How can you set up a garden quickly?
Grow from food you are already buying. Much of the produce you already buy can be reproduced from the parts or produce you normally throw away or from cuttings! Here are some common items that you can buy and grow a whole new plant using just pieces of your kitchen scraps.
If you save the bottom ends of lettuce, cabbage, napa, bok choy, mustard greens, celery, lemongrass, and scallions, you can soak them in a shallow tray of water and wait for the roots. Change the water any time it becomes cloudy and transplant once roots appear. Some grocery stores sell living lettuce (the head still contains the roots) and that makes it even easier! When you get home, soak the lettuce roots in a bowl. You simply eat most of the outer leaves and then plant the smaller head. Using this method, we have been able to turn 16 different lettuce heads into a 3 month supply for a family of 4.
If any of your leafy greens start tasting bitter, growing longer, and sending up a thick stock in the middle, it means it’s going to bolt. Good news! You will be able to collect seeds from the plant.
Basil, cilantro, mint, peppermint, dill, thyme, and oregano can be rooted from cuttings. They also look nice in jars as a centerpiece while you wait for them to root. We save different sized glass jars from other products such as mayonnaise, salsa, tahini, and tomato sauces so there is always an appropriate size for our propagating needs.
For many other grocery items, you may want to save seeds so you can grow directly from the fruit or vegetable. This method isn’t as quick as those mentioned above but it will provide you with a supply for many years to come.