"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

Try buying organic fertilizer ( I just can't make enough compost for my
needs). A 40 pound bag of Plant tone (5-3-3) is 23.98 here. I usually buy
about 200 pounds. It's a must have as I refuse to use chemicals on my land.

Late last summer I went to buy some cabbage plants for a fall crop. The
price was 3.49 for a 4 cell pack of plants. That's just obscene. I built a
rack large enough to hold 4 flats of plants ( 2 flats on each of 2 levels).
I bought 2 4 foot shop fluorescents and 4 full spectrum tubes for less than
$50 and I'm growing my own plants. I've already planted 4 dozen cabbage, 6
dozen lettuce, 4 dozen broccoli, 2 dozen cauliflower and 2 dozen bulbing
fennel in the garden. I currently have under the lights 1 flat of rhubarb, 1
flat assorted heirloom tomatoes, 1 flat peppers and 1 flat peanuts.

I've probably got less than $75.00 invested including seeds and the rack &
lights should last for years.
Steve