Seeds in high demand as people try growing their own food during coronavirus pandemic
Seeds have become such a hot commodity that businesses are having trouble keeping them in stock.
That’s because more people are testing their green thumbs during the coronavirus pandemic, multiple news outlets report.
As people follow recommendations to stay home to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, shoppers have stocked up on foods and other necessities.
The empty grocery store shelves left some worried about where they will find fresh produce, so they decided to grow their own, HuffPost reports.
“We got seeds and starts and potting soil from a local gardening store that does curbside pickup,” Jill Weisensee of Oregon told HuffPost. “The tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini and lettuce wouldn’t keep us alive in a disaster, but it makes me feel better.”
For others, gardening is also about having a way to fill the time as spring gets underway.
Molly Jones of Texas plans to grow vegetables with children in her family, according to CBS News.
“To me, it’s something that will make me smile amidst all ... of the negativity,” she told the news outlet. “If they can see more acts of generosity than the bad things going on, it’ll help them get through it.”
Across the country, home garden installers told USA Today that they have seen a rise in demand for their services. And at nurseries, planting supplies have flown off the shelves, the newspaper reports.
Fifth Season Gardening Company, a store in Virginia, reordered seeds after it had trouble keeping enough on hand, according to WVIR.
“We sold out the seeds three times, and it’s getting sort of hard to get vegetable seeds right now,” manager Pam Scott told the TV station.
The demand for seeds led some businesses to halt new orders temporarily, Business Insider reports.
But don’t fear: Experts say there aren’t shortages on seeds or food.
It just takes time to get those items to the stores, according to CBS News and McClatchy News.
This story was originally published April 15, 2020 at 3:24 PM with the headline "Seeds in high demand as people try growing their own food during coronavirus pandemic."
