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Be Local with garden prep this year

By Gideon Bradshaw staff Writer gbradshaw@observer-Reporter.Com 4 min read
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Courtesy of Bedner’s Farm and Greenhouse

Russ Bedner, of Bedner’s Farm and Greenhouse, holds up tomato, left, and cucumber plants in patio plots in this recent photo at the garden center his family owns.

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Courtesy of Bedner’s Farm and Greenhouse

Preplanted tomato plants stretch to the back of one of the indoor nurseries at Bedner’s Farm and Greenhouse in Cecil Township.

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Courtesy of Bedner’s Farm and Greenhouse

Bedner’s Farm and Greenhouse in Cecil Township offers terrariums along with numerous other products for local landscapers and gardeners.

Editor’s note: This is a weekly series focusing on the importance of buying local.

Spring is an ideal time to start preparing to plant outdoor gardens or undertake landscaping projects – especially during a year when many people are stuck at home because of the coronavirus pandemic.

“Maintenance-wise, any trimming or pruning could be done,” said Russ Bedner, of Bedner’s Farm and Greenhouse. “Removal of leaves, re-mulching. That’s all on the landscape side of things. And then on the gardening side of things, obviously, your soil preparation for any type of vegetable … rototilling of the garden, any soil tests.”

All this can done with the help of local businesses. The Cecil Township plant nursery and garden center that’s been in Bedner’s family for generations is just one of myriad stores and services that can help.

Upper St. Clair Township’s Jim Jenkins Lawn & Garden Center is still open because some customers are utilities. Owner Jim Jenkins said it’s even busier than usual this season.

“The phones are just ringing off the hook with people wanting to order stuff and have stuff delivered,” Jenkins said.

Jenkins said this is a good year for tasks like turning soil, putting down new mulch, edging plant beds and adding compost, mushroom manure and bumper crop soil.

“Get all those things done now, because usually people in the spring – there’s only so many weekends they have to work in their yard, and they try to rush it all into four or five or six weekends,” he said. “But now that you’ve got more time, and, unfortunately, people are home, it’ll be a longer, spread-out spring.”

Bedner said placement and soil composition are key factors to take into account for people looking to plant new gardens.

“The site that you want to have it in – make sure it has the right lighting,” he said. “You want full sun. And then another thing is the soil test for whatever crops you want to produce.”

For the tests, Bedner recommended going through Penn State Extension. He said the extension usually provides results in a week or so.

Bedner’s is still operating, but only taking orders for pickup or curbside delivery. Russ Bedner expected the changes to affect business.

Normally, the nursery does 78% of its business between now and June 15, he said.

“There’s no possible way to move that same amount of product curbside,” he said. “It’s physically impossible.”

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic that’s claimed lives, closed businesses and disrupted millions of people’s daily lives, Scott Weaver is optimistic in one respect. Weaver, owner-operator of Iannetti’s Garden Center on Steubenville Pike in Burgettstown, said this will be a “very good year for gardening.”

“We need to get back to victory gardens like we did 70 years ago,” he said. “We fought a war then and won, we can do it again now.”

Weaver’s crews are not working out in the public because of stay-home measures. But the business is open and stocked with lawn and garden products.

“The new fad has been raised bed gardens, but I say you don’t need to do that if you have a plot of lawn,” Weaver noted. “It’s time to get some seeds in the ground or start them inside. With the kids home, it’s a great time to have them learn a little science project by growing some seeds.”

Wheeling Intelligencer life editor Heather Ziegler contributed reporting.

Those interested in joining the Be Local Network can contact Chris Slota at 724-225-1326 or by email at chris@belocal.net. Discount cards are available at the Observer-Reporter and Almanac office, 122 S. Main St., Washington.

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