25 food you can re-grow
from kitchen scrap
1. Lettuce
Lettuce,
Bok Choy and cabbage are relatively easy to grow from scraps. Instead
of throwing out those leftover leaves, simply place them in a bowl with
just a bit of water in the bottom. Keep the bowl somewhere that gets
good sunlight and mist the leaves with water a couple of times each
week. After 3 or 4 days, you will notice roots beginning to appear along
with new leaves. When this happens you can transplant your lettuce or
cabbage in soil.
2. Celery
Celery
is one of the easiest foods to grow from leftover scraps. Just cut off
the bottom or base of your celery and lay it in a bowl with just a bit
of warm water in the bottom. Keep the bowl in direct sunlight as long as
possible each day and after about a week, you will begin to see the
leaves thickening and growing along the base. When this happens, you can
transplant your celery in soil and wait for it to grow to full length.
3. Lemongrass
If
you love using lemongrass but have a difficult time finding it, simply
regrow your own. Lemongrass will grow just like regular grass. You just
place the root that is leftover in a glass bowl or jar with enough water
to cover it and leave it in the sunlight. After about a week, you will
notice new growth and when this happens you can transplant your
lemongrass in a pot or in your herb garden.
4. Bean Sprouts
If
you love cooking with bean sprouts you can grow them yourself as well.
You just need to soak a tablespoon or so of the beans that you want to
grow in a jar with shallow water. Leave this overnight and in the
morning, drain the water off and put the beans back in the container.
Cover the container with a towel overnight and rinse them the next
morning. Keep doing this until you notice the sprouts begin to appear
and then until they reach the size that you want. This works well with
mung beans and wheat berries.
5. Avocado
Avocado
seeds can be used to grow a steady supply of this super food. You just
have to wash the seed and use toothpicks to suspend it over water in a
bowl or jar. The water should come up enough to cover the bottom inch of
the seed. Keep the container in a warm place but not in direct sunlight
and remember to check the water every day and add more as needed. It
can take up to six weeks for the stem and roots to appear and once the
stem reaches about 6 inches you will need to cut it down to 3 inches.
When leaves begin appearing, you can plant the seed in soil, remembering
to leave about half of it above ground.
6. Potatoes
Virtually
everyone knows that potatoes can be grown from potato peelings. You
need peelings that have eyes on them. Cut those peelings into two inch
pieces, ensuring that there are at least two or three eyes on each
piece. Allow them to dry out overnight and then simply plant them about
four inches deep in your soil. Make sure that the eyes are facing up
when planting. It will take a few weeks before you see the potato plant
begin to grow.
7. Sweet Potatoes
Sweet
potatoes can be grown much like regular potatoes. You just have to cut
the sweet potato in half and suspend it using toothpicks above a
container of shallow water. Roots will begin to appear in just a few
days and sprouts will be seen on top of the potato around that same
time. Once those sprouts reach about four inches or so in length, just
twist them off and place them in a container of water. When the roots
from this container reach about an inch in length, you can plant them in
soil.
8. Ginger
Ginger
root is very easy to grow and once you get started, you can keep your
supply of ginger full. You just need to plant a spare piece of your
ginger root in potting soil, making sure that the buds are facing up.
You will notice new shoots and new roots in about a week or so and once
this happens you can pull it up and use it again. Remember to save a
piece of the rhizome so that you can replant it and grow more for the
next time you need it.
9. Pineapple
You
can grow your own pineapple even if you don’t live in the tropics. You
just cut the top off and insert a few toothpicks to hold it above a
container filled with water. Keep the container in direct sunlight. If
it is warm outside, sit it on the porch or deck during the day and bring
it in at night. Remember to change the water every other day or so and
keep the container filled so that it reaches just about the base. You
will notice roots in about a week or so and once they are formed you can
transplant into potting soil. If you live in a cooler area, it is best
to grow your pineapple indoors.
10. Garlic
Garlic
is really easy to grow and can be done from just one clove. When you
buy garlic, you get several cloves so just pull one off and plant it
with the roots facing down in potting soil. Garlic likes plenty of
direct sunlight so in warmer weather, keep it outdoors in the sun during
the day. Once you notice that new shoots have established, cut the
shoots back and your plant will produce a bulb. You can take part of
this new bulb and plant again.
11. Onions
Onions
are very easy to grow indoors or out. You just have to cut the root of
the onion off and make sure that you leave about a half an inch of onion
when you do. Cover lightly with potting soil and keep in a sunny area.
For green onions, simply put the white base with the roots intact in a
container of water and place in direct sunlight. Change the water out
every few days and the green will continue to grow. Just snip what you
need and allow it to grow as long as you like.
12. Pumpkins
If
you tend to carve pumpkins on Halloween, you can save those seeds and
plant them. Even if you prefer toasting your seeds for a yummy snack,
you can save a couple for growing new pumpkins. Just spread the seeds
out in a sunny area outdoors and cover with soil. You can also plant an
entire pumpkin. Once you finish displaying that Jack-O-Lantern, just
fill it with soil and plant the entire thing.
13. Mushrooms
You
can grow mushrooms from cuttings, although they are a bit more
difficult than many other vegetables. You will need a warm area with a
lot of humidity and soil that is rich in nutrients. It is much better to
grow your mushrooms in a pot as opposed to in the ground because you
have a better shot at controlling the temperature and the humidity. You
just have to cut away the head of the mushroom and plant the stalk or
stem in the soil. Leave the very top exposed and this base will begin to
grow a new head.
14. Peppers
You
can grow a number of hot peppers from the seeds that are leftover. Just
collect the seeds from your habaneros, jalapenos or any other peppers
that you have on hand. Plant them in potting soil and keep in direct
sunlight unless it is warm outside and then you can just plant them in
your garden area. Peppers grow relatively fast and don’t require a lot
of care. Once you get a new crop, just save some of the seeds for
replanting again.
15. Fennel
Growing
fennel requires that you keep the roots intact. You need about an inch
of the base of the fennel to get it to regrow. Just place this base in a
container with about a cup of water and leave it in direct sunlight.
The windowsill is the perfect place to grow fennel. When the roots grow
strong and you notice new green shoots coming up from the center of the
base, you can transplant into soil.
16. Tomatoes
Tomatoes
can be grown just by saving those seeds that you probably throw out
anyway. You just have to rinse the seeds and allow them to dry. Plant in
a good, rich potting soil until you notice growth coming in. Allow the
seeds to get a few inches high before transplanting them outdoors.
During cold weather you can grow your tomatoes indoors. Just remember to
keep them in an area that gets plenty of sunlight and water a few times
each week.
17. Basil
Basil
is relatively easy to regrow. You just have to have a stem about four
inches high. Place this stem in a glass of water with the leaves well
above the water line. Leave the glass sitting in a bright area but not
in direct sunlight. Roots should begin to form in a few days and when
those roots reach a couple of inches long, you can transplant them in
soil.
18. Cilantro
Cilantro
can be grown from scraps as well. Just place the bottom of the stem in a
glass of water and leave in a bright area, near a windowsill perhaps.
When the roots grow a couple of inches long, you can transplant the
cilantro into a pot and you will notice new sprigs in just a few weeks.
19. Turnips
Root
plants, turnips grow well from clippings or leftover scraps. You just
need to salvage the tops of the turnip and place in a container of
water. You should notice new green tops growing in just a few days after
you begin. Just allow the root to continue growing until it’s ready to
be transplanted in the ground. This works with many root vegetables such
as beets, turnips and even parsnips.
20. Cherries
You
can actually grow your own cherry tree from the pit of the cherry,
although it does take some time to grow an entire tree. You will need to
keep the pit in cold storage for a few weeks so that they will
germinate. To do this, simply clean the pit, pack it in nutrient rich
soil and store it in a lidded container in your refrigerator. Leave for
about twelve weeks and then transplant outdoors.
21. Apples
You
can plant seeds from those delicious apples and grow your own apple
trees. These are a little difficult but they will grow although you
should note that you can plant several of the seeds from a single apple
and end up with different types of apple trees. Just allow the seeds to
dry out and then plant them. Note that you will need at least two apple
trees in order for them to grow well so save more than one seed the next
time you enjoy an apple.
22. Peaches
Peaches,
nectarines and plums can all be grown from their seeds. Note that it
does take a couple of years before you will be able to get any fruit
from trees that you grow from seed but it will definitely be worth it if
you begin now. You just have to dry the seeds out very well to prepare
them for planting and plant them in a nutrient rich soil and in an area
that gets plenty of sunlight.
23. Lemons
Lemon
trees can be grown from seeds and if you live in an area that gets
really cold winters, you can simply grow dwarf trees indoors. Meyer
lemons tend to have smaller plants so choose these if you want an indoor
lemon tree. You will begin to get lemons from your tree in just a
couple of years so remember that you won’t actually get lemons the same
year that you plant them. Just be sure to clean and dry your seeds
before planting and choose a soil that is rich in nutrients for the best
results.
24. Hazelnuts
Hazelnuts
can be grown from seeds, although they do need to be planted near
another hazelnut tree in order to germinate. Just dry the nuts well and
plant them in a rich soil. You can begin your plantings indoors and then
transplant outdoors during warmer weather if you want or if you live in
an area that is warm year-round, just plant them whenever you are
ready. You will begin growing your own hazelnuts within just a couple of
years.
25. Chestnuts
Growing
chestnuts is really easy, provided you choose a type of chestnut that
is indigenous to your planting zone. Remember to dry the nuts out well
before planting and note that you may have to wait a few years before
your trees really begin bearing nuts. You will also need to plant more
than one chestnut tree for cross pollination or you won’t get much from
them.
