Don’t throw it, regrow it
You don’t need to (virtually) hotfoot it to a garden centre, nor
possess a fertile vegetable patch or horticultural talents to begin
a kitchen garden. In fact, you should look no farther than your
compost bin. Many offcuts can be regrown on a small, sunny
windowsill. Carrot tops, mushroom stalks, the bottoms of onions,
lettuce and cabbages are often considered scrap, but these items
can often be easily regrown and enjoyed all over again.
Nurturing avocado pits and pineapple tops may take a few years,
but with this simple method, you can re-harvest everything from
spring onions, leeks and pak choi to lemongrass, cabbage and celery
in as little as two weeks.
- Cut off the root end of your chosen vegetable and place in a
shallow bowl or glass of water. Be sure the water does not fully
submerge your trimming. Place in a sunny, warm, well-ventilated
position for best results. - Change the water daily. Eventually, you’ll see shoots emerging
from the top of the cutting. - Once roots are well established in the water, transfer the
sprouted plant to a pot of soil, watering daily, until ready for
harvest and/ or needed in your dinner.