Throwing out food waste is the worst! Some kitchen scraps are great for adding to compost, but most of the time we chuck out the seeds, pits and cuttings that are actually still viable and able to regrow.
Plants have a fascinating ability to regenerate missing bits, and this blog will help you to make the most of these, saving you some money in the process.
Lettuce
Lettuce and cabbage are fairly easy to grow from scraps. Left over leaves can be placed in a bowl with a bit of water for a few days. The leaves will need to get good sunlight and the occasional misting with water.
Once new shoots and leaves begin to sprout, you can transfer your leaves in soil.
Celery
The base of the celery is often discarded as waste, but in actual fact can be easily regrown. Place the base of the celery in a bowl with a bit of warm water. Leave the bowl in direct sunlight as long as possible.
It will take around a week, but you should see the leaves begin to thicken and grow around the base. When this happens, you’re ready to transfer your celery to the soil.
Legumes – lentils and beans
I’m sure we can all remember sprouting beans in cotton wool for school. The good news is that this is a great way to regrow from all legumes except split peas!
Lentils and beans can be sprouted easily as a nutritious addition to sandwiches and salads.
Soak a table spoon of beans or lentils in shallow water overnight. In the morning, drain the water off, return the beans to the container, and cover with a wet towel. In the morning, rinse the beans or lentils again, and repeat.
Keep doing this until the sprouts appear and reach your desired size.
Garlic
To regrow garlic, all you require is one clove. Plant the clove roots down in potting soil. Leave your garlic in a place where it will receive plenty of direct sunlight.
When you notice new shoots appearing, cut these back, so that a new bulb will begin to form.
Pumpkin
Save a few seeds from a pumpkin and scatter them outdoors in a sunny area. Cover the seeds with soil. Pretty soon you should see some growing occurring!
Peppers
Chilli and other peppers can easily be grown from seeds. Simply plant the seeds in potting soil and leave them in direct sunlight.
Peppers are relatively fast growing, so you should see them sprout quite quickly. After that, they don’t really require too much care.
Tomatoes
With winter on its way, its nice to know that you can still grow your own tomatoes indoors. Simply save a few seeds, rinse them, and allow them to dry.
Plant your seeds in potting soil, and when you notice the seedlings are a few centimetres high, you can either plant them outdoors, or move them to an indoor area that receives plenty of sun.
Herbs – Basil and Coriander
To regrow basil and coriander, you’ll need one stem about 4 inches long. Place the stem in a glass of water, keeping the leaves well away from the surface of the water. Leave the glass in a sunny spot, but not in direct sunlight. Once new shoots have formed, replant into soil.
Root Veggies – Carrots, Potatoes, Turnips
Those potato skins you usually chuck out? These can be used to grow new spuds! Potato peels with the eyes on them can be left out to dry over night and then simply planted into the soil, eyes facing up, about 4 inches below the surface.
Growing carrots from discarded crowns is also super easy. Place the crown, cut-side down, in a shallow saucer of water. Place the dish in a windowsill and keep an eye out for new sprouts.
The same procedure as growing carrots works on other root veggies too, like turnips and parsnips.
