As people around the world are spending more time at home, interest in home gardening is growing. Specifically, many are looking to grow their own vegetables at home.
If you’re thinking about starting a vegetable garden, you could get started using scraps from vegetables you’ve used from cooking. Regrowing food from leftovers is a smart economic choice, and can also be a fun, simple project for teaching kids about how plants grow.
The Kemper Center for Home Gardening put together the below tips for regrowing vegetables from leftover scraps.
Bulbs
Onions, garlic, leeks, shallots, and green onions are all members of the genus Allium and can be propagated by cutting off the root end of the bulb. Leave about 1 inch of the bulb with the root, and use the rest for your favorite recipe.
Suspend the roots of the bulb in a jar or cup of water. You can use toothpicks poked into the bulb or twine wrapped around the top of the jar to help with this step. Wait for roots to grow, and once they are about an inch long, the bulb can be planted in the ground or in a pot.
Plant the bulb only an inch or two deep. Keep bulbs well watered and apply compost or fertilizer to help them get going. Soon you should see green leaves emerge. Harvest when the bulbs reach the desired size.
You can find more detailed information on growing these plants at the Plant Finder links below:
Tubers
Ginger, potatoes, and sweet potatoes can all be regrown using leftovers. Potatoes or sweet potatoes that have started to sprout eyes are perfect
Cut the tubers into roughly 1-inch pieces, making sure each chunk has at least one eye. Let the pieces air dry for 24 hours. Drying prevents fungi and bacteria from infecting the pieces once they’re planted.
Plant the pieces in a sunny spot in your vegetable garden with the eyes facing upward. Tend to them as you normally would potatoes and sweet potatoes.
Ginger can be grown in a similar way, but does best in a large, shallow container placed in a partly-shaded outdoor area.
You can find more detailed information on growing these plants at the Plant Finder links below:
Leafy Greens
Leafy greens like romaine lettuce, bok choy, celery, fennel, and cabbage can all be propagated using a similar method to bulbs. Start by cutting the root end off, leaving about an inch of leaves. Keeping the root end of the bunch fully in tact is essential.
Plant the root end in a dish of water in a warm, sunny spot. Once new, green shoots begin to grow from the center of the cutting, it can be planted in the ground or a container. Bury the cutting, keeping the new growth above the soil line. Be sure to keep soil mist.
You can find more detailed information on growing these plants at the Plant Finder links below:
Herbs
Basil, mint, and rosemary can be grown fairly easily from cuttings. Remove the leaves from 4-6 inches of the stem and make a fresh cut at the stem’s base. Place cuttings in a jar or cup of water. Once roots begin to grow, the herbs can be planted in the garden or a container. For best results, use very fresh cuttings.
You can find more detailed information on growing these plants at the Plant Finder links below:
Catherine Martin
Public Information Officer