Enjoy!!
Leeks, Scallions, Spring Onions and Fennel
You can either use the white root end of
a vegetable that you have already cut, or buy a handful of new
vegetables to use specifically for growing.
Simply place the white root end in a
glass jar with a little water, and leave it in a sunny position. I keep
mine in the kitchen window. The green leafy part of the plant will
continue to shoot. When it’s time to cook, just snip off what you need
from the green growth and leave the white root end in water to keep
growing. Freshen up the water each week or so, and you’ll never have to
buy them again.
Lemongrass
Lemongrass grows just like any other
grass. To propagate it, place the root end (after you’ve cut the rest
off) in a glass jar with a little water, and leave it in a sunny
position.
Within a week or so, new growth will
start to appear. Transplant your lemongrass into a pot and leave it in a
sunny outdoor position. You can harvest your lemongrass when the stalks
reach around a foot tall – just cut off what you need and leave the
plant to keep growing.
Celery, Bok Choi, Romaine Lettuce & Cabbage
Similar to leeks, these vegetables will
re-grow from the white root end. Cut the stalks off as you normally
would, and place the root end in a shallow bowl of water – enough to
cover the roots but not the top of your cutting. Place it in a sunny
window position, occasionally spraying your cutting with water to keep
the top moist.
After a few days, you should start to
see roots and new leaves appear. After a week or so, transplant it into
soil with just the leaves showing above the level of the soil. The plant
will continue to grow, and within a few weeks it will sprout a whole
new head.
Alternatively you can plant your cutting
directly into soil (without starting the process in water) but you will
need to keep the soil very moist for the first week until the new
shoots start to appear.
Ginger
Ginger is very easy to re-grow. Simply
plant a spare piece of ginger rhizome (the thick knobbly bit you cook
with) in potting soil with the newest (ie. smallest) buds facing upward.
Ginger enjoys filtered, not direct, sunlight in a warm moist
environment.
Before long it will start to grow new
shoots and roots. Once the plant is established and you’re ready to
harvest, pull up the whole plant, roots and all. Remove a piece of the
rhizome, and re-plant it to repeat the process.
Ginger also makes a very attractive
house-plant, so if you don’t use a lot of ginger in your cooking you can
still enjoy the lovely plant between harvests.
Potatoes
Re-growing potatoes is a great way to
avoid waste, as you can re-grow potatoes from any old potato that has
‘eyes’ growing on it. Pick a potato that has robust eyes, and cut it
into pieces around 2 inches square, ensuring each piece has at least one
or two eyes. Leave the cut pieces to sit at room temperature for a day
or two, which allows the cut areas to dry and callous over. This
prevents the potato piece from rotting after you plant it, ensuring that
the new shoots get the maximum nutrition from each potato piece.
Potato plants enjoy a high-nutrient
environment, so it is best to turn compost through your soil before you
plant them. Plant your potato pieces around 8 inches deep with the eye
facing upward, and cover it with around 4 inches of soil, leaving the
other 4 inches empty. As your plant begins to grow and more roots
appear, add more soil. If your plant really takes off, mound more soil
around the base of the plant to help support its growth.
Garlic
You can re-grow a plant from just a
single clove – just plant it, root-end down, in a warm position with
plenty of direct sunlight. The garlic will root itself and produce new
shoots. Once established, cut back the shoots and the plant will put all
its energy into producing a tasty big garlic bulb. And like ginger, you
can repeat the process with your new bulb.
Onions
Onions are one of the easiest vegetables
to propagate. Just cut off the root end of your onion, leaving a ½ inch
of onion on the roots. Place it in a sunny position in your garden and
cover the top with soil. Ensure the soil is kept moist. Onions prefer a
warm sunny environment, so if you live in a colder climate, keep them in
pots and move them indoors during frostier months.
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