Home Depot Spring Black Friday Sale - $2.00 starter plants

Hi everyone.  If all goes well, I'm hoping to have a productive day.  My wife and I just came home from Home Depot where, coincidentally, we discovered they are having a good sale.

I decided to not raise eggplant or bell pepper from seed this year.  I found some nice starter plants that were regularly 3.68 on sale for 2.00 a piece.  They are Bonnie though... I know some are leery.

Thanks for posting this. Different regions have these mark-downs at different times.

I'm headed there today myself! My eggplant seedlings were a bust so I will buy some this year. Last year all my tomato starts were wiped out. Also need a green or red bell to round out the pepper crops. Bonnie or not, sometimes one just needs to buy that one last item for the garden.

Was just looking at heading there to get my raised bed frames! I have to get a pesky peony out of the prime sunny spot in my yard and then up goes the new square foot garden not too far from last year's attempt! I am going to try to move last years to the other side of our porch in more sun but it might be a tight fit! And fun to move!! ugh!

Wishing they sold the soil mix here. but they don't! 

Denise

sanderson wrote:Thanks for posting this.  Different regions have these mark-downs at different times.

I'm headed there today myself!  My eggplant seedlings were a bust so I will buy some this year.  Last year all my tomato starts were wiped out.  Also need a green or red bell to round out the pepper crops.  Bonnie or not, sometimes one just needs to buy that one last item for the garden.

Sanderson.... I have yet to successfully raise a healthy eggplant from seed.  Two years in a row....   I give up!

Last years eggplant from Home Depot produced about 10 or so nice eggplants.  It was a large one though, so flea beetles couldn't get to it very well (stems and leaves were thick).  This little one I just got will be taken out during the day and then brought in at night (and get a nice rich MM filled pot).  Hoping to be able to get it nice and strong before putting it in a bed (plus, I will be merciless with any flea beetle that dare show its face!).

I grew eggplants from seed the first time this year.  Of course I grew too many.  do you need any.  I also get flea beetles real bad.  What are you going to use to get rid of them.

yolos wrote:I grew eggplants from seed the first time this year.  Of course I grew too many.  do you need any.  I also get flea beetles real bad.  What are you going to use to get rid of them.

Yes!!!  Thank you, my wife will be thrilled to know you have extras.  I really only need one or two though.

What will I use to get rid of them?  Probably most all my own fingers.  However, perhaps some neem oil and peppermint soap mixture.  Honestly though, I've found brushing them off works best.  Just need to get them to that more mature stage.  For me, after that it was smooth sailing.

Windmere wrote:

yolos wrote:I grew eggplants from seed the first time this year.  Of course I grew too many.  do you need any.  I also get flea beetles real bad.  What are you going to use to get rid of them.

Yes!!!  Thank you, my wife will be thrilled to know you have extras.  I really only need one or two though.

What will I use to get rid of them?  Probably most all my own fingers.  However, perhaps some neem oil and peppermint soap mixture.  Honestly though, I've found brushing them off works best.  Just need to get them to that more mature stage.  For me, after that it was smooth sailing.

I kept after them for months by hand last year and never won the battle.  I think I will try the hand held vacuum cleaner I bought at the end of last summer.

I stopped by to pick up a couple packs of organic seeds, which were half price.  While there, I noticed they had organic raised bed soil.

On further inspection, I saw that it was a mix of peat and coconut coir along with compost.  I guess if you add vermiculite, you have MM.  The bag was 1.5 cf, and I think it cost $7.97.

The only caveat is I do not know the compost ingredients.  I am sure I read it, but that was 6 hours ago, or 5 3/4 hours past my short term memory limitations.  Or, maybe I only thought I saw the compost breakdown.

I had fun today at Home Depot's sale.

More tomatoes, peppers and squash.  Also thought I'd try a back of Nature's Way "Really Good Compost;" the name made me laugh.











No eggplants, maybe they'll have another delivery on Saturday.  The 6-pack of marigolds was only $1.  Now, I'll have to have my "guy" build me another SFG block, or two!  Someone warned me about this!  You know who you are!

I have been eyeing those bags of Natures Way (compost and raised garden bed soil) every time I go to Home Depot but I haven't bought any yet.  Let us know how the compost looks.

I checked my local flyer and the sale is here as well, which surprised me up here in Maine already.  We still have snow on the ground.
Anyway, I'm off to Home Depot Friday to check out the plants.  I'm hoping for a few herbs and some broccoli and Brussels sprouts this year.

Stopped in HD yesterday and picked up a couple rhubarb plants and a nice rosemary for $2 each. 


Bought a dwarf winesap apple tree for $11.99. I have no idea where I will find the space to plant it, but I had to have it. All of you fruit tree addicts out there will understand the logic.


Also picked up bark mulch to top dress my flower beds out in the front yard, 5 bags for $10. I was eyeing the natures way as well....LOL. I guess I will be heading back there today.

I bought some Nature's Care Really Good Compost last week at Tractor Supply.  It was on sale for $4 a bag, so I thought I'd get some to see how it is.  I haven't spread any yet in the garden, but I did open a small hole in one (before I bought it, lol) to see what it looks like.  It literally looks like the compost from my own compost bin.  No sand or rocks or soil like most bagged compost I can get around here.  It's yard waste compost, so no manure.  I'm pretty excited to have found it, because I could literally find no good options in my area for bagged compost.  It all had sand, rocks, clumps of clay, giant pieces of undecomposed wood. After a while, that stuff starts building up in my raised beds and makes it so it's no longer friable like MM should be.   

I'm going to check my local HD to see if there are any sales here!  I'd be real surprised if there's a sale since it's still 7 weeks before the last frost date, but if Quiltbea's HD is having a sale, I don't know why mine wouldn't be.  Thanks for the tip!

littlesapphire wrote:I bought some Nature's Care Really Good Compost last week at Tractor Supply.  It was on sale for $4 a bag, so I thought I'd get some to see how it is.  I haven't spread any yet in the garden, but I did open a small hole in one (before I bought it, lol) to see what it looks like.  It literally looks like the compost from my own compost bin.  No sand or rocks or soil like most bagged compost I can get around here.  It's yard waste compost, so no manure.  I'm pretty excited to have found it, because I could literally find no good options in my area for bagged compost.  It all had sand, rocks, clumps of clay, giant pieces of undecomposed wood. After a while, that stuff starts building up in my raised beds and makes it so it's no longer friable like MM should be.   

I'm going to check my local HD to see if there are any sales here!  I'd be real surprised if there's a sale since it's still 7 weeks before the last frost date, but if Quiltbea's HD is having a sale, I don't know why mine wouldn't be.  Thanks for the tip!

You're welcome!  I'm afraid I did a lot of damage there yesterday.  My wife bought a hydrangea that has both blue and pink flowers.  I don't know how that is possible.  It's called LA dreaming.  Since we are from Los Angeles... we HAD to buy it.  lol

Sure enough, my HD was having a sale!  I got some mulch for my flower beds for 5 for $10, a pretty good deal.  Also picked up a blueberry bush for I think $8.  I already have two blueberries, but the tag says another variety will ensure heavier fruit set.  I wanted to look over their veggies and herbs, but the weather was taking a turn for the worse and I got soaked getting the mulch into the car.  Maybe I'll go back later.

Southern Maine's veggie sale was very limited:  lettuces, cabbages, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, basil, stevia, chocolate mint, onion chives and that was it!  The 6-cell packs were 2.98 which is in line with their 2 for $10 sale because those are usually one pot or a 4-cell pack for the 2 bucks.
Their pansies, usually $1.98 a pack, were 4 for $5 so I got 8 of those for my hanging baskets.
I'm sure their May sale will have lots more but its too cold here now.  It was drizzling so I didn't even check out the compost.  I only had on a thin jacket.

Besides the pansies, I only got stevia, basil, Romaine lettuce, broccoli and Brussels sprouts.

I also did a lot of damage.  Somewhere in there are the eggplants I wanted to buy.  Saw the Nature's Care prominently displayed.

Well, I know the cash outlay might have been a bit painful... but everyone got such beautiful stuff!!!

I went to Home Depot last night to check out our local sale and I learned something VERY interesting that I think everyone should consider.

Tucked behind the label of many perennial flower's tags, was a separate, smaller tag indicating that HD was using neonicotinoid pesticides on their plants.

Basically, a neonicotinoid insecticide is a nerve agent that is applied through the soil. Why is this something important to consider? Because there is some evidence pointing towards ill effects towards pollinators (bees, butterflies, etc).

I'm not sure if they apply the same to their vegetables, but something to think about. Not wanting to start a big debate -- just wanted to bring it to your attention. I won't be buying any plants from HD or any other nursery that uses pesticides; but kudos to HD for at least letting us know (kind of -- via a hidden tag).

http://citybugs.tamu.edu/factsheets/ipm/what-is-a-neonicotinoid/

http://www.natureworldnews.com/articles/14015/20150412/lowes-takes-stand-against-bee-killing-pesticides.htm

Thank you for letting us know about this concerning HD.  My wife bought a hydrangea that I'm going to have to scrutinize for this tag you mentioned.

Update:  No tag, but I'm thinking of contacting the vendor to make sure.  As you say, kudos to HD for at least fessing up to it.

The 5 for $10 sale was still going on today, 4/15, at mine in southern Maine, probably because they had very little last weekend and a shipment came in.
Things like cauliflowers, mints, cilantro,  rosemary, sage, parsley, oreganos, assorted lettuces, Arugula, rhubarb, kale, onion chives, strawberry plants and more today which they didn't have on Friday.  I was able to get my rosemary and parsley and I bought a bag of the Nature's Way compost.  I'm short this spring so needed something extra.  It looks good.  I'm glad I dropped in on the way home from getting my dog food at a nearby grocer.

I just clicked on the online ad for the veggies, and it is good until Fri, Apr 19, lower 48.

TinySpock wrote:...Also thought I'd try a back of Nature's Way "Really Good Compost;" the name made me laugh.

yolos wrote:I have been eyeing those bags of Natures Way (compost and raised garden bed soil) every time I go to Home Depot but I haven't bought any yet.  Let us know how the compost looks.

Hey all, I have been looking at that same compost from from Miracle Gro but had no idea what it was made from so I opened a Chat Session with them and they told me that their Nature's Care - Really Good Compost contains:compost, peat, forest products, pine bark, and sphagnum peat.

As far as buying plants, what is your feeling on buying them at the big box stores vs the smaller independent local nurseries? I am thinking the local stores would be better. What say you?


TinySpock your tagline could be "Plant Squares and Prosper"

ralitaco wrote:

TinySpock wrote:...Also thought I'd try a back of Nature's Way "Really Good Compost;" the name made me laugh.

yolos wrote:I have been eyeing those bags of Natures Way (compost and raised garden bed soil) every time I go to Home Depot but I haven't bought any yet.  Let us know how the compost looks.

Hey all, I have been looking at that same compost from from Miracle Gro but had no idea what it was made from so I opened a Chat Session with them and they told me that their Nature's Care - Really Good Compost contains:compost, peat, forest products, pine bark, and sphagnum peat.

As far as buying plants, what is your feeling on buying them at the big box stores vs the smaller independent local nurseries? I am thinking the local stores would be better. What say you?


TinySpock your tagline could be "Plant Squares and Prosper"

Ralitaco!! You nailed it!  Off to make a tagline.   Oh, yes, local would be better, of course.  When I only have $10 to spend, I need a sale.  When I'm flush, I can go local!

Our local nursery had wonderful, healthy plants to sell and a knowledgeable staff but when both Home Depot and Lowe's moved in within 3 miles of them, they went out of business.  They couldn't compete.  Now its big box for me or nothing.  That's why I try to start many of my own each year.