Bringing home fresh fruits and veggies from your favorite farmers market each week is a great way to eat and feel your best -- but what if you could make those fresh market finds last even longer? It’s possible to regrow tons of different fruits and veggies right from the bits and scraps left over from your market haul. Here are just a few in-season items to give a crack at regrowing:
1. Strawberries
Strawberries are known to be tricky to grow at home, but with a little research and practice the results will feel rewarding. It’s always important to keep in mind what type of strawberry you are trying to grow, because each type has a different growing process.
All you need to get started is some seeds from your leftover strawberries, lots of sunlight, a little pot, and a soilless mix or high-quality potting soil mixed with vermiculite as your growing medium. To know more about when, where and how to properly plant strawberry seeds, click here.
2. Romaine lettuce leaves
Regrowing romaine lettuce leaves can be an easy beginner project to tackle, and it takes about 10 to 20 days for them to grow completely. All you need is a bowl filled halfway with water, the bottom of a romaine lettuce heart, and plenty of sunshine.
You won’t end up with a whole new head, but you’ll get enough leaves to use on sandwiches. To learn more and see in-depth instructions, click here.
3. Celery
Celery is a little more advanced than growing a few lettuce leaves, but with patience and diligence, a few more celery stalks can reappear in time. It should take approximately five to seven days for roots to appear, and all that’s needed is a plate of water and a bunch of sunlight for the roots to start growing again.
Remember to place the root of the celery face-down on the plate of water, and to transfer it over to soil once roots start to appear.
Learn more about the entire celery regrowing process here.
4. Potatoes
This regrowing journey takes a little longer than others on this list, but it’s easy to get it started. Instead of throwing away potatoes that are presumed to be spoiled, cut into them several times and plant the entire potato into the ground or a pot full of soil. Whole new potatoes should start to show after a few months.
Learn more about regrowing potatoes here while they’re still in season.
5. Garlic
This vegetable is easy to regrow, and can potentially produce clove sprouts and whole new heads if desired. Keep in mind there are slight differences in the process depending on which result is wanted, but overall this shouldn't be too difficult to regrow from your garlic scraps.
It can take three to five days for the green tops to sprout, and take several months for a new head to grow.
All that’s required for the regrowth process is a small glass filled with water, and an old garlic clove growing a green top out of it.
Click here for more details and complete instructions for regrowing garlic.
Here at Double Up Food Bucks Arizona, we love finding ways to help you stretch your food dollars and eat more fresh produce. Regrowing your grocery scraps is great for your wallet, your green thumb, and the environment. Share a picture on our Facebook page or in the comments if you try out any of these techniques!
