East Texans plant gardens to combat rising food prices

EAST TEXAS (KLTV) - As the long shadows of winter begin to fade, it means planting time for farmers and gardeners will be soon, and more people are expected to be planting their own gardens this upcoming season in East Texas.

Open farmland will soon be tilled and overturned as the planting season arrives, but an uncertain East Texas winter and rains over the past two weeks could delay planting.

“When the soil is wet and you drive over it, which you have to do to till, this is going to diminish the productivity of the soil so that it won’t accent water,” said Texas A&M Soil Expert Dr. Jake Mowrer. “Oxygen, which is needed by plant roots, will not defuse through the soil as easily, and plant roots will have a much more difficult time just physically growing.”

Even so, a lot of people are going to seed and starting new gardens, including a lot of first-timers who are planting out of what they feel is necessity. At seed sellers like Hawkins Ace Hardware, workers say they have had an overwhelming demand for vegetable seeds.

″I’ve never given so much advice in my life,” said Ace Employee Marlena Sabella. “These past months, it’s just unbelievable how many people are doing their own growing now because it has been terrible at the grocery store, as anybody knows.”

Aside from worrying about food prices continuing to rise, Sabella said customers are coming in thinking they can plant anything right away.

“The hot weather plants need to wait a while: mid-march because of the freeze danger, frost,” she said.

Mowrer agreed. “It’s still a little early for a lot of operations. I’d apply fertilizer, plant, put pre-emerge out,” he said.

What’s advisable now is getting seeds and growing plants inside or in a greenhouse until they can be transplanted to a field at the appropriate planting times.

″Be sure to start those indoors, so you can get it a little bigger,” said Sabella. “Seeds are a little hard to do right now because of the rain and saturated soil. We have even raised-bed bins. It’s well worth it.”

Sabella said hearty cold weather plants such as cauliflower, spinach, kale, lettuce and brocolli can be planted now, as they tend to survive colder temperatures.

Copyright 2023 KLTV. All rights reserved.