Kitchen Scrap Gardening 101/Our Four Suitcases/Vancouver

Kitchen Scraps Gardening

In the past, I have had some problems in the plant care and maintenance department. I would like to think the I loved my plants to death but the truth is that I likely have over-watered the majority of my victims. My new plan is to improve my garden goddess skills by taking a plant from start to finish by tracking it's growth and monitoring it carefully.

I can think of no better way to improve my skills than by starting from scratch. I have been researching which fruits and vegetables will grow from the seeds and other parts of each plant. Kitchen scrap gardening 101....inexpensive and interesting!

I found a bunch of free seed starter pots at a garage sale. The package had never been opened and I saved them to use this Spring. My silicone ice cube tray makes a good starting spot for my carrots. Float the carrot tops in water. Change the water daily.

It did not take the carrot tops long to start sprouting growth on the tops. The carrot tops will not turn into carrots but they can be replanted in the garden when they show about 1-2 inches of growth. When the plant matures in the garden there will be white flowers that will turn to seed. Those are your carrot seeds for next year! Harvest and sow those seeds and you will have carrots for free.

My first experiment is with two methods of growing tomato seeds. The first method was to take the seeds directly from a slice of tomato, wash & then dry the seeds for a day on a paper towel, and plant directly into a seed starter pot.

The second tomato experiment was to horizontally slice two reels from a tomato and put them directly into one pot each and cover with soil. So far, the seeds from the first method are winning. I have yet to see any growth from the tomato reels. Time will tell.

Kitchen scraps like green onions, celery and romaine lettuce can also be regrown from a piece of each plant. Chop the celery and romaine lettuce off at the base and add to a dish of 2-3 inches of water, changing the water daily. My celery and lettuce seemed to go bad so I will have to redo this step but the green onion keeps regrowing and I have transplanted one bulb to see if I can get a larger bulb. It's going to be great to have a constant supply of green onion at my fingertips.

I have started tomato seeds, red pepper seeds, carrot tops, green onions, acorn squash seeds and have added several herbs to the kitchen ledge. Rob bought me the herbs and he has installed track lighting for my plants. I hope this means I am restoring his faith in my green thumb potential.

My ceramic salt & pepper frogs look so cute tucked in beside the indoor herb garden!

I'll start with 10 kitchen scrap projects to monitor. Wish me luck! I'll update here frequently to track my progress from plant killer to plant goddess.

Green onions aka scallions...started April 9th
Lettuce...coming soon!
Garlic...coming soon!
Peppers...started April 9th
Tomatoes...started April 7th and 9th
Celery...coming soon!
Squash...started April 11th
Potatoes...coming soon!
Basil...coming soon!
Turnip...coming soon!

The tomato seeds versus the tomato reels(slices with seeds) race is on! So far, the tomato plants from seeds is winning but it does have a two day head start over the reels.

This is fantastic! The red peppers and the acorn squash have poked their way through the soil and after only 8 days from when I planted the squash and 10 days from when I planted the red peppers. I have now planted 6 seed starters with red peppers. I love red pepper jelly and am going to try making some this fall if not earlier. I wonder how long it takes the squash to grow.

The carrot tops are pretty much ready to be planted into soil. I'll transplant them in a couple of days. One did not flower so I have five to be transplanted. I'll start another batch after this one.

Pest Alert

Fruit flies have invaded my little kitchen garden and I have arranged for their demise. One piece of fruit floating in water, a grapefruit, a piece of plastic wrap over a glass and a funnel to their prize....bye bye buggies! This had better work. The fruit flies will not damage my plants as they feed off fungus in the soil of plants. The pests are just annoying and will damage any fruit that I leave out, like my bananas.

Update! I have transferred my fledgling kitchen scraps plants to the balcony. It is April the 23rd and we finally have Spring weather!

April 24th: They survived a night outdoors, replanted and wrapped up in plastic wrap. Today, I watered them and let them soak up all the sunshine, safe in their plastic cocoons.

The acorn squash is at least 3 inches tall and my aquarium is loaded with red pepper plants. The tomato plants are growing but very slowly. The carrot tops are all lined up nicely and are flourishing!!

April 25th: My morning plant inspection reveals that several of my plants have withered over night. Looking closer it seems that the stems have browned up on the tomato plants before they drooped onto the soil....*insert profuse amounts of profanity*

...maybe I cooked them too long in the sun, yesterday...this is just so annoying!

I want desperately to have a vegetable grow on this God-forsaken balcony!

Update: May 10th-I refuse to give up! I have restarted my carrots, my acorn squash and my tomatoes...indoors! Stay tuned!

Update: June 3rd-Transplanting to outdoor planters is au fait accompli *fingers crossed*

Update: June 23rd: They have all died! Every last plant has been wiped out by the scorching sunlight and the cat is sitting on their dead bodies...I AM CURSED!!!