Did You Know You Can Regrow Whole Foods?: How to Grow Fresh Produce at Home from Scraps
Growing fresh produce at home can be a rewarding and sustainable way to enjoy healthy and delicious food. Did you know that you can regrow many whole foods from scraps that you might otherwise throw away? With a little know-how and patience, you can turn kitchen scraps into thriving plants and enjoy the satisfaction of growing your own food. Here are some examples of whole foods that you can regrow from themselves:
Avocado: Cut an avocado in half and remove the pit. Clean the pit and suspend it in a glass of water with the pointed end facing up. Keep the water level consistent and place in a sunny spot. Within a few weeks, roots and a stem will begin to sprout from the pit. Once the stem has grown a few inches, you can plant the avocado in soil
Onions: Cut the root end off an onion, leaving about a half-inch of onion attached. Plant the root end in soil about 1 inch deep, with the cut side facing up. Keep in a sunny spot and water regularly. Onions will start to grow green shoots, and you can harvest the bulbs once the leaves start to yellow.
Garlic: Separate cloves from a bulb of garlic, leaving the papery covering intact. Plant cloves in soil about 2 inches deep with the pointed end facing up. Keep in a sunny spot and water regularly. Garlic will start to grow green shoots, and you can harvest the bulbs once the leaves start to yellow.
Potatoes: Cut a potato into pieces with at least one "eye" on each piece. Let the pieces dry out for a day or two, then plant them in soil with the eyes facing up. Water regularly and keep in a sunny spot. Potatoes will start to grow shoots, and you can harvest the potatoes once the plant starts to die back.
Celery: Cut off the bottom inch of a celery bunch, leaving the roots intact. Place the celery bottom in a shallow dish of water and place in a sunny spot. Change the water every few days and within a week or two, new shoots will begin to grow from the center of the celery. Once the shoots are established, you can plant the celery in soil.
Pineapple: Cut off the top of a pineapple, leaving about an inch of fruit intact. Remove any fruit flesh from the bottom of the pineapple top, and place it in a shallow dish of water. Keep in a sunny spot and change the water every few days. Within a few weeks, roots will begin to grow from the bottom of the pineapple top. Once the roots are established, you can plant the pineapple in soil.
Sweet potatoes: Cut a sweet potato in half and suspend each half in a glass of water with toothpicks. Keep in a warm, sunny spot and change the water every few days. Within a few weeks, roots and sprouts will begin to grow from the sweet potato halves. Once the sprouts have grown a few inches, you can plant the sweet potato in soil.
Basil: Cut off a few stems of basil and place them in a glass of water. Keep in a sunny spot and change the water every few days. Within a week or two, new roots will begin to grow from the bottom of the basil stems. Once the roots are established, you can plant the basil in soil.
Carrots: Cut off the top inch of a carrot and place it in a shallow dish of water. Keep in a sunny spot and change the water every few days. Within a week or two, new leaves will begin to grow from the top of the carrot. Once the leaves are established, you can plant the carrot in soil.
Cilantro: Cut off a few stems of cilantro and place them in a glass of water. Keep in a sunny spot and change the water every few days. Within a week or two, new roots will begin to grow from the bottom of the cilantro stems. Once the roots are established, you can plant the cilantro in soil.
Fennel: Cut off the bottom inch of a fennel bulb, making sure to leave the stem intact. Place the stem in a shallow dish of water and place in a sunny spot. Change the water every few days and within a week or two, new shoots will begin to grow from the center of the bulb. Once the shoots are established, you can plant the fennel in soil.
Scallions: Cut off the bottom inch of scallions, leaving the roots intact. Place the roots in a glass of water and place in a sunny spot. Change the water every few days and within a week or two, the scallions will begin to regrow. You can continue to cut off the green tops and use them for cooking, while the roots and bulb will continue to grow and regrow more green tops.
Romaine Lettuce: Cut off the base of a romaine lettuce head, leaving about 2 inches of the base intact. Place the base in a shallow dish of water with the cut side facing up, and place in a sunny spot. Change the water every few days and within a week or two, new leaves will begin to grow from the center of the base. Once the leaves are established, you can plant the lettuce in soil.
Radishes: Cut off the top inch of a radish and plant it in soil with the cut side facing down. Keep in a sunny spot and water regularly. Radishes will start to grow new leaves, and you can harvest the radish once it reaches a usable size.
Lemons: Cut a lemon in half and remove any excess fruit flesh. Plant the lemon half in soil with the cut side facing up. Keep in a warm, moist spot with indirect sunlight. Water regularly, and the lemon will start to grow new shoots and roots
Regrowing whole foods from scraps is a fun and sustainable way to produce fresh food at home. It requires patience and dedication, but the reward is worth it. Not only do you get to enjoy fresh produce, but you also get to reduce food waste and save money. With these simple tips, you can turn your kitchen scraps into thriving plants and enjoy the satisfaction of growing your own food.