Minimalist Monday: Gardening (How To Regrow Vegetables & Herbs)

Posted by:Lindsay S. Nixon Category: Minimalist

Back in January I stumbled across an article about vegetables and herbs that can easily be regrown. As soon as I saw it, I knew I had to share it when the weather was better suited for gardening.

Rather than going out and buying seeds, bulbs, etc, you can actually grow plenty of vegetables and herbs with everyday items that you probably already have in your kitchen! In fact, some things don't even require soil! Just a mason jar, water and a little sunlight.

It doesn't get any more minimalist than that! Happy growing!

Avocados: Growing avocados isn't a fast process (it takes anywhere between 5-13 years!), but if you'd like to have your own avocado tree, then it's worth the wait. Rinse and dry the pit of an avocado. Stick 3-4 toothpicks into the pit and place it over a cup of water, with the water covering about an inch of the pit. Put in a warm place, making sure to maintain the water level. In 2-6 weeks, roots and a stem should begin to sprout. When the stem is about six inches long, trim it in half. When the stem leafs again, transplant to a pot with loose soil. Plant root down, leaving the top half of the pit sticking out of the soil. Give your plant frequent, light waterings and keep it in a sunny place. Pinch back the newest top leaves every time the stems grows around 6 inches to encourage more growth and a fuller plant. (Source)

Basil: Snip the top of a basil stem with 4 sets of leaves growing, then remove the 2 bottom sets of leaves from the stem. Place the stem into a mason jar or shot glass of water and set in a sunny spot. Roots will begin growing in about a week. Once roots are thick and long enough, transfer to soil and continue to grow your new basil plant. You can do the same for mint and rosemary! (Source)

Celery:Once you've cut off all the celery stalks, save the base and place in a bowl of water in a sunny window (changing out the water every couple of days). After about a week, place the base into a pot or planter and cover with soil. Water generously while the celery continues to grow. In-depth article on re-growing celery. (Source)

Garlic:If you have green sprouts growing from your garlic, don't throw them away! Instead, place the cloves or bulb in a small cup or bowl. Add enough water to cover the bottom of the cup (the water should be barely touching the bottom of the cloves. Don't submerge!) Change the water out every couple of days. Once sprouts are about 3 inches tall, clip them off and add them to a baked potato, salad or veggies. If you're wondering about the taste, sprouts have a very mild garlic flavor. (Source)

Ginger:Take your store-bought ginger root and cut off the "fingers" (this is where the roots will grow). Plant ginger sprout side up in enough soil to cover the root. Keep soil moist in a warm area (ginger actually doesn't require as much sunlight as other plants). In about 4 months you should be able to start using your newly-grown ginger. (Source)

Green onions: Place a bunch of green onions with their roots in a glass full of water and place in a sunny window. Cut off what you need while cooking. The onions will regrow themselves. (Source)

Romaine lettuce: This one is pretty easy. Simply place the lettuce "stump" in a half inch of water and before you know it, you'll have little romaine leaves. Be sure the check the water level daily. (Source)

Have you ever regrown any vegetables or herbs?

Subscribe to the blog!

Or go grab our RSS feed!