Fruits, vegetables and herbs grown from seed or plants raised in your own containers are free from harmful chemicals and they are often more economical than buying the same ingredients in the store. Here are five favorites that make sense to grow at home:
5 foods you can easily grow instead of buying at the store
Fruits, vegetables and herbs grown from seed or plants raised in your own containers are free from harmful chemicals and they are often more economical than buying the same ingredients in the store.
May 6, 2017 at 8:25PM
Radishes At only $1.32 per pound, you could easily stock up on radishes for a few weeks. But $2.85 total will get you a packet of seeds, which — planted in short rows at weekly intervals in ordinary garden soil — will keep you supplied with the zesty salad ingredient through cool spring and autumn growing seasons. Kale Superfood kale averages $1.59 per bunch in the store, but it's much more cost effective to grow your own hardy, weather-resistant kale plant. Seeds are less than $2 per packet, and live plants are only about $5. Kale is a superstar in the garden, in patio pots and as a decorative addition to flower beds. It thrives in garden soil amended with compost or potting mix to yield robust leaves.
Cilantro Buying a fresh bunch of cilantro for your salsa only costs about $1.99, but when you grow your own from the same priced packet of seeds, you will have more than enough for south-of-the-border style cooking all summer long. As a bonus, seeds of older cilantro plants allowed to flower and dry are the spice coriander, which can be used year round for seasoning curry, roasts and Latin American dishes.
Tomatoes Perfect for container gardening in a sunny spot, meaty Roma tomatoes and tiny, snack-able grape tomatoes are favorites that do best when you start with sturdy plants that cost around $5 per pot. At $1.79 per pound for Romas and $2.50 per pint of grape tomatoes in the store, the price of growing is about the same or a little more than buying. But sun-ripened succulence makes it a worthy investment.
Mint Muddled in a mojito, tossed in tabbouleh or steeped for tea, fresh mint leaves are easily accessible when you raise a $5 mint plant. Why pay for fresh mint leaves — which can be sold for more than $10 per ounce by specialty retailers — when the plant's aggressive growth habit makes it an abundant harvest when kept in a pot on your patio?
GOBankingRates.com
about the writer
Business
In Their Shoes: Minneapolis woman picks up roadkill for a living, doesn’t ‘want to do anything else’
Susan Baker, the lead officer at Minneapolis Animal Care and Control says a good day in her book is when pets are reunited with their owners and the ‘deads’ are properly disposed.
