Contents
Foods that Grow from Kitchen Scraps
Growing fruits, vegetables and herbs in your home from kitchen scraps (organic waste) is the best way as it results in high yield gain. You just need time and patience to take care of newly establishing plants by providing sufficient water and sunlight. It saves your money and time to bring groceries and fertilizers from stores. Here is the list of 20 fruits, herbs, and vegetables that you can replant and grow from the kitchen wastes such as carrot tops, lemon peels, avocado pits, onion bottoms and tomato skin that you normally through away.
Lettuce
To grow lettuce from kitchen scraps, cut the leaves below about an inch from the bottom. Place the cuttings in a bowl of water. Change water in the bowl for every 2 days and place it near the window. Watch carefully as lettuce grows quickly. After 2 weeks lettuce develops new shoots and roots at the bottom. If you leave at this point, roots become spindle. So it’s better to transplant it to outdoors.
For more information: Best way to Grow Lettuce Plant from Seed Indoors
Celery
You can easily grow celery from kitchen wastes at home. For this, you need to cut off the root end about 2 inches. Now place the cuttings in a jar of water to submerge an inch of the root end using toothpicks. Place it near sunlight for few hours a day. Change water in the jar for every couple of days. After few days you can see new stalks and small leaves establishing the center. If you provide with plenty of water then there may be chances of stalks to rot. Better to plant it in the soil before it happens.
You can use potting mix soil that is suitable to grow herbs and vegetables. Place it in soil and cover with organic matter such as compost or manure. Celery thrives in cool weather conditions when you give enough nutrients to the plants.
Avocado
Take the avocado seed and clean it with warm water. Insert 4 toothpicks into it and place it in a glass of water. Change water for every 3 days and wait for the seeds to sprout roots. Place avocado in suitable conditions; generally, prefer 60 F temperature. Now remove toothpicks to place the avocado seed in a pot containing soil with low salinity and good drainage. Keep the plant hydrated by watering at regular intervals. After few years it grows attractively with tasteful fruits.
For more information: How to Grow an Avocado Tree from Seed
Potatoes
Potatoes can be grown from its peelings. You need to have eyes on peelings. Cut the peelings and allow it to dry overnight. Simply plant them in the soil about 4 inches deep. Make sure the eyes are facing up when planted. It takes few weeks to months to grow and can harvest potatoes when the plant dies.
Ginger
Ginger is very easy to grow and propagate from cuttings. You just need to take ginger root and place it in the soil about 2-3 inches deep. Cutting should be done in such a way that each root section contains healthy nodes. Now place the entire setup in sunlight for rapid growth. As soon as the root develops you can transplant it to outdoors. Water the freshly planted ginger root to prevent it from rotting. Also, provide nutrients rich fertilizers if necessary to boost the plant growth. Though it needs little care to grow produces vibrant flavor gingers at the time of harvest.
For more information: Best Ways for Ginger Plants Can Make You Rich
Pineapple
To grow a pineapple from kitchen wastes pick up fresh pineapple and twist the leaves at the top of the crown. Place the crown in a glass of water and transfer it to the sunny site. After few days, you can see roots at the bottom of the crown. Now the crown is ready to plant in the soil.
For this prepare a pot filled with light, well-drained soil in the crown setting. Place pineapple crown in a pot under warm and sustainable conditions. Feed the plant with mulch and water regularly. Be patient as it takes years to grow pineapple fruit when you plant it in the soil.
For more information: How to Grow Pineapple Plant
Peppers
Propagating peppers is an easy way to produce new hybrid varieties from cuttings. They can survive for years when grown under suitable conditions and takes less time to grow from cuttings. To propagate peppers take 4-6 inches stem and place it in a glass of water. After few days root sprouts and shift it to outdoors. Use moist peat or sandy soil when you place it in a pot. Now place the entire setup in sunlight for a minimum of 6 hours or maintain the temperature between 60-70 F. After few weeks the plant matures and is ready to fertilize for better growth.
For more information: The Simplest Ways to Make the Best of Pepper Plants
Tomatoes
Starting tomato plants from cuttings is an excellent way as it saves your time and money. Cuttings method takes just 10-14 days to develop roots. Use a sharp knife or scissors to cut the branch and place tomato cuttings in a bottle or jar of water. Use a separate jar for each variety of cuttings. Change water for every 3 days to prevent algae and other diseases. Root sprouts and will be light colored, extended downwards into the jar.
Now place cuttings in a well-drain fertile soil. Water the plant regularly to keep the soil moist. Within 80 days it produces tomatoes that are ready to harvest.
For more information: How to Grow Tomato Indoors
Basil
It’s quite easy to propagate basil from cuttings. All you have to do is take basil cuttings and insert the cutting into a glass of water. Allow it to get proper sunlight. Change the water for every 2-3 days until the root develops. After 4 weeks root reaches a height of 2 inches.
Once it reaches a height of 2 inches or so, you can place the cuttings in a pot under direct sunlight to thrive faster. This method is very helpful when compared to seed starters as it grows quickly, saves your time and money.
For more information: The Simplest Ways to Make the Best of Basil Plants
Cilantro
If we start growing cilantro from seeds it is lengthy, time taking the process and need to be done with proper care. For those who are willing to plant cilantro needs a lot of patience. Instead, we prefer a simple method just by cutting the roots of harvested cilantro and place them in a glass of water. Change water in the glass regularly and keep it in window location. After 2-3 weeks you can see the fresh leaves grown in a well-defined manner and is ready to use now.
For more information: How to Grow Cilantro – Coriander
LemonGrass
Lemongrass just grows like regular grass. Take the leftover root in a bowl of water and leave it in sunlight. After a week you will observe a new growth and can transplant lemongrass in a pot or herb garden containing well-drain soil. You can also add organic fertilizers to the soil for high yielding. Lemongrass grows within a short duration of 7-10 days and is ready to harvest when it reaches 7-10 inches tall.
Apple
Use the delicious apple seeds to grow your own apple trees. Plant several seeds of a single apple ends up producing different apple tree varieties. Firstly dry the apple seeds and store them at room temperature i.e. 70-80 F. Plant the seeds in a pot containing rich fertile soil. Water thoroughly and provide sunlight. The seed germinates quickly and shift the plant to outdoors.
For more information: How to Grow an Apple Tree from Seed and Grafting
Cherries
You can actually grow cherry trees from the pit of cherries though it takes much time to establish a tree. For this clean the pit and cover it with a nutrient-rich soil. Keep the pit in cold areas (i.e. in the refrigerator) to germinate. It takes 3 months time to transplant outdoors.
Lemons
Lemons propagate well from cuttings that results in a great disease resistant than commercially growing lemon trees. It’s easy to propagate lemons from cuttings as you just need proper cutting conditions to grow.
Take stem cuttings about 10-15 cms long and insert the base of the cutting into a jar of water. Place it in sunlight and change water for every 2-3 days. Within a week root develops and is ready to transplant to outdoors. When you shift cuttings into the soil add mulch to keep the soil moist. This method takes less time to produce fruits with high yield than growing from seeds.
For more information: How Lemon Trees Make You a Better Garden Lover
Mushrooms
Though it’s a bit difficult process you can grow mushrooms from cuttings. Remove the mushroom caps and plant only the stalks covered with moist soil. Within few days stalks start growing. If the stalk rot then tries again with another bunch.
Garlic
Garlic is easy to grow from its clove as it is an excellent food for your health. When you buy garlic you get garlic with several cloves. Pull off any one of the clove and plant it the roots facing down into the soil. Garlic grows well in warm weather conditions as they love plenty of sunlight. Once it establishes new shoots, cut them to produce a bulb. You can use this newly established bulb to re grow again.
For more information: Best way to Grow Endless Garlic from Cloves
Carrots
To regrow carrots from kitchen scraps place a carrot top in a small bowl or container. Fill the bowl with warm water and place cut stalks facing upright. Place the bowl in sunlight and leave the base for a week. Change water for every 2 days. After few weeks you can see the tiny yellow leaves around the center of the base that grows thick and turns dark green. Now plant the tops in soil carefully by covering the shoots.
Onions
Onions grow easily in both indoors and outdoors. For this, you need to cut the root layer of onions and leave a half inch. Cover it with potting soil or place it in a glass of water and in a sunny site. Change water for every few days and continue to grow. Once root appears to remove the bottom onion and allow the roots to grow.
Pumpkins
Pumpkins are a great snack and can grow your own pumpkins by planting seeds in the grounds. Just spread the seeds and cover the seeds using moist potting mix soil at outdoors. You can also plant entire pumpkin by burying it in the ground. Provide water and sunlight. You can also add fertilizers to boost the plant growth.
Bean sprouts
Bean sprouts are more nutritious than original beans and require less time to cook. You can grow your own bean sprouts very easily. Soak a tablespoon of beans in a jar filled with water and leave it overnight. Remove water and place beans in an empty container. Rinse the beans with a towel and repeat the procedure for few more days until you see new sprouts to grow.
Start growing wonderful herbs, fruits & vegetables using kitchen scraps that produce tasty fruits, improves your health and adds beauty to your garden. If you have amazing ideas about growing fruits & vegetables in your home, please share your experience with us.
Recommended Readings:
- Rock trumpet plant – How to Care Mandevilla Vine plant in your Home and Garden
- How to Care for Air-purifying Snake Plant in Pots
- How Long does Hardy Cashew Nuts Grow from Seeds
- Rhapis Palm Care: How to Grow and Care for the Lady Palm Plant
- Peperomia Plant – How Did Radiator Plants Become the Best? Find Out.
Leave a Reply