Seeds have become such a sought-after commodity that companies struggle to keep them in stock.
Indeed, more and more people are testing their green thumbs during the coronavirus pandemic, several media reports.
As people follow stay-at-home recommendations to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, shoppers stocked up on food and other necessities.
Empty grocery store shelves left some worried about where they would find fresh produce, so they decided to grow their own, reports HuffPost.
“We got seeds, starters, and potting soil from a local garden store that does curbside pickup,” Jill Weisensee from Oregon told HuffPost. “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 pass the time as spring approaches.
Molly Jones of Texas plans to grow vegetables with her family’s children, according to CBS News.
“For me, it’s something that will make me smile in the middle of everything…negativity,” she told the outlet. “If they can see more acts of generosity than bad things, that will help them pull through.”
Across the country, allotment garden installers told USA Today they’ve seen an increase in demand for their services. And in nurseries, planting supplies flew off the shelves, the newspaper reports.
According to WVIR, Fifth Season Gardening Company, a store in Virginia, reordered seeds after struggling to keep enough on hand.
“We’ve sold the seeds three times, and it’s getting hard to get vegetable seeds right now,” manager Pam Scott told the TV station.
Demand for seeds has led some companies to temporarily suspend new orders, Business Insider reports.
But fear not: experts say there is no shortage of seeds or food.
It just takes time to get these items to stores, according to CBS News and McClatchy News.
This story was originally published April 15, 2020 3:24 p.m.
