Growing your produce from food scraps can be the most rewarding and sustainable way to enjoy fresh fruits & vegetables. It saves you money and is a fun activity that yields delicious, healthy ingredients for use in all of your favorite recipes! Want to get started on this homesteading adventure?
Here are our top tips for growing your produce from little more than food waste—it’s easier (and more satisfying) than you might think!
Let’s Get Started!
1. Start with Easy-to-Grow Vegetables:
The best vegetables to grow from food scraps usually come with their own “starter kit.” For example, celery and lettuce hearts can be planted directly into the soil after being cut off at the bottom; this process will cause them to regrow in just a few days. Other vegetable scraps like carrot tops, garlic cloves, and onions can also be planted in soil for a complete regrowth of their respective plants.
2. Collect Containers:
If you don’t have access to an outdoor garden plot or raised bed, it’s still possible to grow your produce indoors! All you need is some containers for growing – either repurposed coffee cans or plastic flower pots work great – plus a good potting mix, such as Miracle-Gro Potting Mix. Fill each container about two-thirds full of potting mix and thoroughly water it before planting any seedlings or cuttings.
3. Plant Your Scraps:
Once your containers are ready, it’s time to add your food scraps! Place the desired item(s) – such as celery hearts, onion slices, potato pieces, etc. – into the container with a bit of soil around them. Make sure they are covered entirely by the soil, so they don’t dry out too quickly, and water regularly until they sprout—it should only take a few days!
4. Provide Adequate Lighting:
Like all other plants, fruits & veggies grown from food scraps will need adequate light to thrive indoors – unless you plan on transferring them outdoors once they reach maturity (which is perfectly fine). Place your containers near a bright window if possible; if not available, then investing in an LED grow light may prove beneficial for ensuring proper lighting conditions year-round (particularly during winter months).
5. Harvest Time:
After several weeks of nurturing your new plantings through regular watering and light exposure, you should notice growth beginning around the 3-week mark — depending on which product is being grown — followed quickly by harvest time! Enjoy the bounty of fresh fruits & veggies that were once nothing more than scrap materials thrown away; there is something special about growing something so nutritious out of virtually nothing!
6. Store Your Produce Properly:
After harvesting your homegrown produce, it’s essential to properly store them so that no nutrients or flavors are lost over time — especially for items already past their peak ripeness when planted initially (such as bananas). Research the best ways to store different types of produce according to their unique needs, whether dehydrating herbs for later use or prepping potatoes for longer shelf life – correctly storing homegrown produce can extend its lifespan significantly beyond what was expected originally!
7. Replant & Repeat:
The beauty of growing fruits & vegetables from food scraps is that most can be reused multiple times before needing replacement materials – keep replanting the same produce parts until they stop sprouting! Additionally, certain types can even spread themselves naturally without any extra effort; basil plants are one example – clip off what you need when harvesting and let the rest continue spreading throughout its designated area until ready for another picking session!
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Now that you know how to grow your produce from food scraps, what are you waiting for? This sustainable and rewarding activity yields delicious, healthy ingredients that can be used in your favorite recipes. And it’s easier (and more satisfying) than you might think!
If you need some inspiration for ways to use up your fresh fruits and vegetables, be sure to sign up for our weekly email newsletter. You’ll receive new recipes in your inbox—it’s the perfect way to make the most of your homegrown produce!
Happy Gardening!
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