Growing Our Own Food

We are dealing with something that most of us have never seen, except in the movies. I can’t believe the signs on the Interstate blinking urgently to stay home. People who never gardened before are flocking into garden shops in order to re learn their lost heritage.

There are so many different crops you can grow in order to provide for you and your family. Some take a long time for very little yield and some don’t.

Corn is one of these low yield crops, however, corn can prove useful in two ways. It can provide much needed shade from the hot July and August sun and it can provide a stalk for beans and other vines to grow up on.

Some of the crops that will give you high yield, and continuous yield throughout the summer are hybrid tomatoes, crowder peas, lima beans, string beans, squash, zucchini, sweet potatoes and okra. Peppers are not very high in calories but high in vitamins, especially vitamin C, so it can be of benefit to grow them.

Wait until the weather gets a little warmer to plant. The ground temperature is what actually matters. Do a little experiment. Walk barefoot outside, right now. The ground is cold. Summer crops must have a warm ground in order to germinate. We need about two weeks of warm weather, even at night, for the ground temperature to be right for planting.

It is ok to get your tomato and pepper plants now, but wait to plant them. Take them out if it’s hot and in if it’s cold. Always plant 2/3rds of your tomato plant within the ground. That way it will have a strong root system.

Peppers can be planted right at the base. You can repot your tomatoes and peppers if they get too big before it’s time to plant. Always plant tomatoes deep, even when repotting.

Squash, zucchini, beans and okra do better from seed. The size of the seed is how deep to plant. You can plant most of your crops in mid-April. Eggplant (plant from plants rather than seed), okra and sweet potatoes can not take any cold whatsoever. Don’t plant them until May.

Regular potatoes, like white baking and Yukon Gold are also very prolific crops, but you need to get them into the ground asap.

This epidemic has us all facing a new truth, which is actually an old truth. “Build houses and settle down: plant gardens and eat what they produce.” Jeremiah 29:5 Let’s get growing South Carolina.

We are open Tuesday and Friday 11:30-6:30 and Saturday and Sunday 11:30-4:00 during the spring. Other hours by appointment. Closed Mondays in order to plant.

We ask customers wash their hands and keep their distances. If you feel sick stay home.

You can pre order seed and plants by texting 803-786-6546 and we will bring it out to your car. We also ship. Prayers and please be safe, Sal