Virus crisis has us focused on food supply. April is the time to start an Idaho garden

Are we going to be facing famine later this year? Shelves empty of fresh vegetables and fruits? Many crops require human tending and harvesting, and most farmers can’t do it alone. They hire help, usually migrant workers. And migrant workers are a dwindling number, due to the effects of COVID-19 and the fear of spreading the coronavirus that causes it. So a food shortage is not unthinkable.

National print media are talking about this growing season’s “victory gardens” as if we’re in a war. Reporters too young to know about the victory gardens during World War II might think food grown by individuals went to the troops. No, it simply fed the civilians at home, so that commercially preserved foods could go to the troops. Home gardeners raised more than 10 million tons of fruit and vegetables during that time.

Can you feed yourself and your family by growing a garden at home? A possible food shortage could encourage home gardeners, and a big benefit is that those gardens are the best way you can be certain your food has not been contaminated by pesticides, herbicides or antibiotics.

There are many ways to garden, some easier than others. Some experts say you must have a site that receives direct sun 11 hours per day and others say six hours is sufficient, but all are overlooking the nutritious leafy greens that will grow in even less light. You don’t have ground space? Use containers or grow on trellises. Some folks pack their driveways with containers of food plants or raised beds.

How hard is growing food? Humans have been growing crops for over 11,000 years. It’s safe to say not all were experts, and even today’s experts — with references and tools our ancestors never dreamed of — have problems growing some crops, but generally it’s not difficult. On bare ground, scratch a line, drop seeds in the scratch, and cover the seeds with soil double the depth of the diameter of your seed. Firm the soil down, and then water it. Keep it moist, not sopping wet, until germination.

That’s the foundation. And now is the time, at the beginning of our growing season, to think seriously about growing clean, nutritious food for yourself and your family.

Folks who had never grown a radish were suddenly ripping up their lawns in 1942 to plant victory gardens, and now in 2020, some folks may be repeating that. Some new gardeners set high expectations, and when their garden doesn’t produce as hoped, discouragement sets in. If you haven’t grown a garden before, take a realistic approach. Start small. Gardening can be a lot of work, or you can put in a fair amount of work and then the rest is easy, just remembering to water.

Weeds? They will compete with your intended crop for nutrients, so get rid of them while they’re tiny, and put down an organic mulch to bar their return. Organic mulch also feeds the important microherd of fungi, bacteria, etc., in your soil. I use our own grass clippings for mulch, and it’s grass that has not been treated with an herbicide to kill broadleaf weeds. And no, that doesn’t encourage lawn grasses to grow in my vegetable beds. It doesn’t bar all weeds, but new weeds won’t generate under mulch that blocks sunlight.

Perennial weeds such as dandelions (edible, actually), some sowthistle (some are edible) or mallow (aka buttonweed or cheeseweed for the shape of their seed pods) will push through, but they’re generally fewer in number and can be dug out.

Lettuce, carrots, beets, potatoes, kale, peppers and tomatoes are eaten (or should be) by most people and can be a starter garden. Most lettuce is a cool-weather crop, so watch for “slow to bolt” remarks on seed packets or plant stakes as summer approaches. Carrots may be slow to germinate, so just be patient. Birds may destroy your beet crop early by eating the primary leaves (very difficult for humans to see), so you may be wise to cover that planting with cloth until the plants are well-established.

Kale, cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower can be transplanted into the garden now, and most local nurseries have plants now or at least will have them. They’re easy to grow and some may last through winter. Leafy lettuce is usually cut-and-come-again if you cut off an inch or 2 above soil line, but it does take a few weeks to regrow to harvestable stage. Sowing lettuce seeds again a few weeks after the first sowing ensures a continuous supply. Romaine lettuce (and Swiss chard) continue to grow and produce if you pull off a few outer leaves, leaving the central growing point intact.

You can harvest kale leaves at any time, leaving the center point alone to continue to send out new leaves. As we near June, we should be free of frosts, so you could transplant tomatoes, peppers and eggplant. Some tomatoes are “early,” setting harvestable fruit 50 days after transplant, while others may poke along for 90 days before you can harvest. Pay attention to seed packets or check the variety name online. Peppers can be harvested and eaten anytime after their skins turn glossy.

Take a realistic look at what your family eats. Lettuce, potatoes, tomatoes, green snap beans, beets and carrots are pretty easy to grow here, and you can grow a lot of food in a small space. Amaze yourself and your family.

This story was originally published April 11, 2020 at 7:00 AM.