# Is anyone going to grow a Victory Garden this spring?



## kds (Apr 28, 2017)

I just learned on Reddit about Victory Gardens during WWII. Hopefully the Current Situation doesn't persist into summer or fall, but is anyone planning on growing a Victory Garden?

I normally plant a few tomato plants, but I didn't last year. I was planning on it this year. My small raised garden box only accommodates three tomato plants. I had been thinking about expanding the box by 2-3x its current size, maybe more, now that I have one less tree providing shade in my back yard.

I'm guessing local greenhouses are having an unexpected surge in foot traffic like Home Depot and Lowe's are. I don't know if I can plant from seed, or if I need to get some grow lights and pot them and keep them somewhere in the basement. I don't know if I have the space or equipment for all of that. Some news articles are suggesting some online vendors are running low on seeds right now.

https://www.treehugger.com/lawn-garden/vintage-photos-world-war-ii-victory-gardens.html

https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/03/20/plant-a-victory-garden-to-combat-coronavirus-fears-and-isolation/


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## gm560 (Feb 22, 2018)

I was already planning to have a garden well before this situation ever started, but I will certainly now refer to it as my "Victory Garden"!


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## jabopy (Nov 24, 2018)

I've started clearing a couple of bits of my plot. Was going to get some more seeds today!! Last night the PM stopped all unnecessary travel, apart from essential food shopping we can't go out. So I'll just sow the seeds I have.


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## bp2878 (Feb 13, 2019)

I also read a story on victory gardens as well and was inspired. Broke ground on mine today. First garden, very excited about it!


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## Saint Louisan (Jul 31, 2019)

I plant tomatoes every year 6, 8 or sometimes 10 plants. I've got young kids and live in suburbia and I just want then to learn working in the dirt. And they do, they love picking and eating something that they grew from seed. They take pride in it and feel good giving the neighbors a few tomatoes too.

I like to grow a couple cherries and then mix it up between beefsteaks, Arkansas traveler and Cherokee purples. This year I've got a couple orange and yellow varieties I'm gonna try. I love colorful tomatoes if for nothing else than stunningly beautiful dishes.

I decided to try carrots in containers this year. Something the kids love to eat, it sounds like they're fast and pretty easy.

Anyway I bought some ferry morse seeds at Walmart a few weeks ago when they first setup the display. Well I went to that Walmart again a couple days ago and the seeds were pillaged! Hardly any vegetable seeds left but they still had plenty of flower seeds. I'm talking about an 8' long display cleaned out...like toilet paper.

I'd say it's on the minds of lots of folks!


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## SteveP_LI (Apr 7, 2020)

I had planned a vegetable garden and started it before CV started to get as serious (treated as serious?) as it is but I guess based on how this is going that yes, I will have a Victory Garden.

Started Beefsteak and Cherry Tomatoes, Cali Wonder peppers, jalapenos and cayenne indoors. Built up a SIP and got it filled out with mix yesterday. Going to be starting Kale, lettuce, arugala, spinach and peas. Hoping to get the seedlings transplanted by the end of the month, maybe a little earlier with the temps we've been having here.

Will likely put together some low raised beds as well to start up some berries as well.


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## stevenjmclark (Sep 25, 2019)

Just learned about Victory Gardens this morning, very cool! I currently have 8 pepper plants in our raised bed. Red, yellow, orange, and jalapeños as well as two better boy tomato plants. I want to plant some sweet corn as well, just trying to figure out the best place for a couple rows. Does anyone have experience growing corn?


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## Saint Louisan (Jul 31, 2019)

Corn is tough in a suburban garden. I've never had the same luck as family in the country that are able to plant a larger plot.

Corn seems like it doesn't like to grow on the edge and most suburban gardens only have a couple rows. Kinda like if you planted 5 rows wide the outside rows might give 1 ear ea, second row gives 2 ears and the center row produces 3 ears ea.

That's been my experience at least.


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## GrassFarmer (Sep 21, 2017)

Hit mine with roto tiler yesterday cant beat fall plowed ground and started laying plastic


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## Saint Louisan (Jul 31, 2019)

There's hippies around here that call themselves farmers with less crop space than that! Lol.

I have an aunt and uncle that have a similar size plot, she grows a full 2 rows of strawberries and puts up something like 50+ qt jars yearly.


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## GrassAndWater12 (Jan 5, 2019)

Count me in on the Victory Garden! What would you all buy out of this list for a raised garden bed? Or just go with the obvious organic plant mix?


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## Carlson (Apr 16, 2020)

@GrassAndWater12 I'd do the plant mix but depending on how much compost they add you may want to mix some peat moss in to the top few inches. The stuff we get from the local garden center gets really dense after a hard rain and the peat helps it stay spongy which then seems to help transplanted seedlings & plants take root faster.


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## bp2878 (Feb 13, 2019)

Put the finishing touches on mine this weekend. I put in two rotor style sprinklers but I'm going to switch to a drip system. It's all automated, part of my back yard irrigation system.


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## kds (Apr 28, 2017)

@bp2878 that's an awesome garden!


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## lawngame (May 1, 2020)

Those 🍅 are about 7.5 ft tall. Got strawberry, broccoli, cauliflower, corn, peppers, loads of cukes, zucchini, yellow squash, watermelon, kale, Brussels sprouts, artichoke, chard, lettuce, cabbage, basil/herbs, plus marigolds and butterfly bush for pollinators. Mix of seeds and starts from the nursery. We usually plant around Valentine's day. My son just ate the first cherry tomato today.


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## Saint Louisan (Jul 31, 2019)

lawngame said:


> Those 🍅 are about 7.5 ft tall. Got strawberry, broccoli, cauliflower, corn, peppers, loads of cukes, zucchini, yellow squash, watermelon, kale, Brussels sprouts, artichoke, chard, lettuce, cabbage, basil/herbs, plus marigolds and butterfly bush for pollinators. Mix of seeds and starts from the nursery. We usually plant around Valentine's day. My son just ate the first cherry tomato today.


LUCKY!!! What region? We've been running behind on everything and just got our tomatoes in the ground last weekend. They're 7.5 inches tall. Lol


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## lawngame (May 1, 2020)

Heheh. We're in San Antonio. We get our growing season early here but lots of stuff is all burnt up by July. If I can keep the indeterminate plants going then we'll get another round in Sept/Oct


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## ktgrok (May 25, 2019)

Got the new bed built - my gift for mother's day.


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## SaltyBouy (Jun 3, 2020)

Here's mine! Put up a lower and lean trellis.

Like my Scareflamingos :lol:


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## SaltyBouy (Jun 3, 2020)

Victory!


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## Biggylawns (Jul 8, 2019)

I started one. Threw some potatoes that sprouted in my cabinet in the ground during March/April. Things are like 2 ft tall now and haven't done anything to them.

I also never had a garden so I just filled a storage bin with dirt, peat and top soil. Put 2 slices of a tomato in it and voila. I transported some to a cheap garden box but will need to take the rest out soon since they are like 2 ft over the container now lol. I also added some cucumbers and herbs to the garden box.


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## gm560 (Feb 22, 2018)

Biggylawns said:


> I started one. Threw some potatoes that sprouted in my cabinet in the ground during March/April. Things are like 2 ft tall now and haven't done anything to them.
> 
> I also never had a garden so I just filled a storage bin with dirt, peat and top soil. Put 2 slices of a tomato in it and voila. I transported some to a cheap garden box but will need to take the rest out soon since they are like 2 ft over the container now lol. I also added some cucumbers and herbs to the garden box.


Just a store bought tomato? I will be interested to see what you get... I think a lot you buy at the store are hybrids, so its kind of random what plant you will end up with. May get a nice variety from those 2 slices. Its it awesome seeing so much come from so little? I have been gardening for several seasons now and it never ceases to amaze me.


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## Biggylawns (Jul 8, 2019)

@gm560 yup, a tomato bought at Shoprite lol. Think it was "tomato on the vine." My wife thought I was crazy, any possibly dumb, for doing it and I really only did it because my kids were super excited about it. I never thought it would get like that to be honest :lol:


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## gm560 (Feb 22, 2018)

Biggylawns said:


> @gm560 yup, a tomato bought at Shoprite lol. Think it was "tomato on the vine." My wife thought I was crazy, any possibly dumb, for doing it and I really only did it because my kids were super excited about it. I never thought it would get like that to be honest :lol:


Oh it does. I made the mistake of leaving a cucumber that got too ripe on the vine in one of my raised beds last year. I mulched it into the soil with fall leaves. Now those 100s of seeds in that one fruit are sprouting all over the bed where i don't want them. I'm picking out a min of dozen per day.


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## BobLovesGrass (Jun 13, 2020)

Saint Louisan said:


> I plant tomatoes every year 6, 8 or sometimes 10 plants. I've got young kids and live in suburbia and I just want then to learn working in the dirt. And they do, they love picking and eating something that they grew from seed. They take pride in it and feel good giving the neighbors a few tomatoes too.
> 
> I like to grow a couple cherries and then mix it up between beefsteaks, Arkansas traveler and Cherokee purples. This year I've got a couple orange and yellow varieties I'm gonna try. I love colorful tomatoes if for nothing else than stunningly beautiful dishes.
> 
> ...


I began garnering and keeping chickens for the same reason, though I have almost an acre zones agricultural because I am on the outer edge of suburbia.
Might I suggest snap peas, we never get to have a meal with them the kids eat them soon as they get big enough, dragon tongue beans, and "snow white" cherry tomatoes are other favorites.
I tend to grow odd heirlooms I can get plain vegetables at the grocery store or farmer's market.
This summer we will find out how much I have taught my kids, I injured myself and they are going to have to step up.

It is a great feeling to have my 8-10yo daughters go out and pick spinach we grew and collect eggs from chickens we have kept happy and healthy for as much as 5 years and then have them bring me breakfast made with those ingredients when I can't cook for us.


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