I'm often asked if the fruits and vegetables purchased from a grocery store can be planted to produce more food. The answer is, yes! And not only can you plant fruits and vegetables, but nuts and spices, too. As with traditional gardening, the key to successful "grocery store gardening" is to keep an open mind and possess a willingness to experiment. And above all, have fun!
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Start With Organic Produce
Certain chemical residues on commercially produced fruits and vegetables can interfere with their ability to grow roots or sprout seeds. Potatoes, for example, are sometimes purposely treated after harvest to keep them from sprouting and to extend their shelf life. The same can be said for foods that have been irradiated. Avoid them. Start with organically grown produce. It does not guarantee that your food is 100% free of chemical residues, but at least it has been exposed to as few chemicals as possible.
Be Aware of Hybrids
No matter what type of produce you're trying to grow, unless it's labeled "heirloom" (sometimes found at farmer's markets), you have no way of knowing whether or not it has been cross pollinated. This means you may not get the results you expect, but try growing it anyway. You may be pleasantly surprised and you could wind up with something even better than you expected.
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Growing A Grocery Store Garden
Here are simplified directions for growing various kinds of grocery store produce. In general, fruits and vegetables grow best in full sun. Use a soil-less mix or a high-quality potting soil mixed with vermiculite as your growing medium. Temperatures in the range of 70-80º F are usually ideal for germination. Try to keep soils evenly moist, without over-watering. Plants native to the tropics will appreciate an occasional misting. If you live in a cooler zone, move plants outdoors in the summer, but make sure to expose them to stronger light conditions gradually before leaving them out all day. Plants that remain in pots should be given a half-strength liquid fertilizer every few weeks once they reach a height of 8-12 inches tall.
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Apples (also Cherries, Pears & Peaches)
Apple seeds need to be cold treated before they will sprout. Remove the seeds from the apple and allow them to cure for a few days. Place them in a plastic bag with damp sand or sphagnum moss and store them in the refrigerator for 3 months. After 3 months, plant the seeds 1/2 inch deep in a pot of moist, well-drained soil. Keep the pot in a sunny location. Seeds should sprout within 2-3 weeks. Apple trees cannot be grown indoors, so move seedlings outdoors in the early fall, giving them enough time to establish roots before winter.
Avocado (also Sweet Potato)
Carefully remove the flesh from the pit and clean it off. Push three or four toothpicks into the pit to suspend it (wide side down) over a glass filled with water. The pit should be submerged 1/2 inch into the water. Place the glass in a sunny window sill and roots should appear in a few weeks. Pits can also be started by planting them, wide side down, in a pot of moistened, well-drained potting soil.
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Once seedlings reach 6-8 inches tall, transplant them into a larger pot and pinch back the top one inch of the stem to encourage bushier growth. In the case of sweet potatoes, plant or suspend the pointed (narrow) end down.
Beans, Peas & Non-Roasted Peanuts
Use dried beans (like for soups) and raw, non-roasted peanuts. Pod beans and peas purchased in the produce department contain immature seeds that will not grow. Soak in water overnight. Plant seeds 1/2 inch deep in pots or sow directly outdoors after danger of the last frost has passed. Because legumes seldom produce when grown indoors, transplant container plants outdoors as soon as possible in early May or June.
Carrots, Turnips & Rutabagas
These root crops are biennials, which means they produce roots the first season and seeds the second season. If you want to harvest seeds from them, select healthy, fleshy root stock for planting and carry them over for a second season until they re-sprout. For most gardeners, it's far more economical just to purchase seeds for these crops. But if you have the desire (and the patience), it's possible to grow them for their seeds.
This group produces plants that have a wonderful fragrance when kept indoors. Plant fresh seeds 1/2 inch deep in a pot of moist, well-drained potting soil. Place the pot in a sunny location and cover it with plastic to keep the soil moist. Seeds should sprout within 4 to 6 weeks. Once plants are a few inches high, remove the plastic. Let the soil dry slightly between each watering (keep kumquat soil evenly moist). Repot plants annually until they are growing in 8 to 10 inch pots.
Ginger & Horseradish
Select fleshy roots that are smooth and firm, not shriveled. Roots should have plenty of nodules on them. Cut the roots so that each slice contains a nodule. Lay it flat in a container and cover it with 1-2 inches of moist potting soil. Keep the pots moist and warm and watch for sprouts in a few weeks. Harvest rhizomes by digging them up when they reach the desired size.
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Mango
Clean fruit from seeds. Plant seeds in a pot, laying them down flat in 1 inch of moist potting soil. Cover the pot with plastic and place it in a warm, sunny location. Remove the plastic when seedlings reach 2 inches tall.
Papaya
Clean coating off of seeds and plant 1/2 inch deep in a pot of moist potting soil. Cover the pot with plastic and place it in a warm, sunny location until the seeds sprout. Remove plastic when seedlings reach a few inches in height and continue to grow in a bright location.
Pomegranate
Let seeds cure for a few days before planting them 1/2 inch deep in moist potting soil. Cover the pot with plastic and place the pot in a sunny window. Seeds will sprout in approximately 2 months. Keep the soil moist, but do not mist the plant.
Other Plants To Try
Coffee beans (non-roasted), tomatoes, wheat, rye, oats, lemon grass, taro, potatoes, green onions, garlic, pineapple, sunflowers, water chestnuts, popcorn, and raw spices (fennel, anise, sesame seed, celery seeds, etc.). In the case of peppers, squash, pumpkins, cucumbers and eggplants, the seeds need to mature along with the fruit, so look for ripe or even overripe produce to use as seed stock.
The following five houseplants are worth growing just for the sheer fun of it. All share a few common features - they are obtained from planting seeds, pips, or plant tops from fruits and vegetables you buy for eating.
I'm often asked if the fruits and vegetables purchased from a grocery store can be planted to produce more food. The answer is, yes! And not only can you plant fruits and vegetables, but nuts and spices, too. As with traditional gardening, the key to successful "grocery store gardening" is to keep an open mind and possess a willingness to experiment. And above all, have fun!
