Feature Story XpBonaire
Food is expensive. If you do the grocery shopping for your household, you know that this is one of the highest costs related to your home and family. While it is unlikely that you can completely eliminate your grocery bill, you can grow certain foods yourself. And, you can grow them from scraps that you would normally throw away.
Basil
Basil is relatively easy to regrow. You just have to have a stem about four inches high. Place this stem in a glass of water with the leaves well above the water line. Leave the glass sitting in a bright area but not in direct sunlight. Roots should begin to form in a few days. When those roots reach a couple of inches long, you can transplant them into soil.
Peppers
You can grow a number of hot peppers and bell peppers from the seeds that are leftover. Just collect the seeds from your habaneros, jalapenos or any other peppers that you have on hand. Plant them in potting soil and keep in a sunny 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. NOTE: Green and red peppers are the same pepper only that the red pepper stays on the plant much longer then a green pepper.
Cilantro
Cilantro can be grown from scraps as well. Place the bottom of the stem in a glass of water and leave in a bright area, near a windowsill perhaps. When the roots grow a couple of inches long, you can transplant the cilantro into a pot and you will notice new sprigs in just a few weeks.
Lemongrass
If you love using lemongrass, but have a difficult time finding it, simply regrow your own. Lemongrass will grow just like regular grass. You just place the root that is leftover in a glass bowl or jar with enough water to cover it and leave it in the sunlight. After about a week, you will notice new growth and when this happens you can transplant your lemongrass in a pot or in your herb garden.
Pumpkins
You can save those seeds and plant them. Even if you prefer toasting your seeds for a yummy snack, you can save a couple for growing new pumpkins. Just spread the seeds out in a sunny area outdoors, cover with soil and water. Pumpkins prefer full sun, but it a vegetables that will thrive under partial shade. Just be sure to allow plenty of room for the pumpkins to grow — there will be some long growing vines.
Ginger
Ginger root is very easy to grow and once you get started, you can keep your supply of ginger full. You just need to plant a spare piece of your ginger root in potting soil, making sure that the buds are facing up. You will notice new shoots and new roots in about a week or so and once this happens you can pull it up and use it again. Remember to save a piece of the rhizome so that you can replant it and grow more for the next time you need it.
