Tip o’ the Day: Plant ‘em, Don’t Toss ‘em!
There's nothing like fresh local veggies, fruit and herbs. Of course, you can't get more local than your backyard or windowsill! Green Options writer Michael d'Estries tipped us off about a way to grow your food scraps, and we like it!
Garlic & green onions will grow well on your windowsill, and provide you with herbs for salads and such for an extra fresh flavor. You'll need two pots, each filled with loamy organic soil. (That's how you get organic veggies!) For garlic, plant a few cloves in the pot, with the pointed tip facing up. For green onions, cut off most of the green stalks, and plant the remainder (must have roots!) leaving just a little of the top above the ground. Water each plant regularly - the garlic like a houseplant and the onions once a week. You should soon see green shoots coming up from each of them. Snip them off when you desire and enjoy in your meals!
Pineapple plants are easy to grow (though they take forever!), and all you need to start is a pineapple! Cut the top off of a pineapple, leaving about 1-inch of fruit with the leaves. Let it rest for 1 or 2 days. Next, plant the top in an 8-inch pot filled with organic soil mixed with a couple spoonfuls of coffee grinds. Bury the part with the fruit still on it and leave the leaves above ground. Water throughly. Be sure to water the plant as well as mist it with a spray. It takes much of it's nourishment through its leaves. Keep the plant outdoors during warm weather and bring inside during the winter months.
There are ways to grow avocado plants, as well, but it's highly unlikely you'll get any fruit out of it.
Rebecca says: I remember my mom always trying out the avocado & pineapple trick growing up. Don't know if the avocado ever worked out (we stuck toothpicks in it and semi-submerged it in water), but we definitely got a pineapple out of the deal! More details on all of today's tips can be found in the links below.
How to Grow a Pineapple Houseplant
Thanks for the tip, Michael! I want to be flooded with tips, you hear me? Send me yours today!
March 29th, 2007 at 4:15 pm
When I was young, we used to start carrot tops in water, to keep the green tops growing.
I’ve also planted orange and grapefruit seeds and gotten small citrus tree starts, though they’ve had a hard time surviving long term (though whether that’s lack of sun in wintertime or my own black thumb I’m not sure). I don’t expect to be able to grow my own citrus in Michigan, but it would be cool to have a little indoor grapefruit tree nonetheless.
July 29th, 2007 at 1:51 am
Thanks for the Tips! I am going to try planting some green onions here in the next week and I had no idea how to go about it. Whether I purchase seeds or what. I am excited to get some started now thanks to your advice.
-Michelle in Arizona