Back in February I wrote about impending tariffs and now they are here. This could mean higher prices for everything from pens to automobiles. Avocados from Mexico, pineapples from Costa Rica and coffee from Colombia are all surely going up, but the price of growing a garden this spring primarily remains the same. 

Of course, peat moss primarily grown in Canada may affect some soil mixes later in the season, but most soils that we and other stores carry have already been purchased for the spring season and the prices won’t be affecteded. And soils like topsoil and cow manure that we carry come from New England. Peat pots and starter trays for seed starting are all U.S. made. 

All the bedding plants we’ll have in soon come from NY and NJ. All the seeds for starting are from U.S. companies. Our trees, shrubs, berries and perennials are all from U.S. nurseries. Other gardening products like lime, fertilizer, mulch and grass seed all come from U.S. companies.

Growing your own food is one way to keep inflation and higher prices due to the tariffs at bay. So even though you may see increases at the grocery store, growing it yourself this year, won’t see much change. A dollar and ninety-nine cent pack of lettuce seeds contains at least thirty seeds. You plant those seeds and maybe because you are a beginner you only have fifty percent success, you still got fifteen heads of lettuce for a dollar and ninety-nine cents. Not a bad deal if you ask me. 

Gardening isn’t easy, there is sweat equity involved, but the rewards can be amazing. Going back to the lettuce, you might think what am I going to do with fifteen heads of lettuce at one time? Well either a really big salad or plant just a couple seeds every few days. This way you will have head of lettuce every few days throughout the summer and into the fall. 

Your garden doesn’t have to be planted all at once, a mistake Vicki and I made last year, when for the first time in ages we were able to have a large garden in the ground. Previously, we gardened in containers on our deck when we lived in Swan Lake, but since having our garden in the ground in Eldred we had almost fifty percent more produce off each plant. And because we planted everything within a one week timeframe, everything ripened up at the same time. We still have shredded zucchini in our freezer from last season. Hopefully we will get it used up by the time this year’s crops are ready. We still have plenty of pickles and jam too, from last year’s harvest. 

Once you’ve grown your crops and want to preserve your bounty, even the Ball canning jars are all U.S. made and the lids are made right down in Orange County. 

Now there will be some hiccups along the way like black oil sunflower seed to feed the birds which is almost completely grown in Canada. It is our number one selling birdseed, but it is also used in the production of sunflower oil for cooking. Products like French fries will be affected. Did you know that Canada produces over fifty-percent of the frozen French fries used in this country both in fast food and grocery stores? I didn’t either. 

If you’ve grown a garden before, great. If you haven’t, come in and talk to us about how to get started. You can also watch videos on YouTube on the many different ways to garden. There are hydroponic gardens, straw bale gardens, container gardens for your deck or patio. See what’s right for you and “Just do it”.