I’ve always had a dream to grow my own vegetables and herbs, but always thought I’d have to grow them from seeds and have a lot of space. However, it turns out, there are plenty of vegetables and herbs you can grow from kitchen scraps!
Scallions
You can regrow scallions by leaving an inch attached to the roots and place them in a small glass with a little water in a well-lit room.
Garlic
When garlic begins to sprout, you can put them in a glass with a little water and grow garlic sprouts. The sprouts have a milder flavor than garlic and can be added to salads, pasta and other dishes. You can take the sprouts and plant them in your garden and make them grow into full cloves. Note: some garlic is chemically treated and may not sprout, so try this with an organic clove for more certain results.
Bok choy
Bok choy can be regrown by placing the root end in water in a well-lit area. In 1-2 weeks, it can be transplanted to a pot with soil and grow a full new head.
Carrots
Put carrot tops in a dish with a little water. Set the dish in a well-lit room or a window sill. When it sprouts transplant it into soil and let it root.
Basil
Put clippings from basil with 3 to 4-inch stems in a glass of water and place it in direct sunlight. When the roots are about 2 inches long, plant them in pots to and in time and with lots of sunlight it will grow a full basil plant.
Celery
Cut off the base of the celery and place it in a shallow bowl of warm water in the sun. Leaves will begin to thicken and grow in the middle of the base. When it’s leafy enough, transfer the celery to soil.
Romaine lettuce
Put romaine lettuce stumps in a 1/2 inch of water. Keep the water level at 1/2 inch and after a few days roots and new leaves should appear, indicating they are ready to be transplanted into soil.
Cilantro
The stems of cilantro will grow when placed in a glass of water. Once the roots are long enough, plant them in a pot in a room with plenty of bright sunshine and let it grow.
Also take a look at the video from Veggietorials below for some tips on growing spring onions, ginger and pineapples in addition to some of the vegetables listed above. She shows how she started her organic container garden using kitchen scraps and cuttings.
If you are looking for a few tricks for making a stackable container garden check out this video.
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