Kitchen Scrap Garden

Activity Overview

Did you know that we can use our kitchen scraps to grow a garden? This activity helps students understand the cycle of how food gets to our plates, what can be done to maximize food potential, and how we can grow our own food. It allows them to study and observe change over time, and seeing progress in their garden will motivate them, and become a source of pride. This activity will be a long observation, but try to stick with it to see how change arises.

What You Need

• Kitchen Scraps: lemons, limes, grapefruit, lettuce, mango, celery, potatoes, sweet potatoes, garlic, peppers, apples, avocado, ginger, carrots

• Water

• Small bowl, vases or cups

• Toothpicks

• Potting soil

• A variety of pots to hold the sprouts

Steps

1. Here are some tips for common kitchen scrap gardening:

   • For small seed scraps such as citrus fruits, apples or peppers, plant three or four seeds in soil in a small flower pot. Keep in a space that gets plenty of sunlight. It can take up to three or four weeks for them to sprout.

   • For large seeds like mango or avocado or tubers like sweet potatoes or ginger, stick three or four toothpicks into the sides of the pit or tuber. Then suspend it over a glass that is filled up with water that touches the bottom of the seed. Roots will begin to form after a month at which time the seed can be planted into a larger flower pot.

   • Cut the eyes off the potatoes and place them in about three or four inches of well-draining soil in a small flower pot.

   • Let carrot tops or pineapple tops dry for two days. Then plant them in a tray of pebbles and water. Once you see roots begin to sprout, transfer to a pot with soil.

   • Cut the bottoms off celery and lettuce and place in a bowl of water in direct sunlight. When you see growth, transfer to a pot with soil.

2. Continue to watch and tend to your plants and notice their growth. They should grow over a couple of months with exposure to light, water, and love.

Guiding Questions

• What do you want to grow?

• How long do you think it will be until we see change?

• How do you want to track the progress of our plants?

• What happens if plants are exposed to a different amount of sunlight?

• How do you think we can help this plant grow?

Extensions

• Create an indoor garden space in your home.

• Try fruits or vegetables that have not been laid out in the directions.

• Research composting and how to compost at home or, collect your composting materials and take them to a drop off site such as GrowNYC at your local farmer’s market.