Did you know that there are many vegetables and herbs that you can grow from leftovers and leftovers on your kitchen counter?
This is a great activity to do with kids who might want to test if there are other plants that can be grown this way as well. All you need is little water, a container and some sun to grow organic fresh herbs and vegetables at home.
Onions, garlic, and fresh herbs are staples in many dishes, and they may not be expensive, but if you use them daily, it can add up.
Here are 14 vegetables and herbs that you can buy once and grow for free forever.
1. Garlic
When the garlic begins to sprout, the small green shoots are too bitter to cook with. Instead of throwing out sprouted cloves, you can put them in a glass with a little water and grow garlic sprouts.
The sprouts have a much milder flavor than garlic cloves and are delicious in salads, pasta and as a garnish.
2. Carrot
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The ends of carrots that you usually chop off and throw away will turn into root vegetables if you put them in a bowl with a little water. Place the dish in a well-lit windowsill and you have carrot tops to use as a garnish or in salads
3. Basil
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Put a few basil cuttings with 10 cm stems in a glass of water and place them in a place with direct sunlight. When the roots are about 5 cm long, you can plant them in pots to grow a full basil plant.
4. Leek
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Leeks are great for soups, and it turns out they’re easy to store because they grow in water just as easily as green onions.
Just take the base of your leeks, cover them with water and leave them in the window with some sun for a few days.
You should see them sprout right away, and within a week or so you’ll be able to cut off parts to use in recipes.
5. Lettuce
If you have a head of romaine lettuce that is still intact, place the stalk in a bowl with about ½ inch of water and set it on a windowsill. You will see new leaves in about 2 weeks and they will be fully grown in 3 to 4.
6. Bok Choy
Like romaine lettuce, bok choy can be re-grown by placing the root end in water in a well-lit area. In a week or two you can transplant it to a pot of soil and grow a whole new head.
7. Onions
Plant the discarded root end of an onion in a pot or directly outside in the soil to regrow. You can harvest it early and get fresh green onions or wait until the bulb is fully developed.
8. Ginger
Like onions, ginger root can be planted in soil to regrow, but the process takes much longer. It can take a few months to germinate and you should be able to harvest a fully grown bulb in 8 to 10 months.
9. Mushrooms
Plant mushroom stems in soil with some compost or use coffee grounds and store them in a moist environment, preferably where it is cool at night.
They can be tricky to grow, and within a few days the stems will begin to sprout new heads or rot.
10. Potatoes
Returning potatoes from production to cultivation is a great way to keep more waste out of the waste.
You can grow any potato variety you like, but make sure there are ‘eyes’ growing on the scrap. With a potato with a strong eye presence, you can chop it into 2 inch square pieces.
Make sure each piece has 1 – 2 eyes. After you cut your potato into chunks, let them sit at room temperature for a few days.
If you omit the pieces, the cut surface can dry out and become callous, which prevents the pieces from rotting in the soil.
11. Bonus Fennel
Fennel has such a strong flavor that it’s quite rare that you need more than just a small piece of it.
If you always want to keep one, it’s worth growing one. Just take the bulb, put it in a cup and fill it with water so that the bulb is covered.
Put that pot in the sun and it will start to germinate in a few days. Change the water every few days and cut off a little fennel if you need it.
12. Sweet Potatoes
Start with a good sweet potato. If it germinates, that’s a plus. Place it in a glass jar half filled with water with room for good sun.
Change the water regularly to prevent mold. Once the sweet potato sprouts (or continues to sprout), wait until they are four to five inches long and then pull them off.
Place the sprouts in a separate pot of water until the roots begin to pop. From there, plant them in a pot with four inches of soil and wait for the goods to come. Keep in mind that they don’t dig in cold weather and take months to grow.
13. Lemongrass
To regrow lemongrass, place the root tips in a glass of water and leave in a sunny spot. After about three weeks you should start to see roots. Then you need to transfer them into a pot of soil.
14. Coin
Propagating mint couldn’t be easier and it’s the perfect activity for a gardening novice because you’ll get results quickly. Once your plant has grown, you will have your own fresh supply that is free of plastic and pesticides.
By placing a cutting in a glass of water instead of in a pot of soil you can enjoy watching the growth of the roots. You just need to be careful when planting your cutting to make sure you don’t damage the roots.
