If you’re looking for easy ways to put the spring in your gardening step then read on! We’ve come up with some simple tips so you can start to enjoy fresh food harvesting at home.
Ace No Food Waste: Regrow Veggies from Scraps
Celery is such a versatile staple, why not try growing your own! Our own Laura Eddington tells us this is one of her most favourite gardening hacks and it’s so easy to do.What you’ll need:
- The root end of a celery bunch
- Small glass jar or bowl
- 3 or 4 toothpicks
- Water
Method:
- Cut the root end of the bunch about 5cm up from the base.
- Place the celery, root end down, in a shallow bowl or jar filled with water to submerge 2cm of the root end.
- Stick the toothpicks around the sides of the celery so it doesn’t touch the bottom of the bowl. This will help prevent rotting.
- Place in an area that receives natural light, for example your kitchen windowsill.
- Change water every couple of days.
You should start seeing small leaves starting to grow after a few days. After a week small stalks and leaves, and tiny roots will appear around the base.
The outer base may start to turn brown, but this is normal. However, don’t leave the celery in water for too long as the outer stalks will rot.
Plant your celery when the new roots are about 2cm long and voila! Fresh harvested celery straight from your garden to plate.
Tip 🥬 After harvesting, wrap celery stalks in a medium or large Little Bumble Food Wrap to keep fresh for up to five weeks!
Using this method, you can also try regrowing other veggies like spring onions and lettuce.
And that's a Wrap
Instead cut into long strips and use as garden ties. They are fully biodegradable so you can place them in your compost bin or straight in the garden!
Waste Not Want Not
Did you know the water used when boiling or steaming veggies or eggs can be used to fertilize your plants? We love this hack, simply let the water cool after cooking then pour over indoor or outdoor plants.
LettUce Sow Seeds
Spring is the perfect time to sow lettuce seeds for delicious salads all summer long.
There are many varieties available, but we love “Forellenschluss”, which translates loosely to 'speckled trout' and it's easy to see why! The lime-green leaves of this Australian heirloom are splashed with maroon - reminiscent of the markings on a trout's back. Bright and decorative in the garden and on the plate. It has a lovely mild flavour that even the kids will love!
Tip 🥬 Pick leaves individually as needed or pick whole once bigger. If not using leaves straight away after harvesting, wrap the lettuce in a medium or large Little Bumble Food Wrap to keep fresh for up to two weeks!
Plants require partial shade during the hotter months, rich, well-drained soil and regular water.
To harvest, cut leaves just above the soil surface and allow to grow back. Continue harvesting over several months, or until plants begin to lose their flavour. Once plants flower, the harvestable leaves will become bitter.
Match Made in Heaven
We know tomatoes and basil go so well together on the plate, seems they are the perfect planting companions as well!
It’s said that Basil helps to repel flies and mosquitoes. Try planting close to your tomatoes to keep insects at bay the natural way, rather than using pesticides.
We hope you find these hacks useful and we encourage you to give them a go! Learn more about our reusable food wraps and eco friendly products.