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How To Regrow Lettuce From Scraps

There's a really easy way to regrow lettuce from scraps. Find out how at www.drugstoredivas.net.I hate waste. Like honestly, I would save every piece of “garbage” to upcycle it into a craft if I had the space. And the same with food. If we buy a whole chicken, Pete uses the bones to make homemade chicken broth. So of course I learned how to regrow lettuce from scraps.

Honestly, now is as good of a time as any to start your own scraps garden.

I’m not an alarmist, and I don’t realistically think we will lose our access to fresh food. But the truth of the matter is that if you can eat food you pick in your own backyard, you don’t have to make as many trips out of the house and to the local grocery store. And that’s really helpful right now.

Plus, it’s so rewarding to grow your own food.

How To Regrow Lettuce From Scraps

You’re going to start by buying lettuce from the grocery store, hence regrowing lettuce from scraps. This tutorial won’t help you grow lettuce from seed.

The package I usually start with has four mixed pieces of lettuce. Romaine hearts would work too. Or iceburg lettuce if you’re really careful with how you cut the leaves off in the first place. You need a whole section, not pieces, because you need that middle, center section.

There's a really easy way to regrow lettuce from scraps. Find out how at www.drugstoredivas.net.

Step 1:

Cut the lettuce about 1.5 inches from the bottom. If you cut too low, you won’t be sprout anything. Save the bottom section of the lettuce. That’s what you’ll be sprouting. Use the top of the lettuce to make a salad or whatever you do with lettuce.

There's a really easy way to regrow lettuce from scraps. Find out how at www.drugstoredivas.net.

Step 2:

Fill a small bowl with about an inch of water and put the bottom section of the lettuce in it. Every day, replace the water in the bowl. You’ll notice that the water in the bowl starts turning green. That’s okay.

There's a really easy way to regrow lettuce from scraps. Find out how at www.drugstoredivas.net.

Step 3:

After about a week or so, you’ll start to see the center leaves of the lettuce growing. It’s done in the water. Fill a container with dirt. Dig a hole in the dirt large enough to stick all but the very top of the lettuce in.

There's a really easy way to regrow lettuce from scraps. Find out how at www.drugstoredivas.net.

Step 4:

Water daily and wait for your lettuce to start sprouting new leaves. That’s it. When there’s enough for a salad (or whatever you need them for), pick them from the top. Yes, pick. If you use scissors to cut the leaves off, you risk shocking the plant and damaging it and it won’t produce any more lettuce leaves.

A little troubleshooting:

– If, after about a week or so, there’s no sprouting at all, you probably cut the lettuce too low originally. Just keep that in mind and cut it higher next try.

– Also, if the outside leaves start getting really wet, they’ll start falling off. You’ve kept it in the water for way too long at that point. As soon as you realize this is happening, carefully pull those waterlogged leaves off the lettuce and plant the sprouted lettuce in dirt.

– I say dirt, but I actually don’t regrow lettuce in dirt. I use potting soil (XXX LINK) that’s specific for vegetables. I feel like it does help the plants grow a lot quicker and more bountiful than actually planting them in dirt. If all you have is dirt, that’s fine. Be sure to mix some leftover coffee grounds into the dirt to balance the pH and create an environment where the lettuce can thrive.

Want more home gardening tips?

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If your garden is dying, it might need some pruning. Get tips in this how to prune your garden post from www.drugstoredivas.net.

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It's easy to harvest blackberry seeds to replant them in your garden. Find out how in this post on www.drugstoredivas.net.

Beverly

Thursday 23rd of April 2020

What a great idea. I always put mine in the compost.

Laurie

Monday 20th of April 2020

Wow! I had no idea this could be done. I am going to try it this week. Thanks for the very good instructions. I hate waste too!

Marie

Monday 20th of April 2020

This couldn't be more timely. I've started veggies from seed indoors (we still have snow on the ground here) but I didn't have any lettuce packets and didn't want to risk going to get some. I'm definitely trying this for romaine lettuce! Pinned

angie

Monday 20th of April 2020

this is such a great thing to do with the kids something that we can all learn from thanks for sharing

liz

Sunday 19th of April 2020

Great post-definitely going to try with romaine .