There are various vegetables and herbs that are staples in almost every meal. Normally, this means you’d have to buy them. Although produce is relatively cheap, continuously buying it means that costs add up over time. That’s why I’ve chosen to take a different route and plant whatever I can so that I can grow my own produce and save money each time I go to the grocery store. Here’s a list of vegetables and herbs that only need planting once, and will keep re-growing forever:
1. Garlic
Sprouting garlic is just too bitter to cook with, but you shouldn’t throw the sprouts away – put them in a glass of water and leave them to grow instead. They are much milder on the palate than garlic cloves, and make a fantastic complement to salads, pasta, or even used as a garnish.
2. Carrot Greens
The usual thing to do with the ends of carrots is to throw them in the garbage. Try placing them in a plastic container with a little water, leaving new greens to sprout out of them. Once they have grown, use as a garnish or in salads.
3. Basil
Take some basil stems that are approximately four inches in length and place in a glass of water. Leave in direct sunlight until roots that are about two inches long begin to sprout from them. At this point, plant in a pot to grow a full basil plant.
4. Scallions
Re-grow a full scallion in just five days by using leftover scraps. Leave about an inch above the roots and place in a small glass of water. They’ll grow to their full size very rapidly.
5. Romaine Lettuce
If you happen to have a stem from a romaine lettuce that’s still intact, place the stump in a bowl filled with approximately half an inch of water. Leave it on a windowsill in your home and you’ll see new leaves in as little as two weeks. The lettuce will be fully regrown in three to four weeks.
6. Bok Choy
The process of growing fresh bok choy is similar to romaine lettuce. Simply place a root end in water and leave in a well-lit place in your home. Leave it for a week or two and then place it in a pot with soil to re-grow.
7. Onions
You have two options with onions – you can place both a root and vegetable end in a pot with soil. You also have two options in terms of when you eat them – harvest early for fresh, green onions, or leave the bulbs to develop fully before harvesting.
8. Ginger
Just like onions, ginger root can be planted in soil to re-grow, but it can take a lot longer to sprout. In fact, it can take a few months, and a fully-grown bulb can only be harvested in some 8 to 10 months.
9. Mushrooms
Keep hold of any leftover mushroom stalks and plant them in soil with some compost or used coffee grounds. Once you've done that, make sure you keep them in a moist and cool environment. If you've planted them correctly, you should be able to see new stems sprouting within a few days.
Place cilantro stems in a glass of water and leave them on a sunny windowsill in your home. Leave them to grow sufficiently long enough to plant in a pot. New sprigs will begin to appear in just a few weeks, and the plant should be full within a few months.
Content Source: WonderHowTo
