Grow Your Own Greens
Time:Time: 30 minutes to start, then 10-14 days to wait!
Difficulty:Easy
Growing greens from scraps is a great way to practice regenerative farming, right in your own home!
Here’s what you need:
- A lettuce core (any kind) cut 5-7 cm from the bottom, or a few 10-15 cm herb stems (basil, mint, and oregano work best) with lower leaves, buds, and flowers removed
- Lettuce: a shallow bowl or container and four toothpicks
Herbs: A clean glass or jar for each stem - Water
- A sunny spot
- A grownup’s help
Here’s how you make it:
Step 1: Set your plant into a container that will help them grow!
Lettuce: Place the core in a container and insert toothpicks on four sides to hold it in place.
Herbs: Place each stem in a glass or jar.
Step 2: Fill your container with water.
Lettuce: Add just enough water to the container to cover the bottom third of the lettuce.
Herbs: Fill each glass or jar with water — just don’t submerge the leaves!
Step 3: Find a sunny spot!
Lettuce and Herbs: Place in a sunny spot, like a ledge or windowsill. Check each day and add more water to replace any water that has evaporated. Replace the water completely every few days.
Step 4: Watch your plant grow!
Lettuce: Within a few days, new leaves will sprout from the center of the lettuce core. In 10-12 days, the lettuce should be tall enough to use. When your lettuce is ready, add it to a salad or sandwich!
Herbs: Wait for the roots to grow — this can take a couple of days to a couple of weeks. Once you see roots, just snip off leaves as you need them!
Don’t forget to check on the spot, but be patient – remember that a plant takes days to germinate
Want to keep things growing?
Once you use all your fresh lettuce, you can regrow it again using the same instructions. And of course, your herbs will keep growing as long as you keep the roots in fresh water. Even better? Plant your lettuce and herbs indoors in flower pots filled with potting soil. That way, they can get some nutrients, which makes them more nutritious to eat!
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