Common Vegetables And Fruit That Are Easy To Grow For Beginners

Think about cooking in your kitchen, about how much that goes unused and will eventually get tossed out to be considered as scraps. Now think about the common types of food that are typically found in almost every household. There are certain ways to reuse these scraps as a way to grow your own food instead of continually buying them at the store. This is a list of vegetables and fruit that are very common and easy to grow on your own. 

   1. Potatoes

Potatoes are one of the top main vegetables that nearly everyone uses, cooks, and eats. Potatoes can come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. There are so many  usages for potatoes. An example being besides having them as an easy food source, they can also be conductors for electricity. 

From Britannica, we learn that they are usually served whole or mashed, they can even be used to make into a flour that is used in baking to make sauces thicker. They contain necessary vitamins such as vitamin C, protein, thiamin, and niacin that improve your health. One other think that most people don't really know is that you can regrow them from the potato itself. This the way that I found to be the way I was able to grow potatoes.

The first step is to use an old potato that is already growing. Then you will have to cut it up in large cube-like pieces. Bury the pieces in some fertile soil about an inch or two deep, for easier harvesting I would suggest using planters. Planters might also be a helpful resource for any place that doesn't have a gardening space. They should start growing within three weeks, so plan ahead of time when when you feel like you will run out of potatoes. 

From my experience of trying this, I believe that potatoes are probably the easiest to regrow. The only problem I ran into was knowing when to pull the new potatoes up. Other than that, they grow really well, and I believe it will be better to replant them into a container rather than in the ground. 

   2. Romaine Lettuce

As another common vegetable, there's no difficulty of seeing all the different ways of using romaine. They can used for salads, hamburgers, even decoration. They are crucial value for all sorts of healthy dishes that can be made with it. Also, there are certain processes that will allow it to grow from scraps, this will also come in handy for other types of vegetables when you've mastered it.

Romaine lettuce has a lot of nutritional value and should be considered one of the top vegetables to have inside your kitchen. From Healthline, they explain that romaine is low in sugar and calories while also being high in vitamins. It may go bad within at least two weeks, so prepping it to be eaten will save time for cooking when it it ready to be used. 

The first step to growing it is to cut of the bottom about an inch long, and wash the lettuce thoroughly to remove any dirt or bugs. The bottom part is what will be used to regrow the lettuce. Simply get a small container and fill with water. Place the core inside, and make sure it is not completely submerged in the water, then leave in an area with indirect sunlight.

The only maintenance will be to refill the container with water whenever it is low. It should begin growing within at least a week. This method is super easy and quick, but as said before, it will also work for other foods, such as celery and green onions. Be sure not to overcrowd inside a single container. 

When I did this, the lettuce seemed to grow back very quickly. While it is fast at growing, there wasn't a lot of lettuce that grew back. Results will probably vary with different type of lettuce. It's also a fun process to watch, especially if you try this with celery. 

   3. Tomatoes

Tomatoes are actually one of my favorite fruits that I enjoy eating in a variety of ways. They are a pretty popular ingredient to use in so many foods from all sorts of cultures. It is also the key component that can be turned into some of the most common condiments as well. Similar to some other vegetables, tomatoes also come in a large variation of types, involving difference in shapes, sizes, color, and even plant type. 

In a vegetable directory, they say that tomatoes are a determinate, which means they stop growing in height when when producing flower clusters. Tomato plants are typically grown in the summer season, because there is the possibility of them freezing with colder temperatures. Like many other plants, they are contain important vitamins and nutrients that help maintain a healthy body. 

Usually you can easily grow a tomato plant by seeds, but it is possible to use a tomato to grow your own plant. I discovered this from a family member when they took a cherry tomato I had, cut it in half, then placed it into a planter about 2 inches deep. It began growing within two weeks and became a very fruitful plant.

I assume this could be possible for other tomatoes, but I recommend constant  experimentation during the warmer seasons, for it to help you gain more knowledge of how the tomato plants will grow. 

Tomatoes have been the most that I have grown, and they tend to grow pretty well during warm weather with lots of water. So, from my experience, its best to keep to those conditions and your tomato plants will flourish.

   4. Onions

Onions may not be as common as the others in terms of use, but they are still considered a top ingredient for cooking. They are able to add flavor to those vegetables that are known for being the base or majority, while also coming in different types for different uses. Onions also have the capability to grow easy and fast, and any vegetables that is similar to an onion can regrow in a similar way.

According to Healthline, onions hold vital vitamins and minerals that can promote your health in many ways. They hold anti-inflammatory that would reduce high blood pressure, while also lowering your chance of heart disease. It is also a food source that can help reduce cholesterol.

The way to regrow these starts with using an older onion that is growing, and cutting off the bottom where the roots are. Take that bottom piece and plant at the surface of a planter, scatter some soil over them, and it should begin to grow within about two weeks. It needs to be located in a sunny area and constantly kept moist. Results may vary. 

I have yet to make an onion grow like this, but I trust that a more determined and careful person can make it possible. My results probably ended this way because I didn't pay enough attention.

   5. Carrots

Here is a pretty well known vegetable that is stereotyped as the food for bunnies or rabbits. It may be the food for a rabbit, but this is undeniably an important part to make many recipes have more nutritional value and to help kept up a healthy lifestyle. It also happens to be one of those vegetables that is able to grow quite easily from the scraps is produces. What's more is that they also come in different sizes, colors, and shapes. 

From Healthline once again, the main nutrients include a valuable source of fiber, vitamin K1, potassium, and antioxidants. Carrots also have the benefits of lowering cholesterol and is well known for improving the crucial health for eyesight. They are connected to being able a resource that reduces the risk of cancer, while the body is able to transform an antioxidant into vitamin A. 

The way to regrow this one can used for similar roots as well. You begin by cutting the top off. Then use this carrot top and put it in water, which is a similar strategy as romaine lettuce. When it begins to sprout out roots, that is when you are able to plant it within some soil. When in the water container phase, you can simply stick it in a window, but make sure it doesn't get too much direct sunlight. Its a super easy method and you'll have more carrots in no time. 

With my research and my attempts, I found that the carrot top will grow back. It males for an nice decoration, but I haven't been able to grow an actual carrot back yet. 

Hopefully this will reduce time spent at the grocery store. Happy gardening!