Family eating you out of house and home? Try growing fresh produce from scraps. Watch the regenerative power of plants before your very eyes! Plus, you may be able to save a couple of bucks at the grocery store. Many vegetables and herbs are easy to grow at home using scraps. Though, there are some specific guidelines to follow, all require containers, water, potting soil and pots for planting.

Try your hand at growing the following produce items:

Garlic and green onions

• Place root end in a small container with ½” of water. Be careful to not submerge the top of the clove or bulb
• Keep the water fresh
• Once roots are about 4 inches long, repot in a soil and place in a windowsill. Make sure leaves are well above the soil line.

Note: Green onions leaves can continuously be snipped and regrown for continued use. Garlic greens can be used similarly to chives or green onions. You will likely not grow a full clove of garlic for quite some time, if ever.

Leafy greens such as lettuce, bok choy or cabbage

• Cut off the base of the produce. Remaining pieces should be 1 inch thick.
• Place this piece in a shallow saucer and fill with ½” of water. Place in a sunny windowsill and refresh water regularly.
• Transplant into soil once roots are evident. Cover roots and base with soil but leafy top should stay exposed. Keep soil moist.

Note: Continue to harvest leaves as they grow.

Root plants such as turnips and parsnips

• When choosing which ones to plant, select a turnip or parsnip with an established “tail”. Use the entire root.
• If greens are still attached, cut off leaves and leave less than an inch of growth, leaving only a short stub.
• Plant directly in soil, with leafy stub visibly above the soil line.
• Place in a bright window with full sun.

Mature bulb onions

• Cut off 1 inch off the bottom of the onion, where there are visible roots. Place the roots down in soil.
• Once roots establish, remove the old onion bulb from the pot and let roots grow.