Everything You Need To Know About Scrap Gardening

My daughter called me a few weeks ago, and during the conversation, she told me that she had a lot of vegetable scraps from her cooking.

I immediately suggested that she take up scrap gardening. After all, that’s how I began gardening all those years ago. Jessica was never too keen on gardening, but she seems pretty curious now that she’s got time.

You can begin with a pretty good scrap garden if you’ve got scraps from carrots, bell pepper, and herbs. I kept a pretty good scrap garden with basil, tomatoes, and rosemary a few years ago.

Hi everyone! I’m Stacy Smith, Tyler’s resident gardening expert. And today, I’m going to answer all the questions you have on scrap gardening.

So, without further ado, let’s begin!

Types Of Scrap Gardening

Growing Herbs From Sprigs

You can’t expect a garden to sprout from just about anything you throw away. Some veggies need an additional boost before you can expect them to flourish. One of the easiest veggies you can regrow in your kitchen is herbs. In fact, you can regrow just about any herb, provided the technique is proper.

Herbs like basil, cilantro, rosemary, and even mint can be grown quickly at home. I would recommend starting with some mint because it grows relatively quickly. All you need to do is cut the stem at least 4 inches long and place it in a glass of water. That said, for some herbs like rosemary and basil, you may need to be a tad more persuasive.

When the roots start forming, plant them in your garden or a pot on your kitchen window. While placing the stem in water, make sure the leaves don’t get submerged. Lastly, the stem needs to be in a bright area.

Growing Greens From Scraps

I’m pretty sure that some of you folks wouldn’t care much for cabbages, bok choy, or celery. They’re the kind of stuff my husband calls rabbit food. However, they’re quite nutritious and you can grow them at home with a bit of coaxing.

Just place the bottom core of vegetables like cabbage, lettuce, celery, or bok choy in shallow water dishes. They need to be kept in a sunny area of your home, preferably near the window. Keep them there until you see growth in the leaves. Of course, there’s a chance that you may not get the quality of the original leaves.

Everyone in my family loves pesto and the best part is that I can make it from just about any greens. That’s how I began planting the greens from root vegetables. It’s pretty easy to make - you just need to chop off the top of beets, turnips, carrots, and even fennel.

All you need to do is place the chopped scraps in some water in a shallow dish and keep it in the sun till the roots form. And then you’ve got to plant it.

Growing Potatoes From Scraps

Who doesn’t love potatoes, including sweet potatoes! I’m pretty sure it’s a must-have for your dinner table, whether baked, fried, or sauteed. Luckily, they’re relatively easy to grow from kitchen scraps, especially during spring.

I’d recommend planting small potatoes without cutting them. Some of the larger varieties need cutting, but you need to keep an eye on them. Dry them out for a couple of days otherwise, they may start rotting.

Now, plant them in your garden or a container with a good potting mix and let them sprout. They will grow over time, and within a couple of months, you’ll get a lot of fresh potatoes from the kitchen scrap you dug up!

Like potatoes, you can plant sweet potatoes easily. For multiple plants, cut sweet potatoes and pierce them with toothpicks, immersing them in a shallow dish of water. Within a few days, sprouts start forming. Once they grow up to four inches, place them in clean water until roots begin to form. Once roots form, you can place them in soil.

Growing Garlic From Scraps

My family would scare vampires away with the amount of garlic they eat! I’ve learned to roll with it, and it’s now a staple in my cooking. That being said, you can grow garlic at home easily. A garlic bulb, as you would know, is made of different cloves of garlic.

So, the next time you plan on using garlic in a dish, take one from it and plant it in your garden. Make sure you do it with the root facing down and the other end of the clove pointing upwards. A few months later, you’ll have an entire clove of garlic.

You’ll know your garlic is ready to be harvested when the top of the plant starts turning yellow. I’d recommend planting garlic cloves in smaller pots near a window where you get enough sun. That way, you’ll be able to keep a constant supply of garlic coming in.

Growing Ginger From Scraps

Ginger isn’t too popular at the Smith household. When my kids were younger, every time they got the flu, I’d have to get ginger roots from the store. But you don’t have to go through all that hassle because you can grow ginger roots at home easily. Put the root in a pot of soil with some moisture in them.

You need to make sure that the new buds are facing upwards. Since ginger is a tropical plant, you might want to keep the pot at home with enough heat. If they’re warm enough, you’ll see green shoots popping up from the soil.

A couple of months later, you can harvest the root pieces. Just take what you need and cover it with soil once you’re done. That way, it’ll keep growing, and you can cultivate ginger at home regularly.

Growing Leeks and Green Onions From Scraps

Leeks and green onions are a staple in my home. I use leeks and green onions in a lot of recipes, especially in stews, soups, and pasta. Long story short, I always keep them handy. It’s easy to get a recipe started with these ingredients, along with some white onions too. You can even plant them easily with no worries.

All you need to do is make sure that the roots are still intact on green onions and leeks. Place the roots in water in a dark container and allow them to grow along with the greens. Once that happens, you can harvest them from your plant when they’re fully grown.

Growing New Vegetables from Seeds

You can regrow vegetables from pretty much any vegetable parts. For instance, you can get seeds from food scraps and cultivate them. Start by collecting the seeds from the tomatoes you chop up for your needs. Wash the juices off the seeds and make sure they get dried off completely.

Once they are completely dry, you need to plant them in containers until they sprout to a few inches. If you can, get them outside and water them regularly. And you’ll see the tomatoes grow pretty soon enough.

Also, you can grow other vegetables and some fruits using the same method. Bell peppers, for example, grow similarly, as do cucumbers, winter squash, pumpkins, and some microgreens like dill and arugula. You can regrow all these veggies simply by removing their seeds and replanting them.

Growing Mushrooms From Scraps

I love using mushrooms in nearly all of my recipes. I wasn’t too sure about regrowing them, but I saw a method on one of the gardening shows and was inspired. It’s a little challenging compared to all the other techniques I’ve discussed so far.

The thing about mushrooms is that they grow very well with a lot of humidity and warmth. That’s something I get here in Texas! If you plant them in a pot rather than in the ground, you’ll get to control their planting atmosphere in a better manner.

Now, the first step you need to take is just to cut off the mushroom’s cap. Then stick them into some healthy and nutrient-rich soil, leaving the top exposed. Keep watching them regularly for new growth. You can harvest them when they grow completely. Repeat the process if you prefer getting organic mushrooms.

Summing It Up