There are lots of vegetables and herbs that can be regrown from scraps in a glass of water, helping you to divert waste and save money. Read on as Diana from @growingvegetablesdownunder explains what scraps you can regrow and how to do it properly.
Important: For biosecurity reasons, it's imperative that you only ever regrow scraps from food grown in Australia.
Option 1: Scraps that already have roots
The first and the easiest way to regrow scraps is to put plants which already have roots in some water. For example, if you need to buy a lettuce, purchase one with roots attached to it. When you get home, pop your lettuce into a jar of water. Harvest leaf by leaf, or chop all the leaves off with a sharp knife, leaving about 3cm of lettuce left above the roots. In about 48 hours, you will see the lettuce starting to regrow! Refresh the water daily.
Option 2: Scraps that will regrow roots and leaves
The second way is to place plants that will regrow roots and leaves in water. Be warned, sometimes the scraps rot before they sprout. It's not that you did anything wrong, it just didn't work out this time. Don't be disheartened and try again. Some veggie and herb scraps that will regrow roots and leaves include:
- Potatoes
- Sweet Potatoes
- Onions, leeks and shallots
- Celery
- Bulb fennel
- Lettuce, bok choi and other leafy greens
- Cabbages
- Basil, mint, cilantro and other herbs
For potatoes, sweet potatoes, celery, leafy greens, cabbage and fennel, place the vegetable in water with about 3/4 of the plant out of water. Note, potatoes don't need to be sprouted in water. You can simply place them straight into soil and water. For onions, leeks and shallots, place the roots only in water. Even if there are only a few roots they will sprout more. For herbs, place stems with 2 leaves only in about 2cm of water.
Buy organic and heirloom vegetable and herb seeds here >
Where to regrow your scraps
Place the veggie and herb scraps you are regrowing in water in an area that gets part
sun. Too much sunlight may cause the plant to become stressed and die, but a little sun is needed for the plant to photosynthesise. Refresh the water daily. Over the next few days you will start to see the plant regrow. Once the plant has sprouted new growth, Diana recommends planting it into the garden. Be sure to water it daily while it continues to establish.
Want more sustainable vegetable gardening inspiration?
Follow Diana on Facebook and Instagram: @growingvegetablesdownunder And visit Diana's website here: www.growingvegetablesdownunder.com
Where to buy organic vegetable and herb seeds
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