It’s a great idea – and it is very practical. You can grow your own nutritious vegetables or herbs by re-using the scraps you would normally throw away. You can do this even if you don’t have have an ample growing area around your home. Local gardening supply would no doubt carry various types of planters with or without special lighting suitable for window or indoor gardening. The following article covers some of the many possibilities.
If you are a frugal gardener, you’ll love this idea. How about growing your garden this year from food scraps? Some of the easiest and most inexpensive plants to grow are from things that might otherwise end up in the trash can, so instead, why not use them to make some delicious, healthful crops you can enjoy with your family and friends? Following are 5 foods to easily grow from stuff you normally just throw out. Time to fill your belly with nutritious, nutrient-dense food.
- 1. You know the root ends you usually chop off of green onions before adding them to your favorite dish? Instead of ditching them, soak the roots in a container of water, leaving a short shaft of green above the water line in about an inch of clean water, and place them in the sun. As the plants grow taller, keep the water level higher. The roots will grow longer too, and in a few weeks you can transplant them to your garden to grow a whole new batch of green onions for your next gourmet delicacy, as the green part usually utilized in cooking grows back!
- 2. Before throwing away the root base of your celery – another part of food we often dispose of – think again and save it. Set the base in a glass of shallow water, and in about a week you will see new celery shoots growing out of the center of the stock. I’ve started new celery in a kitchen window many times, and transplanted it to my garden once it starts to grow a few inches high. Suddenly it is now a brand new plant. Just make sure you plant once you start to see the outer stalks deteriorate. Celery likes cooler weather, so if it is too hot outside, you can transplant to a pot in your kitchen or by a sunny window in your home as well.
- 3. Stop buying baby carrots, which are really just smashed up carrots reformed into little bit-sized pieces, and purchase organic carrots with the ‘tops’ still on. Use that green to re-grow some new carrots – well the greens, anyhow, which are actually very nutritious. You can’t re-grow an actual carrot, since you are eating the root of the plant when you consume them, but you can re-grow the carrot green tops using a little water, some sunlight, and a clear, shallow dish. Beet and turnip greens can be grown similarly.
- 4. The next time you buy fresh ginger, don’t fret if you don’t think you’ll use all of it before it goes to waste. Instead, plant it, and grow even more fresh ginger. Just plant the newest buds (they kind of look like little eyes forming on the stalk) of the ginger facing up in potting soil. Find a nice rhizome from the store, use some to spice up a fresh juice or delicious dish, and then plant the remaining section.
- 5. If you love summer and spring salads, try re-growing new romaine lettuce leaves from the heart. The next time you chop up a head of romaine lettuce for salad, hang on to the very bottom. The “heart” can be placed in a pan of water and with a little time, will eventually sprout a whole new head of lettuce, ready to harvest, eat, and repeat the process. Lettuce is a great food to have around, and you can save quite a bit re-growing your own, especially since organic prices are usually higher than conventionally grown for most produce.
You can also grow potatoes, garlic that’s started to sprout, turmeric, pineapple, and red and white onions. Save a bundle on grocery shopping, and grow your own organic food from scraps.
Here is a great indoor planter, it adheres to everything from fire escapes to kitchen walls!
- Easy to hang
- Modular
- Self Watering
- Made in USA
- Eco-Friendly
All new Woolly Reimagined Living Wall Planter! The new modular design features a hard vented shell, a sturdy shape and is equipped with a self-watering tank, all designed to make planting easier! SIMPLE TO HANG. Simply attach tank, plant planter, then hang planter. Hardware included. Easy fasteners that work on masonry, drywall, sheetrock, wood and metal walls and vertical surfaces. Extra quick and easy plant exchange. May be planted and replanted while planters are hanging on wall.
Click below for a better look!
You can check out a different style here:
article credit: http://naturalsociety.com/grow-garden-garbage-5-things-plant-food-scraps/#ixzz30gr6VesG
photo credit: http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s–CmU9kIxM–/c_fit,fl_progressive,q_80,w_636/18io2nfzhsky9jpg.jpg
