Regrow Your Veggies E-Book

Melissa Raupach

• Herausgeber: CompanionHouse Books
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2020

Seitenzahl: 96

Beschreibung

No need to keep buying the same vegetables you eat all the time over and over again. Regrow Your Veggies is an insightful guide that provides effective propagation techniques to recycle and regrow more than 20 popular vegetables right at home! Learn how to have a source of fresh and healthy vegetables close by, from onions and sweet potatoes to pineapples and mangoes, reduce waste, and know how to prevent and solve issues with pesky pests and pathogens. Get the most out of your favorite foods and produce your own produce!

Leseprobe

Regrow Your Veggies

CompanionHouse Books™ is an imprint of Fox Chapel Publishers International Ltd.

Project Team

Editor: Chris Cavanaugh

Copyeditor: Katie Ocasio

Design: Mary Ann Kahn

Index: Elizabeth Walker

Translator: Ian Kahn

Copyright © 2020 by Fox Chapel Publishers International Ltd.

Originally Published in German as Regrow Your Veggies © 2018 by Eugen Ulmer KG, Stuttgart, Germany

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of Fox Chapel Publishers, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in an acknowledged review.

Print book ISBN 978-1-62008-368-0

eBook ISBN 978-1-62008-369-7

The Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file with the Library of Congress.

This book has been published with the intent to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter within. While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, the author and publisher expressly disclaim any responsibility for any errors, omissions, or adverse effects arising from the use or application of the information contained herein.

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We are always looking for talented authors. To submit an idea, please send a brief inquiry to [email protected].

Contents

Foreword

Sustainability and Recycling

Care Instructions: How Plants Grow

Vegetative Propagation–Turning One Into Many

Location

Care

Regrow Instructions

CHINESE CABBAGE

SCALLIONS

POTATOES

LEEKS

HORSERADISH

ROMAINE LETTUCE

BEETS

CELERY

SWEET POTATOS

JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE

ONIONS

BASIL

GALANGAL

GINGER

CORIANDER

TURMERIC

MINT

LEMONGRASS

PINEAPPLE

AVOCADO

MANGO

When Things Don’t Go As Planned: Preventing Problems

Problems with Pests and Pathogens

Cultivation Problems

Resources

About the Authors

Photo Credits

Fresh air and regional vegetables—what more could you want?

Foreword

The good old saying “nothing lasts forever” is especially true when it comes to eating and drinking the things we enjoy. In the stages between childhood and adulthood, our taste buds seem to readjust themselves quite often. People in this stage begin to focus not only on enjoyment, but also health and nutrition.

For me, it was a mix both of all these factors. As a child, my favorite foods varied from spaghetti with store-bought tomato sauce (my parents just couldn’t get me to like their homemade version), to pepperoni pizza, and hot dogs from a certain well-known Swedish furniture store. Today, my diet looks a little different. I no longer eat some of my previously beloved foods, like meat, fish, dairy, and eggs. That’s right—I’m vegan.

About four years ago, I started becoming more and more interested in nutrition. In my research, I came across, among other things, vegan blogs with incredibly delicious-looking dishes. My love for vegetables used to be limited, so many of these recipes seemed quite exotic at first. But since Curiosity is my middle name, so I cooked and experimented with everything I saw. Eventually, I came to face my biggest opponent: broccoli.

On a list of my least favorite vegetables, broccoli was the undisputed leader. Its smell and green color repelled my inner child. This totally unfounded aversion toward broccoli when I was young resulted in me never even trying it—until four years ago. This story is probably hard to believe now, being the big broccoli fan that I am today. And the moral of the story? Old assumptions (no matter if they’re about yourself or somebody else) should always be revisited. You might surprise yourself with what you discover.

Not only have the “traditional” aspects of eating habits (“I’ve never liked the XY diet!“) influenced my culinary journey, but also learning to understand food and ingredients have turned a young vegetable hater into an adult veggie fan.

Fruits and vegetables are essential for a balanced and healthy diet.

After I switched my diet more and more toward plant-based foods, I slowly became interested in growing my own. My role model in this adventure was my grandmother. One of my earliest memories is of her small garden, where she grew the most delicious tomatoes in the world (I’m probably biased, but they truly were not even close to the kind you would find in a supermarket). I longed to have a garden as glorious as hers, but if you live in the middle of a big city like I do and can’t have your own garden, you have to find an alternative solution. Aromatic herbs had become regulars on my shopping list, so my green thumb initially began from simply growing my own herbs. The disposable pots from the supermarket only last for very short time and then wind up in the garbage. Sustainability? Yeah, right! With tasty basil, mint, and rosemary, my regrow project began to blossom. Over time, home-grown lettuce and other vegetables like tomatoes and radishes found a home on my little balcony.

Self-cultivation, plant diversity, etc. fascinated me, and in 2013, I became aware of the trend of “regrowing” via social media videos and blog posts. Equally skeptical and intrigued (“How could this possibly work?“), I began my first attempt at regrowing vegetables on the windowsill in my home. My initial skepticism evaporated when I noticed the results of my little flower pot: it worked!

Ever since then I have been fascinated in “regrowing.” In this book, I would like to share my knowledge, my personal experiences, as well as tips and suggestions. What motivates me?

1 Producing your own food: Contrary to popular belief, you don’t actually need a whole garden to grow your own vegetables. All you need is a small flower pot to make your regrow dreams a reality! This is not only great news for adult city dwellers like myself, but also for kids to experience growing healthy food firsthand.

2 Note: Whether in cookbooks or in online recipes, exotic plants from all over the world seem to suppress local cuisine, but try to keep your garden simple. There are so many types of vegetables and fruits that grow locally, taste delicious, and can be integrated into many different recipes (even fancy ones). Regrowing vegetables shouldn‘t be complicated.

3 Sustainability and recycling: These things are very important in our modern garbage-producing societies. We have a responsibility to take care of our planet and preserve its beauty for future generations. This can only happen if the world comes together to do something about our waste problem. Each and every person can contribute to achieving this goal.

4 Fun and curiosity: Last but not least, regrowing should be fun! After all, what’s better than watching plants grow (literally) and getting to taste the results? Regrowing is not only a special treat for children, but it also teaches them an important lesson: that food doesn’t just come from a grocery store.

The following chapter is dedicated entirely to sustainability because this aspect of regrowing is the closest to my heart.

After that, we’ll dive into helpful care tips and detailed regrow instructions for delicious fruits, vegetables, and herbs. Finally, you’ll learn what to do if problems arise so that your regrow projects can be a tasty success.

Have fun regrowing!

Melissa Raupach

In more and more cities, it is becoming possible to shop in package-free stores.

Sustainability and Recycling

This aspect of regrowing is of great moral importance to me. By regrowing your vegetables, you’re contributing to the sustainability of the planet, and the best part is that anyone can do it.

Living in a globalized world has many advantages. Of course, transporting people and goods is much quicker, but also knowledge, culture, and other perspectives cross borders more easily than anyone could have imagined a few decades ago. With all the advantages that globalization brings developed countries and its citizens, it’s also important to consider its negative effects. Unfortunately, the mantra of “higher, further, faster” often comes at the expense of humans, animals, and the environment. Even though globalization is irreversible, it is not (yet!) set in stone how we humans in industrialized nations will pave the way for the future. Taking care of our planet and its resources is, in my eyes, one of the greatest challenges of today’s generations.

Even if that sounds like a ton of responsibility at first, anybody can contribute their part by living a more sustainable lifestyle. Hardly any other thing out there lends itself better to this goal than changing personal consumption behavior. Whether it’s the clothes you wear or the electronic devices you use, Our purchasing behavior influences both supply and demand. An example of this is the increasing number of vegan and vegetarian products in supermarkets, cookbooks, and restaurants. It’s not about giving something up, but about consciously choosing to consume more sustainable products.

Fresh local fruits and vegetables not only taste better, but they’re also better for the environment.

Not only can vegetables be recycled, but their containers as well.

Another important issue that is closely related to our consumer behavior is the garbage it produces. In a recent study, a whopping yearly average of 940 pounds (426kg) of household waste (and not including large items like electronics) were measured—way too much! Making a conscious decision in this regard can also really make a difference.

One way, for example, is by recycling. Much of what is carelessly thrown in the garbage can be used reused. From pickle jars to shoe boxes, with a bit of creativity and ingenuity, these objects can be given a new life; not to mention, it saves you money. With the internet and many social media channels full of do-it-yourself inspiration, those of us who aren’t as creative can easily find very detailed instructions on being better recyclers. Recycling can, therefore, be seen as the alternative to a “disposable” lifestyle—and the same can be said of regrowing unused vegetables.

By regrowing, you’re reducing household waste and providing fresh food at the same time. You probably won’t be able to replace your entire produce consumption with regrown vegetables (unless you don’t eat a lot of vegetables or you’re a real regrow pro). But that’s not the goal. Rather, it’s about returning to simplicity.

This is closely related to the current “zero waste” trend. This global movement doesn’t just recycle waste, but attempts to avoid it altogether. The principles of zero waste are known as the five Rs: refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle, and rot. Some of the zero waste pioneers out there produce in a whole year only enough waste to fit inside a small jam jar. Although you can’t make such an extreme change overnight, it is still a good idea to pay attention to your consumption habits and reduce waste wherever possible. By regrowing vegetable waste, vegetables are not only reused, but organic waste, and the carbon footprint associated with transporting it in garbage trucks, is reduced. Creating a new life out of organic waste is a return to the natural circle of life. Aside from the ethical motivations, it’s also a lot of fun to hone your skills as a regrow gardener.

Care Instructions: How Plants Grow

Plants can’t be lumped into one category: some plants love to be in the sun while others prefer the shade. The wide variety of plants requires gardeners to pay close attention to their plants’ needs. So, let’s start with a few of the basics of plant propagation and care.