Economical and environmentally friendly: 10 ways to re-grow vegetables and herbs
'19.05.2022'
Source: Don't Waste The Crumbs
Do not rush to throw in the trash what seems to you to be waste after eating vegetables and herbs. Perhaps this “waste” is a completely viable part of the plant that can be grown again and again get a full crop. Project Don't Waste The Crumbs tells how to do it without fussing with soil and fertilizers. Only water and a suitable container are needed.
What does it do?
There are many reasons to grow food. Here are the most important ones.
- It's absolutely free. You have already bought vegetables or herbs. All you need to re-harvest is water.
- This allows you to save money and reduces the budget for buying a new serving of food. Small ways to save money really make big savings if you use them diligently. Yes, you will not get a huge harvest from any of these products, but it is still food, and every bite is important. Even if it is a few lettuce leaves that you add to a large salad of other vegetables and fruits, you do not have to buy these leaves.
- This makes organic food more accessible. If you start with organic products, you will grow them and you won't have to pay anything for it!
- It's easy: put the plant in water and watch the progress - what could be easier?
General guidelines for growing food in water
You don't need a lot of water - just cover the roots. About half an inch (a little over 1 cm) of water may be enough, otherwise the product may become moldy or slimy.
Be sure to test the water every 2-3 days to make sure that a) there is enough of it and b) pieces or leaves are not falling off and left to rot in your bowl or pan.
The size of the container should match the size of the product you are growing. Salad and celery grow best in shallow bowls, bowls or bowls in size. Chives and lemongrass can be in taller and thinner glasses.
10 ways to grow food in water and suitable products
Bok choy
Cut off the bottom of the stem and place it in a small bowl of water. New growth will start from the center in 1-2 days and will be very noticeable in a week!
Cabbage
Place the bottom of the root in a shallow bowl of water and watch it grow back from the center. Be sure to harvest on the smaller side to get the best taste.
"Tops" of carrots
You can't grow real carrots at home in water, but it's possible to grow carrot tops! Put the cut bottom of a carrot in a shallow bowl of water and pick the greens as they grow, add to salads. These leaves make an excellent pesto sauce.
Celery
Cut off the bottom about 2 inches (5 cm) thick and place it in a small bowl of water. New growth will start from the center in 3-4 days. It may take some time to grow a full stalk of celery. If you don't know what to do with the leaves, dry them and grind them into a powder.
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Dill
Cut the bottom of the base about an inch (2,5 cm) so that the roots are not affected, and place in a small bowl of water.
Garlic
Garlic feathers are greens grown from garlic cloves that can be added to dishes where green onions are traditionally present (wonders well with salads and baked potatoes). Place a clove of garlic in a small cup and add water to the bottom without submerging the whole clove. Roots will grow in a few days, and soon feathers will appear.
Tip: Garlic starts to lose its pungent flavor as the shoots grow, so if you find a “floating” clove of garlic or a whole head in the refrigerator, place it in a cup of water instead of throwing it away!
Green onions
Use the lower white part of the onion with roots that are not yet damaged. Put in a glass of water, and you will have an endless supply of fresh green onions!
Leek
Cut off the bottom of the stem 2-3 inches (5-7,5 cm) and place in a cup of water. New growth will start from the center. Usually, only the green part of the leek is used in cooking, you can replace it with a regular onion in any dishes.
Lemongrass
Cut the bottom of the stem 2-3 inches (5-7,5 cm) and place it in a tall container with half an inch (a little over 1 cm) of water. New shoots of lemongrass will grow from the center.
Lettuce Salad
Cut off the bottom of the head of lettuce and place it in a small bowl of water. New growth will start from the center in just 3 days, and in 2 weeks you will have a new lettuce half. Romaine can be successfully grown, as well as green and red leaf lettuce.
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There are also foods that can be germinated in water, but should later be transplanted into soil before full growth and harvest:
- avocado;
- basil;
- beet;
- kinza;
- ginger;
- mint;
- mushrooms;
- onions (white / yellow / red);
- parsnip;
- a pineapple;
- potatoes;
- rosemary;
- sweet potato;
- turnip.
And of course, you can save seeds/pits from apples, cherries, lemons, nectarines, peaches, peppers (sweet and hot), plums, pumpkins, and tomatoes to grow your own new vegetables!
