Five Veggies to Grown Indoors
By Ronnie Brockman, Assistant Director of the Early Childhood Program
1. Romaine Lettuce
Reserve about 3 inches of the butt of the lettuce. Place, bottom down, in a cozy mug or bowl that will allow the lettuce to lean without falling over, will hold enough water to cover the bottom half of the lettuce, and will allow sunlight to reach the lettuce. Fill with water until the bottom half of the lettuce is submerged. Put the container in a sunny window. You should see growth by the next day, and you may even have enough to cook within one week. What’s more, bok choy can be regrown in a similar fashion.
2. Scallions
Chop off the green part of the scallion, using it however you’d like, but leave about an inch of the white bottom intact. Put the stubs in a narrow drinking glass or shot glass so the scallions can lean without falling over. Make sure the container you choose is clear, allowing sunlight to hit the scallion roots. Fill the glass with a bit of water, and place the container in a sunny spot. You should see some exciting growth after a couple of days. A friend told me she bought a bunch of four scallions and has been regrowing and reusing them for two years. (can you believe it?!?) Leeks will regrow just as easily as scallions when treated the same way.
3. Fennel
Fennel has such a strong taste that you don’t need more than a few snips of fronds from the bulb to add to salads, dressings, and soups. Therefore, keeping a bulb on-hand in your kitchen windowsill works perfectly. Place the bulb in a mug or bowl that can hold enough water to cover the bottom half of the bulb while still allowing light to hit it. Fill with an inch or so of water. After one week in a sunny spot, green shoots will sprout from the top.
4. Carrot
Carrot Greens: You can reserve the tops of carrots and regrow greens from them. Just chop off the tops of the carrots, leaving about a half-inch to an inch of the top. Place in a shallow container, add water, and put in a sunny spot. After a week, you should see some strong carrot greens. And really, all members of the turnip family (beets, turnips, parsnips) can regrow their greens this way, not just carrots.
Not sure what to do with all those carrot greens? They’re very healthy and can be added to cold and warm salads or made into a pesto.
5. Celery
Don’t toss out those celery scraps—you can use ’em to regrow your own stalks in water, and then ultimately plant them in soil. Cut about 11/2 inches to 2 inches above the root base of the celery, and place the root in a shallow bowl filled with water and put it in sunlight. After about a week, you should see little leaves beginning to sprout from the middle.
Other vegetables that can easily be regrown with a bit more time:
- Garlic: You need just one clove of garlic (seriously!) to start growing garlic scapes at home—their taste is mild and sweet, and they make a great addition to aioli, scrambled eggs, and more. ·
- Lemongrass: Cut a few inches above the bottom of stem and submerge them in a glass filled with about an inch of water. Leave ’em in a sunny spot (addin more water as needed), and in roughly two to three weeks it should start growing roots.
- Basil: If you’ve got a few basil leaves on hand, then you can rergow yourself a fresh new bunch. Just place a few clippings in a glass filled with water, put it in sunlight, and once the roots grow to about 2 inches, you can plant them in soil
