September 2020

Food is expensive and it’s one of our highest household costs. While your grocery bill will always be a necessity, you can grow (and regrow) certain foods right from your apartment to save money and help cut down on food waste. It’s easier than you think and most of the time all you need is a glass, some water, and a little bit of time to prep your plants for potting. Here are some foods that you can grow from the kitchen scraps that you would normally throw away.

Lettuce

Lettuce is one the easiest foods to regrow, and you don’t even need to pot it to get a fresh bunch of leaves. Instead of tossing out leftover salad, simply place remaining lettuce in a jar or bowl with a little bit of water at the bottom, and then give it direct sunlight. After 3 to 4 days, you’ll notice new leaves and roots growing. Refresh water every few days for more growth or transplant lettuce into soil.

Celery

Celery is another easy scrap to turn into fresh produce. Start by cutting off the bottom or base of the celery and lay it in a bowl with a bit of warm water at the bottom. Keep the root of the celery submerged in water and change the water every couple of days. With direct sunlight you’ll begin to see leaves growing and thickening within a week. When this happens, you can transplant your celery in soil and wait for it to grow to full length.

Lemons

To grow lemons indoors, Meyer lemons are a good choice – they have smaller, shrub-like trees and produce a lot of fruit. Clean, dry, and plant the lemon seeds and keep in an area with direct sunlight. Make sure to fertilize the soil regularly and keep the soil moist but not wet. Once the tree begins to show, repot it to a large container and prune to keep it from getting too large. Keep in mind that the tree grows first and then fruit later on.

Green Onions

You can continue to regrow green onions indefinitely. Start by slicing off about an inch from ends of the bulbs, leaving the roots attached. Then place them with the root side down in a small jar with just enough water to cover the roots. Keep them in direct sunlight and change the water at least once a week. When the roots grow to about five inches, pot them in some fresh soil and snip off what you need as you go.

Garlic

Garlic is another easy home project and can be regrown from a single clove. Save a clove until it grows a new green top and place it in a shot glass full of water. After a few days it will grow sprouts and roots. Use the sprouts the same way as the green onions, or pot them to keep them growing. Garlic likes plenty of direct sunlight so in warmer weather, keep it outdoors in the sun during the day.