9 Fruits and Vegetables You Can Buy Once and Regrow Forever

Unlike New York City or other densely heavily populated area we’re often blessed with an unused roof top, balcony or patch of grass in our buildings. These pieces of land exist and you own them, however despite being at our disposal we fail to utilise them, and when we do we rarely ever do so creatively.

So for these backyards left to look like a wasteland or landfill here are some ideas for simple crop, with seeds that are almost likely sitting in you fridge at the moment, so take the time and go through this list and see if you want to start your own little back garden.

Lettuce/Cabbage

Lettuce and cabbage are relatively easy to grow from scraps. Instead of throwing out those leftover leaves, simply place them in a bowl with just a bit of water in the bottom. Keep the bowl somewhere that gets good sunlight and mist the leaves with water a couple of times each week. After 3 or 4 days, you will notice roots beginning to appear along with new leaves. When this happens you can transplant your lettuce or cabbage in soil.

Avocado

Avocado seeds can be used to grow a steady supply of this super food. You just have to wash the seed and use toothpicks to suspend it over water in a bowl or jar. The water should come up enough to cover the bottom inch of the seed. Keep the container in a warm place but not in direct sunlight and remember to check the water every day and add more as needed. It can take up to six weeks for the stem and roots to appear and once the stem reaches about 6 inches you will need to cut it down to 3 inches. When leaves begin appearing, you can plant the seed in soil, remembering to leave about half of it above ground.

Potatoes

Virtually everyone knows that potatoes can be grown from potato peelings. You need peelings that have eyes on them. Cut those peelings into two inch pieces, ensuring that there are at least two or three eyes on each piece. Allow them to dry out overnight and then simply plant them about four inches deep in your soil. Make sure that the eyes are facing up when planting. It will take a few weeks before you see the potato plant begin to grow.

Sweet Potatoes

You can regrow sweet potato by placing the skin in a jar of water in direct sunlight and letting it sprout. Then plant the well-rooted sprouts in soil.

Pineapples

You can grow your own pineapple even if you don’t live in the tropics. You just cut the top off and insert a few toothpicks to hold it above a container filled with water. Keep the container in direct sunlight. If it is warm outside, sit it on the porch or deck during the day and bring it in at night. Remember to change the water every other day or so and keep the container filled so that it reaches just about the base. You will notice roots in about a week or so and once they are formed you can transplant into potting soil. If you live in a cooler area, it is best to grow your pineapple indoors.

Peppers

You can grow a number of hot or mild peppers from the seeds that are leftover. Just collect the seeds from your spicy, green, yellow or any other pepper that you have on hand. Plant them in potting soil and keep in direct sunlight unless it is warm outside and then you can just plant them in your garden area. Peppers grow relatively fast and don’t require a lot of care. Once you get a new crop, just save some of the seeds for replanting again.

Lemons

Lemons tend to have smaller plants so choose these if you want an indoor lemon tree. You will begin to get lemons from your tree in just a couple of years so remember that you won’t actually get lemons the same year that you plant them. Just be sure to clean and dry your seeds before planting and choose a soil that is rich in nutrients for the best results.

Carrots

The leaves of carrot are actually edible and you can regrow them by putting carrot tops in water in a well-lit room or a window sill.

Peaches, plums and Nectarines

Peaches (not the singer) nectarines and plums can all be grown from their seeds. Note that it does take a couple of years before you will be able to get any fruit from trees that you grow from seed but it will definitely be worth it if you begin now. You just have to dry the seeds out very well to prepare them for planting and plant them in a nutrient rich soil and in an area that gets plenty of sunlight.