Are you eager to start planting your garden, but don’t have any seeds on hand? Look no further than your kitchen scraps! It is as simple as placing the root end of the vegetable or herb in a dish with shallow water. The only materials you need are a shallow bowl or plastic takeout container, tooth picks, water, and vegetable scraps. This is an excellent way to decrease your food waste, save money on groceries,
and learn about the life cycle of a plant.

Spring onions, shallots, celery, herbs, bulb fennel, many lettuces and leafy greens sprout quickly. To re-grow these vegetables, place the base of the bulb or stem in shallow water. You don’t want to completely submerge the vegetable, just about a centimeter of water in the dish is all you need. Sweet potatoes, potatoes, turnips, carrots, and beets may take a bit longer to sprout roots. Tooth picks can be helpful to suspend the vegetables over the water so they are not totally submerged in the water. For the potatoes, place the eye in the water. For the others, place the cut side down in the water, with the tops (where the leafy greens grow out) out of the water. Once your vegetable scraps are “planted” in the water, keep them in a sunny window or in a room with lots of bright light. As the water evaporates, refill
the dish with fresh water. After roots grow and green sprouts form on top, they are ready to be transplanted in your garden.

Written by Maren Jensen, Ability Garden Program Assistant