Growing something green is an experience every child should have. From planting a seed to pruning a plant that’s full and blooming, there are a lot of lessons that can be had from the lifecycle of a plant. Besides heading to the store and picking up a few seeds, why not get a little thrifty and try growing a plant from scraps you may already have. Here are some plants that will grow from scraps.
Celery
Celery is actually very easy to grow due to its forgiving nature. Simply snip the base off your stalks and soak it in a bowl, cut side up, with a little warm water. Place the dish in direct sunlight and change the water every other day or so. After about a week you should start to see leaves growing from the base, at this point you can place your celery into a pot filled with potting soil (choose soil that is pesticide free and designed for vegetables if possible) and wait for it to sprout.
Cherries
A cherry tree, of course, is not something you can grow in a weekend. However, it can be very rewarding once you harvest your first crop. To get started, simply clean the pits you have left over from cherries you’ve already enjoyed. Place the pits into a lidded container of soil and place in the refrigerator. After about three months you can plant your pits in the dirt outside.
Potatoes
This is another plant that won’t give you a hard time. If you have some potatoes that have begun to grow eyes, cut them in half making sure each half has at least one to two eyes. Let the potato pieces dry out overnight and then plant in soil, eyes facing up, about eight inches apart.
Pineapple
This sweet fruit is a little trickier to get going, but it’s so worth it. First, cut the crown off and remove a few layers of leaves from the bottom to expose the base. Next, stick a few toothpicks into the bottom to suspend over a bowl of water placed in direct sunlight. Change the water every other day to make sure that it’s filled and the water just touches the base of your pineapple crown. If it’s warm enough, place the bowl with the pineapple crown outside. After a few weeks you should have roots and once they are large enough you can pant the crown, roots down.
Onions
Onions are one of those plants that are going to grow with or without your help. If you want to start your own little crop, simply cut the root of the onion, leaving about a half an inch of onion, then plant in a sunny place and the onion will do the rest.
Apples
Apples are very strange fruit indeed. Not only can you plant one type of apple seed and a different variety of apple tree grow altogether, but you also need to plant more than one tree for them to grow healthy. To get started, dry out some seeds from an apple then plant in dirt. Easy enough.
Lettuce
If you enjoy a nice salad, growing your own lettuce might save you a little money over time. To start your crop, begin by collecting the stem from a head of lettuce and placing it in a dish filled with about a ½ inch of water. Place your lettuce in direct sunlight, changing the water every other day. After about 11 days, you will have edible lettuce leaves. It won’t be much, but it’s fun and quick if you’re looking for a fast experiment for the kids.
There are a surprising number of fruits and vegetables you can regrow from what you already have. And not only is growing your own food fun and healthy, it may even help you stretch your grocery money a little.
