10 VEGETABLES YOU CAN REGROW FROM SCRAP

For those of us who live in an apartment or without a yard, we’re always envious of those who have their own gardening areas for planting and regrowing vegetables. It’s the accessibility, the cost savings, and the knowing that nothing toxic is going into your food.

But did you know that there are many vegetables out there you can regrow from scrap even without a garden? It’s fun, free, sustainable, and delicious. So, before you throw out those food scraps, check to see if it’s something that you can regrow in your home. Make it a fun experiment for the family!

Regrowing vegetables from scrap can be amazingly simple:

1. Green Onions

Green onions are arguably the easiest and most popular vegetable to regrow. All you must do is cut them about an inch from the roots and leave them in a glass of water.

 

2. Celery

Cut off the celery, and leave about an inch or two from the base. Place the base in a bowl of water and leave it where it can get adequate sunlight. As new leaves begin to sprout from the middle, allow for it to gain thickness for about a week before transferring it into a pot of soil.

 

3. Romaine Lettuce, Bok Choy, Cabbage

Romaine lettuce is as easy to regrow as celery! Leave the stump of the lettuce in a bowl and fill the water halfway. And once the leaves have regrown for a few days, transfer your the stumps into soil.

 

 

4. Carrots

Okay, we’re not exactly regrowing the carrot itself, but actually the carrot top, which surprisingly comes with a wide range of uses. You can turn it into pesto, add it to soup, or even saute them. Simply leave the top of the carrots–with a bit of the carrot attached–in bowl or plate of water, and place them where they can receive adequate sunlight.

 

5. Leeks

Leeks regrow the exact same way as green onions–although they might take a little longer based on their sheer size. Leave about two inches of leek from the bottom, and place them in a bowl of water.

 

6. Onions

You can also regrow spring onions from an onion bulb. Make sure the root part has about half an inch of grown attached. Place it directly in soil and cover it with a layer of soil. Water it periodically to keep the soil moist. Just keep cutting the green sprouts off when they’ve regrown. You’ll never have to buy spring onions again!

 

7. Basil, Mint, and Cilantro

A lot of herbs can easily be regrown. Make sure there’s about 2-3 inches of stem. Place the stems upright in a glass of water. When the new roots begin to sprout, transfer the herbs into a pot of soil and let the aroma flourish.

 

 

8. Pineapple

Okay, not a vegetable, but imagine regrowing a pineapple in your home. How amazing and exciting would that be? And not to mention it’s also easier than you think. It just takes a bit of patience, as pineapple can take up to two years to bear their first fruit.

The trick is to grab a hold of the pineapple crown by the leaves and twist and pull it off so the stalk is still attached. Remove some of the lower leaves to expose the stalk. Make sure there is no fruit flesh as that will rot the stalk.

Place the pineapple crown in a glass of water and allow new roots to sprout–this usually takes about three weeks. Then transfer to a pot with fast-draining soil. The plant should begin to resist gentle tugs at about two months. At this point, it means that your replanting worked, and that it’s time to look into pineapple plant care!

 

9. Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are super easy, but you will need some serious real estate–it’s probably not suitable for an apartment. Stick toothpicks around a sweet potato to prop it up in at the rim of a glass, only half-emerging it in water. When the roots reach about three to four inches, plant it in soil.

 

10. Potatoes

Just leave your spud in a dark corner, forget about it, and it’ll just sprout. I know we’ve all been there. But there’s probably a quicker and healthier way to do it. Cut a potato in half. And where you see the dented “eyes” on the skin, plant the potatoes in soil with the “eyes” facing up. That’s where the plant will begin to sprout in a couple weeks.

Regrowing vegetables that you’ve half-consumed can be really fun and save you money. Have you tried regrowing your own vegetable scraps? Share with us your experiences!

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10 Vegetable you can regrow from scraps! #gardening #zerowaste #foodhacks

Daniel is a Digital Marketing and Content Strategist at SPUD. He graduated from UBC with a degree in English and International Relations with a focus on environmental topics. A wordsmith by day and a bookman by night, he's a self-proclaimed gastronomic snob, a buck-a-shuck addict, a sub-par skier, and a devoted kingsguard of the oxford comma. He also frequents the dog park with a schnauzer named Duke. | Instagram: @dannnyellow

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