Don’t have a garden? Or no space to grow? Next week I will go explain how to use recycled bottles for planting systems.Imagine having an unlimited supply of your family’s favourite produce. Incidentally, produce is often one the most expensive items on most grocery lists so anything that you can cut down will help you to tremendously curb that grocery expense.

Plants You Can Grow From Table Scraps

Below I have listed 16 plants you can grow from Table scraps: 1. Tomatoes:  This for me was probably the easiest to grow. When you cut tomatoes for your salad or meal, there are generally pips that are left on your cutting board which most of us wash off. Instead of doing this take seeds and wrap them in tissue paper, keep them wrapped up and wet in a container for 1 – 2 weeks. When you see the seeds sprouting you can plant them. Remember Tomatoes like their space. 2. Cucumbers: Works the same as above difference being in sprouting time takes 3 – 4 weeks before you see it sprouting. Remember: Cucumbers love warm weather and grow at night when the temperature is above 18C. If the temperatures fall below that protect them with floating row covers. 3. Onions: Most of us cut the top and bottom off the onion and take skin off and throw it away. Instead of throwing away “butt” put in a container with water for a week then plant in a container about 30mm deep. Mine has stated sprouting a week into planting in my container system. 4. Pumpkin seeds: Instead of throwing seeds away, rinse them and fold into tissue. Putting these seeds in a glass container with lid helps speed up the sprouting. Once you see the sprouts forming plant in container. These seeds take a bit longer to grow once planted. I planted 3 weeks ago, and they are only surfacing now. 4. Avocados: Wash the avocado pit and use toothpicks to suspend the giant seed over a few inches of water. The water should be just high enough to cover the bottom inch of the seed. Keep the seed in a warm area without direct sunlight and check daily to top off the water as needed. After roughly six weeks, you should see a shoot and roots form. Trim the sprout down to three inches after it reaches six inches tall. Once it has leaves again, plant in rich soil and full sunlight. This tree does best in warm, moderately humid, sunny areas. 6. Bean Sprouts: Soak a tablespoon or so of your chosen bean variety overnight. In the morning, drain the bean sprouts and then put them back into the jar or container. Cover the jar with a towel and rinse them again the next morning. Repeat until the sprouts reach your desired size. The same procedure works for wheat berries. 7. Bok Choy, Lettuce, and Cabbage: Take the “butt” of the bok choy/lettuce or cabbage and place it in a bowl of shallow water in good sunlight. Mist the top of the growing plant every few days. Transfer the bok choy to a pot or garden when roots begin to grow (generally 3-4 days). 8. Celery: Take the bottom of the celery and put it in a bowl of warm water — just like for bok choy, cabbage, or lettuce. Wait for the leaves around the base to thicken and transfer to a pot or garden after about a week. 9. Garlic: Take a single clove of garlic from a bulb and plant with the root side facing downwards. Garlic likes full sun. Trim the shoots as they grow to encourage the plant to produce a bulb. 10. Ginger: This spicy root is quite easy to grow from the leftovers. Since many of us almost inevitably end up with some extra ginger when we use it, why not put it to use? Simply bury the ginger root in soil with the dimply sprouts facing up. You’ll notice new roots and shoots within a week or so. You can quickly have nearly endless ginger supply by pulling, using, and re-planting the root over and over. 11. Pineapple: You can grow your own pineapple even if you don’t live in the tropics. You just cut the top off and insert a few toothpicks to hold it above a container filled with water. Keep the container in direct sunlight. If it is warm outside, sit it on the porch or deck during the day and bring it in at night. Remember to change the water every other day or so and keep the container filled so that it reaches just about the base. You will notice roots in about a week or so and once they are formed you can transplant into potting soil. 12. Green Onion: Place the base of a green onion in a container of water in direct sunlight. Ensure you’ve left the roots attached. Trim the green onions whenever you like and change the water every few days. 13. Herbs: Many herbs, including basil and cilantro, will grow if you place a four- inch stalk into water with the leaves above water. Transplant to a herb garden when leaves appear. 14. Potatoes: The peelings or a chunk of potato with “eyes” can be grown into a new potato. Look for pimple-like brown bumps on the outside. Then dry the chunks or peelings from the spud overnight. Plant them four inches deep with the “eyes” facing up, and you’ll see green sprouts above ground in a few weeks. 12. Lemongrass: Lemongrass will grow just like regular grass. You just place the root that is leftover in a glass bowl or jar with enough water to cover it and leave it in the sunlight. After about a week, you will notice new growth and when this happens you can transplant your lemongrass in a pot or in your herb garden 16. Root plants, turnips: These plants grow well from clippings or leftover scraps. You just need to salvage the tops of the turnip and place in a container of water. You should notice new green tops growing in just a few days after you begin. Just allow the root to continue growing until it’s ready to be transplanted in the ground Don’t have a garden? Or no space to grow? Next week I will go explain how to use recycled bottles for planting systems.