"Nothing is lost, everything is transformed." Lavoisier could almost have been a gardener / agronomist Also...
So let's stay positive, and take advantage of this forced confinement to try our hand at vegetative propagation. The ability of certain plants to regrow on their own, with or without soil!
Vegetative propagation is by definition in botany, a mode of asexual reproduction, from a fragmentation of plants .
Unlike seedlings which give new specimens, vegetative propagation generates a plant without involving gametes. Some fruits and vegetables multiply without going through seeds. Asexual reproduction is then ensured from a simple fragment: stolon, tuber, rhizome, sucker, stem, etc.
This technique thus makes it possible to obtain new fruits and vegetables from a single plant: the mother plant . There are different types of vegetative propagation, the two best known of which are cuttings and layering. The mother plant takes root and evolves to give way to a new identical plant, a clone.
A technique within the reach of even the most amateur gardener to create a simple and ecological vegetable garden. No reason not to test!
Young and old will love...
Once consumed, fruits, vegetables and aromatics can grow back on their own, yes yes. And even, indefinitely! Recycle your scraps to grow new ones. Simple, basic. Practical and even economical!
An anti-waste and zero waste tip. To consume at a lower cost. Everything we love (green heart smiley)
1. Garlic
Plant your garlic cloves ( not necessarily germinated) pointed end up, 2.5 cm deep. Water them once a week. Expose the pot to the sun. After 4 to 8 weeks you will see a shoot appear. Keep the part that looks like an onion, and remove the garlic flower (the hard, curly part). Cut the stems when they are about 10cm tall, leaving 3cm so they can regrow. Then when the stems begin to dry out and turn brown, dig up the pods. Then be patient because the garlic will take several months to mature.
2. The shallot
Shallots are also very quick to regrow. Use the same technique as the onion. Place the bulb in the water, roots down always. The next day, replant your plant. And hop a week later, they find a second life.
3. Onion
Onion is one of the quickest vegetables to regrow. Keep the base of the bulb for 3 cm with the roots. Place this little piece in a glass with a little water. You can also put a whole onion in it if a germ is already present. Replant quickly. In just one week you will have new ones; )
4. Leek
The leek has nothing to envy to its cousin the onion with its express vegetative multiplication. Keep its base with the roots, immerse it in water, small filaments down to feed the roots. Change the water regularly and wash the roots once a week. When the leek matures, you will have very nice green leaves that you can eat. With this technique, you will only harvest the greens of the leek. But it's very good too!
5. Fennel
Fennel with easy regrowth. Keep the heart of the bulb and place it in a little water, in the sun. Wait a few days and you will then see small shoots appear on the side of the bulb. Super cute baby fennels!!
6. Celery
Celery is one of the cultivated vegetables that contain the most pesticides. A good reason to grow it yourself! Keep the heart of the celery and place it in a bowl with a little water in the bottom. Place the bowl in the sun on a window sill. A few days later, you will see small shoots and roots appear. Then replant in the ground or in a large pot. Water regularly and keep in the sun.
7. Ginger
The vegetative propagation of ginger is ensured by its root. Save a small piece and plant it in a pot to keep in a moist, shady environment. And be patient because it takes an average of 8 to 10 months to see a new plant emerge... It's long but it's good!
8. Lemongrass
Lemongrass grows back like a weed and requires very little maintenance. Place the remains of a branch in a glass of water and set the glass in a sunny spot. The plant will develop roots and when it reaches 30 centimeters you can cut everything you need. You can then leave it in water or plant it in the ground.
9. Pineapple
High level pineapple! For good regrowth, it should not be too ripe or too yellow and its leaves should be green and not too dry. Keep the top of the fruit with its very green leaves and place the tail of the pineapple in a bowl of water. Expose the bowl to light. After a month, the leaves will dry out. New small leaves will then appear in the center, at the same time as roots. Then plant your pineapple plant in a pot, taking care to remove the dead leaves. As the pineapple grows, replant it in a larger pot. Be patient, but greedy.
10. Lettuce
Remove almost all the leaves from your salad and cut the stem to about 3 cm. Place the heart in a bowl of water, half submerging it, in a sunny spot. Change the water regularly. After about 15 days, you will see roots and new leaves appear that you can start tasting. Your lettuce will continue to grow like this. If you want to replant it in the ground, remove the dead leaves.
11. Chinese cabbage
Same method as lettuce. It is thanks to its heart that vegetative reproduction is ensured. Place it in a bowl with a little water at the edge of a window. And don't forget to change the water regularly.
12. Potatoes and sweet potatoes
Take a piece of potato and clean it well. Insert a toothpick on each side, to hold a part out of the water. Place it in water. The roots will develop in the water and the leaves will grow above. Dry the piece of potato well and plant it in your garden or in a potato tower, if you have a small space. And soon you will be able to brag about making real homemade fries!!
13. Carrot, beet and turnip tops
Keep the ends then place them in a container with a bottom of water. Expose them to the sun and change the water regularly to prevent them from molding. After a few days, new tops will start to emerge. You can choose to put them in the ground with their new roots, or keep them in water (always changing it regularly). With this technique you will only harvest the tops, but you can make excellent salads and very good pesto.
14. Basil and coriander
Keep the large stems of at least 10 cm. The longer the stems, the easier the propagation will be. Put them in a glass filled with water. Change the water every 2 days. Expose to the sun to promote regrowth. After a week, the branch will have developed roots. When the roots measure 2 to 3 cm, plant in a pot or in the ground. Leave to grow in a sunny place.
15. Button mushrooms
Cultivating button mushrooms is not the easiest, but soon you will be an expert! Start by removing the caps from the mushrooms. Then, plant the mushroom stems in a container filled with soil mixed with a little compost and coffee grounds. Keep your container cool, away from light and ideally in a slightly humid place. Moisten the soil with a spray bottle regularly. And taste when they are at the desired size.
So... are you tempted to give it a try?
In an apartment or a house, in town or in the countryside, the vegetative propagation technique makes it possible to cultivate anywhere. From the smallest kitchen counter to the largest vegetable garden...
Stop throwing away your food waste. Take one more step towards zero waste... And consume fresh, very, very local products! Guaranteed free of fertilizers and pesticides. And it keeps you healthy too...
Isn't life beautiful after all ?
To order potting soil, pots, planters... it's here !
And to send us photos of your prowess as budding gardeners... it's over there . And that will make us very happy... you can't even imagine!!