

[KungFuPanda]

9 hours ago, Melissa in Australia said:

there is a run on seedlings and some seeds here, and has been for a week. you can still get some seeds but may have to go to several shops.

sprout seeds are sold out everywhere.

 There apparently is a run on chooks, and apparently you cannot buy a chook anywhere.

 

My brother is trading a dozen eggs for two rolls of toilet paper.  He has 6 people in his house.

7 hours ago, MissLemon said:

 

I'd love to get a little garden going, but it's always seemed like a huge amount of work for just the 3 of us. 😕 

 

You could do a little 4x4 square foot garden and have it ready to plant so quickly.  A small garden isn't that much work and it's fun.  If you don't want to build a box, just make a square with cinderblocks and plant herbs in the holes around the perimeter.  You could set that up and have it ready to plant in an hour or less.  I also have a 5 minute trellis method if you want plants to climb. 😄 

This isn't going to provide all of your meals, but it will give you several salads a week and that might be perfect for you.

[mathnerd]

7 hours ago, MissLemon said:

I'd love to get a little garden going, but it's always seemed like a huge amount of work for just the 3 of us. 😕 

If it is a huge amount of work, then, I encourage you to try a container vegetable garden to start with. You could get a decent amount of produce by growing a few plants in 5 gallon pots. If you could have some tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers and herbs, those will tide you through a few days a week. You could also try sprouting some microgreens indoors which is a lot easier than gardening and less labor intensive.

[Carol in Cal.]

Herbs are also a good choice for people who don't like to do much with the garden.  They are pretty hardy, and you don't have to water them as often as vegetables.  

[SamanthaCarter]

7 minutes ago, WendyAndMilo said:

Munstead Strain 🙂

Nice! I’m looking for Vera to finish out a row in front of my house. Got some from Pinetree and only 4 germinated. Weird, because I had success germinating Vera last year. I think I’d better stick with the same strain since it’s for completing a row. I’m trying to avoid ordering a single seed packet from another grower though. 

[mathnerd]

1 hour ago, KungFuPanda said:

I also have a 5 minute trellis method if you want plants to climb. 😄 

Please share your 5 minute trellis idea 🙂

[Pen]

8 hours ago, MissLemon said:

Oh man, I'm really upset about people buying up all the chicks. Those poor birds will end up getting dumped in a few months. 😞 

 

I wonder if people buying chicks realize that baby chicks take a fair bit of work and are no more ready to lay an egg immediately than a tomato seed is ready to provide a ripe tomato.  

Maybe the excess tomatoes can feed the chickens.  Chickens love tomatoes iirc. 

And Maybe there will be lots of inexpensive matured layers ready to be rehomed in a year or so.  

Or lots of well fed happy raccoons and foxes. 🙂

8 hours ago, MissLemon said:

I have no idea why people think there will be no produce. The stores near me have been FULL of produce (tomatoes for 25 cents a lb!), and everyone is zooming past it to get tp, water, and pasta. 

 

Yeah. Keep pushing fresh foods! 

8 hours ago, MissLemon said:

I'd love to get a little garden going, but it's always seemed like a huge amount of work for just the 3 of us. 😕 

 

I love gardening, so for me it is a no brainer to do that.  And a good excuse to prioritize garden without having to be a kid activity chauffeur, where with chronic health issues I had almost no energy left for garden for last couple of years. 

It *is* a lot of work though! No argument there.   It is also exercise if looked at that way as a benefit. 

It can also be somewhat less work depending on how it is set up and by only growing relatively easy things for ones region and situation. But still more work than loading finished food into a shopping cart. 

Nonetheless, I have no reason to believe there won’t be plenty of fresh food. 

We are in a small farms type area.  Weather or insects can cause major problems with crops.  A virus unless it strikes all agricultural workers at same time is unlikely to do that.  We may be without “exotics” from other parts of world, or even other parts of country.  But no reason we shouldn’t have plenty of the same sorts of things we can grow in our own yards. 

Locally I see: 

The cows need to be milked.  

The hens go on laying. 

And vegetables plants are growing. 

And fruit and nut trees are blossoming. 

Getting all that to stores is going to be prioritized. IMO. 

Please keep buying good fresh foods!  It is good for your health! And should not be let go to waste. 

[prairiewindmomma]

🙋‍♀️ I am part of the problem. I focused on getting perennial herbs established last summer and thought I was done. After seeing a lack of veg in the stores for three week, I asked for enough seeds to sow lettuce for a year in a continual crop. Dh misinterpreted my shopping list and bought 6 packets of tomato seeds, among other things. I am going to share my seedlings with others. Most people I know are growing at least lettuce and tomatoes this year.

[Pen]

41 minutes ago, mathnerd said:

If it is a huge amount of work, then, I encourage you to try a container vegetable garden to start with. You could get a decent amount of produce by growing a few plants in 5 gallon pots. If you could have some tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers and herbs, those will tide you through a few days a week. You could also try sprouting some microgreens indoors which is a lot easier than gardening and less labor intensive.

 

I don’t know where @MissLemon lives.

I agree with you about pots and micro greens probably being a relatively easy way to try it out if someone wants to.  I would suggest trying what is locally easy if someone wants to try.

In my area with short growing season it would be too late to start most tomato varieties from seed and get ripe tomatoes before first frosts. Cucumbers very iffy.  And peppers never easy to grow here. 

 

(But dandelions are good! Edible root, leaf, and stem! )

[Pen]

4 minutes ago, prairiewindmomma said:

🙋‍♀️ I am part of the problem. I focused on getting perennial herbs established last summer and thought I was done. After seeing a lack of veg in the stores for three week, I asked for enough seeds to sow lettuce for a year in a continual crop. Dh misinterpreted my shopping list and bought 6 packets of tomato seeds, among other things. I am going to share my seedlings with others. Most people I know are growing at least lettuce and tomatoes this year.

 

Me: lettuce, yes.   Including some saved seed for monster lettuce (accidentally crossed varieties so it came out with weird characteristics if allowed to mature — but is fine for baby lettuce). 

 

Tomatoes probably no.  I think they mess with my autoimmune issues.  But if I see a cherry tomato start of a variety we like available to buy in around late May or June, I may get one. 

 

I have some Kale seed that I saved in prior year and am planning to plant it all in early successions. Deliberately hoping some will bolt in summer and double or triple my own saved seed for fall to winter greens.

Whereas my accidental lettuce crosses are weird with some of worst aspects of each parent, my saved kale (at least in past) has been excellent, picking up some good qualities of the parent varieties rather than the worst of each. 

Which brings me to another point the seed hoarders are probably missing.  Unless they are sterile, plants give seeds which give more plants.

And there is no reason to think the commercial seed producers won’t have more next year. 

[Pen]

Lettuce and kale btw both lend themselves to picking leaves rather than cutting the whole head. That can keep one plant producing for a relatively long time. 

(And uh dandelions, a few leaves can be harvested while letting the plant as a whole live, flower, go to seed and make more dandelions!)

 

Edited March 24, 2020 by Pen

[Pen]

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/dandelion-benefits

Dandelions have many wonderful benefits including:

 

“11. May Boost Your Immune System

Some research indicates that dandelion may have antimicrobial and antiviral properties, which could support your body’s ability to fight infection.”

 

[Melissa in Australia]

11 hours ago, MissLemon said:

Oh man, I'm really upset about people buying up all the chicks. Those poor birds will end up getting dumped in a few months. 😞 

I have no idea why people think there will be no produce. The stores near me have been FULL of produce (tomatoes for 25 cents a lb!), and everyone is zooming past it to get tp, water, and pasta. 

I'd love to get a little garden going, but it's always seemed like a huge amount of work for just the 3 of us. 😕 

Glad your shops still have some food

here we still have drought and fresh food is outrageous prices, broccoli is $17 kg, lettuce is  up to  $10 and cauliflower is $7 head. 

[Shoeless]

6 hours ago, Pen said:

 

I don’t know where @MissLemon lives.

I agree with you about pots and micro greens probably being a relatively easy way to try it out if someone wants to.  I would suggest trying what is locally easy if someone wants to try.

In my area with short growing season it would be too late to start most tomato varieties from seed and get ripe tomatoes before first frosts. Cucumbers very iffy.  And peppers never easy to grow here. 

 

(But dandelions are good! Edible root, leaf, and stem! )

 

I'm in Texas, between San Antonio and Austin.  It's wet and just starting to get a bit hot right now. The growing season is pretty long, but it gets so HOT in the summer.  My entire front and back yard seems to get blasted by sun. 

[Shoeless]

2 hours ago, Melissa in Australia said:

Glad your shops still have some food

here we still have drought and fresh food is outrageous prices, broccoli is $17 kg, lettuce is  up to  $10 and cauliflower is $7 head. 

 

I'm so sorry. 😞