It’s like so often in life: You routinely throw things into the trash without thinking about what they can be good for. For example, vegetable waste when cooking. Often you can use them to produce fresh vegetables again – easy, environmentally friendly and easy on the wallet. And you do not even need a garden for that. It’s not better, right? Here are a few examples and suggestions.
1 spring onions
The root ends of spring onions usually end up directly in the trash or on the compost. They can still be so valuable: If you put them in a water bath and set up in a sunny place, you can harvest after a few weeks with some luck freshly grown green onions.
2 garlic
A clove of garlic, which has lain too long and already sprouts, can be planted. This is also wonderful in the flower box, eg on the balcony. It takes a while, but eventually the plant grows out. When flowers are coming you should cut them off so that the power of the plant goes into the formation of the tuber under the ground. Incidentally, the green of the plant is also very aromatic and edible.
3 ginger
A piece of ginger root can be planted in the pot. If it is outside, it should be set up protected from rain, because the ginger does not need a lot of water. After some time you can harvest the root.
4 Basil
Even basil you can follow suit. Simply place a ca. 10 cm long stem with leaves in a water glass and place in a sunny position. Over time, roots form. When that’s done, you can plant it in a pot of soil.
5 potatoes
Somehow one always finds a few potatoes that already form these small germs. In my heart meanwhile laughs, because if the season is right (about mid-April) you can plant them in the garden or in a bucket. Soon you can see the plants grow. If you initially cover the shoots with soil, the yield is increased. At the latest from the bloom time one should pour abundant. Harvested when the plants are dried up. Amazing how much you can partially reap!
6 mushrooms
Mushrooms can be tricky and there is no guarantee of success. But maybe that’s exactly what makes the charm. Unlike other plants (which they are not strictly speaking), they prefer a damp, dark and cool place. The basement could be suitable for it. There you can use the stems of the mushrooms in soil, so that still looks out about 1 cm. The soil should be enriched with compost or coffee grounds. If you are lucky, you can see new mushroom heads growing after a few days – or not.
7 Mint
Almost nothing is easier than mint. If you cut a stem from a plant, just put it in a pot with soil and pour. Mint grows so easily and spreads almost by itself. For the cocktail or fresh tea you always have something in the house. But beware: If the plant starts to bloom, the good taste is passé.
8 Pineapple
If you have a lot of patience and a suitable location, you can even grow your own pineapple from waste! Place the leafy stem in a jar of water until roots form. Then it can be planted. Ideal is a moist, bright location with about 25 degrees temperature. For example, if you have a bright bathroom, you could be lucky there. It may take 1-4 years to harvest the first fruit. But the plant is so beautiful too.
Much is too bad to throw away. And there are many more plants that you can breed from the leftovers. The nice thing is: you can just give it a try without it cost anything.
