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Veggies From Page 1 "It is not a unique thing to Wisconsin or to the East Coast or West Coast or the South. It's across the board, across the industry, without geographic boundaries," said Bran- don Schultz, president and CEO of the Wis- consin Grocer's Association. "It is a function of what happened through- out the course of the pandemic," he said. If consumers want to understand what they are seeing on the shelves — some empty, some half full, others completely stocked — Schultz said we need to rewind to March of 2020. "March and April was when Covid hit. There were stories about people hoarding toilet paper, cleaning supplies, rice, you name it," said Schultz, who said from there manufacturers were aiming for quick turn- arounds to resupply those items. Some items, like toilet paper, took longer to resupply than others. Other products began to be affected, according to Schultz, and changes in the workforce started to take shape. "Over the course of the next year, as people dropped out of the work force, or as people became infected and couldn't work, there was a change in the dynamic of our supply chain and all of the businesses up and down that chain," Schultz said. The supply chain most had taken for grant- ed was front and center, according to Schultz. He noted all of the moving parts in the gro- cery supply chain, from growers and manu- facturers making products, to packaging to transportation. The trends currently in grocery stores may continue for some time, he said. Raised garden beds With such changes occurring, some may be ready to start their own gardens like the con- tainer plants suggested by Wied. She said a small raised garden bed is another way to begin for those who prefer not to remove grass in their yard. "You can make a small little raised bed in your yard and you can put some boards and make a frame and bring in some good soil," she said. Wied said there are also kits that can be purchased and screwed together to create a 4- by-4-foot or an 8-by-4-foot garden. She added that there are supplies for a small circle- shaped raised garden available on gardener- supply.com. Wied said that a homeowner could also use cinder blocks or big rocks currently on their property to create a raised garden. Water, light and soil When deciding where to place a garden, Wied said to remember the water source. "If the garden is at the back end of your property, you're going to have to haul your water there, too," she said. Wied added that having a garden near the house can help caretakers remember to adhere to the plants' needs. Vegetable plants generally require six hours of sunlight a day to thrive, according to Wied. She recommended taking note of trees in the yard that might shade the garden when summer leaves grow in. Using a soil blend is best for garden veg- etables, according to Wied. "For a container or even a raised bed, you do not want just strictly soil. You want a blend of composite or others. Don't buy just potting soil, it ends up becoming like a brick because there is nothing to help with aera- tion or drainage," Wied said. She said to look for verbiage like "premi- um potting mix." And Wied added to note the ingredients of the mixes because shoppers can at times save money on generic versions. "Sometimes the name brand has the exact same ingredients as the generic," she said. Vegetables to try Zucchini plants and cucumbers are easy to grow but do take up a lot of space as line plants, according to Wied. There are some smaller bush versions of zucchini plants that gardeners can try to start, she said. Carrots are easy to plant but take note of the soil as the plant does not do as well in heavy clay soil, according to Wied. Green beans can also be purchased in a bush version that do not require stakes to grow like pole beans. "If you're a beginner, you might want a bush plant that doesn't get very tall," Wied said. Earlier in the year when the weather is cooler, lettuce, spinach and radishes can be planted, according to Wied. She said toma- toes, peppers and squash need to be planted in warmer temperatures when the soil is warmed up. "Memorial Day weekend is a good rule of thumb because by that time the soil has warmed up," she said, cautioning that gar- deners should not just note the air tempera- tures but when the ground has had an oppor- tunity to warm. With container plants, the soil tempera- ture is not a concern, she added. HOME MARCH 2022 2 Distributed by: ©2021 by Conley Media Waukesha County Home is published monthly by Conley Media - Waukesha County, 801 N. Barstow St., Waukesha, WI 53186. Contents of this publication may not be reproduced in any form without the written consent of the publisher. A publication of Conley Media Sales Director: Jim Baumgart 262/513-2621 jbaumgart@conleynet.com Editor: Dan Muckelbauer 262/513-2626 dmuck@conleynet.com Production: Patricia Scheel 262/513-2690 pscheel@conleynet.com Home Volume 11 ■ Number 2 ■ March 2022 Gardener resources Help line: The Waukesha County Extension office offers a horticultural help line available by phone at 262-548-7779 between 9 a.m. and noon Tuesday and Thursday or email anytime at uwex1@waukeshacounty.gov. The service is free. Visit www.waukeshacounty.gov and click on "Horticulture" for a list of publications, informa- tion about soil testing, diagnosing plant prob- lems and more. Photo by Ann Wied Raised bed gardens like this one are another way to begin gardening for those who prefer not to remove grass in their yard, according to Ann Wied, horticulture specialist with the Universi- ty of Wisconsin-Madison Waukesha County Extension.

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