"Ernie Willson" wrote in message
...
Just back from H. Depot and W-Mart. I wanted to buy some garden fertilizer
and a patio tomato. For 10-10-10 fertilizer the price was just $20.00 for
a 40 lb bag (or $0.50/lb) in each store. ISTM that the price has taken a
huge jump this year. IIRC the last time I bought fertilizer (two years
ago) it was about $0.10/lb. Is my memory correct?

For a single patio tomato W-Mart wanted $3.48. The clerk was dumbfounded
when I told her to take it back. My logic goes like this...If I nurture
this plant and it grows well, and sets fruit etc, I can expect to get
about three pounds of fruit from it. This will occur at about the same
time that the Jersey tomato crop comes in and they sell for about
$0.39/lb. So my $3.48 investment and work will return me about $1.00. Does
this seem to be good sense to you?

Could it be that because people cannot afford food the stores are gouging
of gardening stuff? Your thoughts??

EJ in NJ


Where I live they're all carrying the expensive, over-priced Bonni veggie
plants. Since I have a hobby greenhouse and a sunroom, I start my own
veggies for a fraction of the rip-off prices stores charge. I use to start
them in a large south facing window. They do fine.

Yes, fertilizer has gone up in the past 2 or 3 years.