Dianna Ott / CC
BATON ROUGE – As grocery prices continue to surge some consumers are looking at growing their own food and LSU Extension Agent Heather Kirk-Ballard said there’s now a plant shortage since the pandemic inspired many to take up gardening as they sheltered in place.
“In addition to that the containers, plastics, and things like that were in such high demand, are also in short supply right now,” said Kirk-Ballard.
Kirk-Ballard said while it takes time initially to set up your garden it can be feasible to grow your own food, but she also points out that access to pesticides and herbicides for your home garden could be a problem in the near future as they are expected to be scarce.
“But Louisiana is pretty well-positioned because we have so many chemical producing plants here,” said Kirk-Ballard.
Kirk-Ballard said the most successful gardeners are ones who maintain their vegetables not the ones that plant them in the ground and walk away. She said gardening is also good for your mental health.
“This war is stressful and all the things that are going to happen during this time are also stressful, so it’s a great idea just for your mental health and well-being to just go out there and piddle around,” said Kirk-Ballard.
For gardening tips visit LSUAGCenter.com for more information.
Comments