Home gardeners may increase the size of their plot and others may want to get their hands dirty for the first time this season.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has predicted that food prices will rise by 2.9% this year. This is on top of a 2.3% in 2025.
But can gardening save you money? According to the Michigan State University Extension, growing your own has the potential to reduce the amount of money spent on groceries, but it depends on the costs involved on growing the crops, types and amounts of vegetables grown, yields that are derived from the garden, and other factors.
It’s one thing to throw some seeds on the ground and wait to see what happens. Fortunately, the MSU extension office is a wonderful source of information and has offered a Master Gardener program for many years.
Among the first garden issues to address is location, location, location.
Gardeners need to consider how many hours of sunlight shines on their plot and whether invasive plants have taken hold.
“Avoid planting a garden near black walnut trees,” the Master Gardener course book said. “The roots, bark, leaves, wood and fruit excrete a chemical calling ‘juglone’ that is toxic to many plants, but especially tomatoes and closely related crops.”
