The most difficult time of the year for me is when I have to clean out my garden beds and say goodbye to some of the fresh produce I’ve been enjoying all season. Of course many of the vegetables that I grow have the capability to be frozen, dehydrated, and canned to be able to use through the cold winter months, but there are some types of produce that just don’t store as well or don’t taste the same after storing.
While some parts of the United States have the capability to grow some items outdoors in winter, I live in a particular area where we get heavy amounts of snowfall and severe winter winds that cause snow drifts up to 6 feet. So, even the vegetables that are cold hardy will end up crushed before too long.
There is a solution to getting some of those fresh vegetables even while it snows outside called scrap gardening! This is taking the remains of the vegetables you are using and placing them in water or soil and letting them regrow. I personally prefer using water to regrow the scraps rather than soil since my puppy is a little too curious about soil in the house!
The Benefits of Scrap Gardening
- Fresh Produce: Enjoy the taste of homegrown vegetables year-round, reducing your reliance on store-bought produce.
- Reduced Food Miles: By growing your own vegetables, you contribute to a more sustainable food system and reduce your carbon footprint. (Plus who likes having to dart to the store through a winter storm!)
- Cost-Effective: Growing your own food can save you money on grocery bills, especially during the winter months when produce prices tend to rise.
- Therapeutic Benefits: Gardening is a proven stress reliever, and winter gardening can provide a much-needed dose of tranquility during the colder months. Even just being able to stretch the use of my vegetables and access some completely fresh home grown produce makes the dark winter days a little bit brighter.
- Year Round Possibilities: While I use this method mostly only in the winter month, you can scrap the garden year round. This is especially helpful for those who have small garden spaces and want to stretch their harvest even further all year, or those who don’t have the space to garden at all or have limited time, but still want some of the benefits of gardening.
6 Vegetables you can Regrow in Water
- Green Onion: Cut the green part of the onion off leaving behind the stalk and the root still intact. Place these in a cup of water and the green part will regrow from the center. Pro tip: I like to rubberband my stalks together like they do at the store so that they form a more solid base and stand up in the water better.
- Celery: Instead of peeling each stalk off the base of the plant cut the entire base off with 1-2 inches of green above the root. Place the root in water and watch stalks regrow from the center.
- Lettuce: Much like with celery avoid peeling the leaves off and instead cut the base off entirely and place in water. New Lettuce Leaves will grow from the center.
- Garlic Chives: If you find a garlic bulb that has started to sprout, place it in a bowl of water and continue letting it sprout. Cut the green sprout back and use as garlic chives; the garlic bulb should continue to keep sprouting.
- Carrot Greens: While you cannot regrow the carrot itself in water you can regrow the greens. Cut off the carrot top leaving some of the carrot part behind (1 inch is enough) so that it can form a few roots in the water. Then the green top will begin growing. Use these tops in salads or as a garnish.
- Cabbage: Cut the base off leaving behind 1-2 inches of cabbage leaves. Place in water and new leaves will form from the center. Pro Tip: Harvest when the leaves are still small, letting the leaves get too big during this regrow method makes them bitter.
Additional Tips
- Replace the water often (usually daily) to avoid bacteria growth and death of the scraps. If you are replacing the water less than every day make sure there is enough water that the scraps won’t dry out.
- You only need small bowls of water for the scraps: Because you need to change the water often you don’t need space for a lot of water to sit for the week. You just need enough to hydrate the scraps for the day.
- Make sure you are leaving the water bowls in a place where they can receive sunlight but not be too cold either. Kitchen windows often do well due to the cooking heat. Or use south facing windows for more direct sunlight and warmer temperatures. Avoid North facing windows if possible.
Final Thoughts
Scrap gardening is a fun and rewarding way to connect with nature and reduce your environmental impact. While scrap gardening cannot give you the same harvest amount as full season in ground gardening, it is an excellent way to save money and keep some fresh produce available in the winter. By embracing creativity and resourcefulness, you can reap the benefits of gardening all year long.
–The Busiest Bee Garden