20 Food Scraps That You Can Easily Grow Into A New Plant
Save Money On Groceries, Become A Plant Momma
Why buy an ingredient over and over again when you can just buy it once? Many of our favorite staples of the produce aisle are actually quite easy to regrow from their very own scraps. Here are 20 of them and how to do it.
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1. Green Onions
Next time you're chopping up green onions for a recipe, don't throw away the bulbs. Stand them up, root side down in a glass of water. In as little as a few days, you'll see new green sprouts.
2. Potatoes
You know that weird little nub that grows from potatoes sometimes? Most people just cut them off and chuck them out but if you plant them in soil, they can grow into a brand new potato.
3. Ginger
Ginger is one of the easiest vegetables to regrow from scraps. Just take a small chunk and place it in soil with the buds facing upward. One week later, you should have a whole new ginger root.
4. Garlic
To regrow garlic, you'll unfortunately need to sacrifice a clove. Just break it apart gently, place it in soil pointy side up, and watch the magic happen.
5. Celery
Next time you're cooking with celery, don't throw away the base of the stalk. Instead, place it in some warm water with the cut part facing up. Pretty soon, new leaves should start to appear.
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6. Fennel
Fennel bulbs can be regrown using a similar process to celery. Just place the base of the bulb in a shallow dish of water and watch for new growth. When you spot some sprouts, plant the bulb in soil.
7. Pineapple
Although it may take some time, you can grow yourself a whole new pineapple plant! Just cut off the top, dry it out for a few days, place it in water for it to propagate, then plant it in soil.
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8. Avocado
Imagine having avocado toast every day and not having to pay $20 for it at a hipster cafe. Well, you can! Just take an avocado pit, put toothpicks in the sides, submerge the bottom in water, wait for it to sprout new roots and a stem, and plant it in soil.
9. Basil
This tasty herb is extremely simple to regrow. Just take a stem, place it in some water, watch for new growth, and plant it in soil.
10. Carrots
Don't throw out those carrot tops! Put them cut side down in some water. Eventually, new roots will grow which you can go ahead and eat or plant in soil.
11. Lemongrass
Considering how tricky it is to find in North America, you'll be happy to learn that you can regrow lemongrass easily from the scraps. Just place the root of the stalk in some water and wait for new growth, at which point it can be planted in soil.
12. Lettuce
No more buying spring mix at the grocery store only to have it go bad in the fridge. You can plant your own lettuce with just a few leaves. Just place the stems in some water and wait for them to propogate.
13. Leeks
Leeks regrow when you place the root ends in some water. Once you see new sprouts forming you can plant them in soil.
14. Strawberries
Finally, some way to use up those green leaves you cut off strawberries. Just plant them in some soil and eventually a new plant will form. Alternatively, you can take those little seeds, dry them, and place them in soil.
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15. Papaya
This premium tropical fruit actually grows pretty easily from its seeds. After you finish one off, just save the seeds, clean them, and plant them in soil.
16. Tomatoes
Another plant that grows from its own seeds is the tomato. Just collect the seeds and dry them before planting them in soil. It also works to take a cutting from another tomato plant and propagate it in water.
17. Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes grow differently from regular potatoes or other root veggies, but are just as easy. Cut one in half and place the halves cut side down in some water and wait for them to grow vines. At this point you can plant them in soil.
18. Bell Peppers
Next time you're snacking on a bell pepper, save the seeds. You can plant them in soil and grow a whole new pepper plant.
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19. Turmeric
This immune-boosting superfood can be regrown just as easily as ginger. Choose a piece that has an eye like a potato, let the chunk dry out, and plant it in soil.
20. Chili Peppers
Being careful not to touch your eyes, separate the seeds from a chili pepper. Those seeds can be planted in soil to create a whole new plant.
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