Grocery store gardening

canadianplant · Post by **canadianplant** » Mon Nov 29, 2010 10:08 am

In an effort to save some cash, I decided to look up what i can grow form seed from produce i buy at the grocery store. There are dozens of things you can grow. The herbs mentioned can be grown from the "fresh herb" bunches you get. Heres the list ive got so far. IF you have anything to add that isnt there please do so....

Passion flower, papaya, dragon fruit, star fruit, grapefruit, lemon, lime, pinneapple, ginger oregano, tarragon, sage and marjoram mint,oregano, thyme, rosemary cardamom, lychee, poppy seed, olive, apples, cherrries, peanut, kumquat, tangerine, non roasted coffe beans, sweet potatoe, coconut, lemon grass, pommagranete, nectarines, tamarillo, malagna, goji berry, galangal root, cumin, cucumber, pppers, melons ( cantelope, watermelon, honeydew etc),
taro, almonds, walnuts, hazle nuts, brazil nuts, ( uncooked seeds in shell), uncooked wheat, barley, oats , sugar cane, all dehydrated beans, beets, prickly pear fruit, pear, carrots ( they flower and seed if you plant the tops), yam, arrowroot, yucca cassava, tomato, cucumber, apples, plums, papaya, garlic, green onions, leeks, cilantro, ....

Now some mentioned are hybrids and wont grow true from seed ( part of the suprise!), but some like key limes and grapefruit grow true from seed. Youll usualy get something good out of what you plant. The extras can be givin away or sold as houseplants, or patio plants ( citrus trees ).

TerdalFarm · Post by **TerdalFarm** » Mon Nov 29, 2010 7:55 pm

Great topic. My budget it tight.
As a ground cover in the tropical garden, W bought grocery-store sweet potato, cut them into large pieces, and planted them. They took a while to get started but when they got going they were unstoppable and covered huge areas, suppressing weeds. All for a couple bucks. Even flowered.
All dead now, of course, but the chickens are digging up the sweet orange tubers for snacks.

We plant regular "irish" potatoes every spring from grocery-store stock. I think their foliage looks good. Our Summer heat kills them in June, but they are good place-holders until Colocasia takes off.

Other experiences? --Erik

canadianplant · Post by **canadianplant** » Tue Nov 30, 2010 5:10 am

Im growing a sweet potato inside for now. The dark cold winters here make me go stir crazy so its a good thing that i can do something like this.

You apperantly have to be careful planting grocery store potatoes. They can carry soil bourne diseases, and can ruin some root crops. Of course if you trust your produce section, your all good.

I think I forgot to mention Kiwi. Cut then into squares and plant them, and apperantly youll have a kiwi vine.....

canadianplant · Post by **canadianplant** » Tue Nov 30, 2010 5:10 am

Im growing a sweet potato inside for now. The dark cold winters here make me go stir crazy so its a good thing that i can do something like this.

You apperantly have to be careful planting grocery store potatoes. They can carry soil bourne diseases, and can ruin some root crops. Of course if you trust your produce section, your all good.

I think I forgot to mention Kiwi. Cut then into squares and plant them, and apperantly youll have a kiwi vine.....

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Tue Nov 30, 2010 9:23 am

We had fun with this topic during a dreary winter (aren't they all?) a couple of years ago.

My try was star fruit, easy.
http://www.palmsnorth.com/forum/viewtop ... star+fruit

100% germination too on Dates, after which 100% death of Dates

Good luck!
Barb

personalparadise · Post by **personalparadise** » Tue Nov 30, 2010 9:48 am

You forgot the good old favorite of avacados!

Rice from the supermarket grows well also, I used to use it to decorate the pond

canadianplant · Post by **canadianplant** » Tue Nov 30, 2010 10:22 am

ahhh i forgot about rice!! It has to be the brown wild rice, that is unprocessed right??

personalparadise · Post by **personalparadise** » Tue Nov 30, 2010 10:36 am

Yep, It needs to have the husk still on it. That is the only trick in finding some.

Now I want to go shopping for some new pots and start planting even more!

Cameron_z6a_N.S. · Post by **Cameron_z6a_N.S.** » Tue Nov 30, 2010 10:50 am

Canadianplant, I'm growing pineapples, dragonfruit, avacados, opuntia (from opuntia ficus-indica pears), kiwis, dates, etc. I've also grown lemon trees from seed. There are lots of things you can try!

canadianplant · Post by **canadianplant** » Tue Nov 30, 2010 7:19 pm

Well personaly i have peach, plum, apple,pommagranate, dates, orange, lemon, and 2 avacado pits. I also have some brazil nuts, almonds and pecand im gonna try. Im looking for key limes. They go semi dormant, and flower in 2 or 3 years, stay small too.

TimMAz6 · Post by **TimMAz6** » Tue Nov 30, 2010 8:10 pm

anyone ever have success with germinating coconuts?

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Tue Nov 30, 2010 8:31 pm

Steve (KNNN) on PN has, but he's not around much.
Maybe use PN Search facility, "KNNN" as author, and coconut palm as topic?
Barb

canadianplant · Post by **canadianplant** » Wed Dec 01, 2010 5:54 am

Coconuts arent to hard to germinate. If you have constant heat, and a huge pot for the long sinker. I cant remember what ones to get, bu of course it should be unprocessed as much as possible.

I think the thing about coconuts isnt actualy germinating it, its keeping it alive. Coconuts need constant heat and tons of sunlight all year round. I dont think theyd to well without supplimental heating. Ive thought about trying one and seen that the odds of it growing inside here, are as much as growing it outside....... Dont want to discourage anyone.... just keep in mind they need lots of light and heat

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Wed Dec 01, 2010 8:41 am

Found the coconut thread:

http://www.palmsnorth.com/forum/viewtop ... 30&start=0

canadianplant · Post by **canadianplant** » Wed Dec 01, 2010 8:45 am

the store finally got in key limes

JackLord · Post by **JackLord** » Fri Dec 17, 2010 2:23 pm

I have been doing my fair share of this. So far, Taro, Blood Orange, Key Lime, Ellendale Mandarins, Valencia Oranges, Fall Glo Tangerines, Pineapples, and Papaya have sprouted. I had my sister in LA send me some Yuzus.

canadianplant · Post by **canadianplant** » Fri Dec 31, 2010 9:13 pm

never thoguht of blood oranges.... i wonder if there even available here..

I now have a bunch of pomegranate seedlings, 2 in my aero garden, and some sprouted in the bag. Time to get some citrus goin

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sat Feb 26, 2011 8:41 am

Must've liked the heat near the woodstove.

<img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5292/547 ... 1c195d.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="DSC04508" />

How's everyone else's grocery store germination coming along?

Barb

canadianplant · Post by **canadianplant** » Sat Feb 26, 2011 8:56 am

Dammit Barb, ive tried 3 of them, with nothing so far.

My almond is now 8 inches, i stopped counting leaves. Its starting to branch now. I have 2 lemon seedlings, the ginger finaly sprouted and im waiting on apricots, and some hazlenuts to sprout.

My apple seedlings are growing way faster then I expected as well....

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sat Feb 26, 2011 9:05 am

Re the Avocado, I didn't suspend it over a glass of water.
Just stuck it halfway (lengthwise) into potting soil, covered with a baggie, placed 10 feet away from woodstove, then forgot about it till today.
The water method never worked for me either.

Congrats on your sprouts Jesse.
Barb

canadianplant · Post by **canadianplant** » Tue Mar 01, 2011 3:29 pm

Thats the next way I was going to try. Good thing their cheap ....

My mini honey tangerine seeds sprouted today. They oranges they came from were the size of decent grape tomatoes. Should be interesting to see what I get.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Tue Mar 01, 2011 3:39 pm

Tangerine trees are beautiful in patio pots...picture yours in a few years http://www.mysinchew.com/node/19805

willy1der · Post by **willy1der** » Tue Mar 01, 2011 11:50 pm

currently have mango,papaya,passion fruit,pineapple,lemon,manderine,key lime,ginger,yellow ginger,turmeric,lemon grass,eddoes(EE) all growing,purchased from the asian market.Also have a moso shoot finally growing some roots after many tries,got to get them fresh!!!

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Wed Mar 02, 2011 5:15 am

willy1der,

That's quite the list, well done.

Had to look up the Moso...http://www.completebamboo.com/Pic%20Ass ... t_moso.jpg
Look at the stem on that bamboo!

Man, that's beautiful.

Barb

canadianplant · Post by **canadianplant** » Wed Mar 02, 2011 5:59 am

Awsome willy!

You can grow sugar cane the same way as the lemon grass. Sugar cane is usualy sold in specialty asian/south american markets. Did you get the Moso roots in the market too?

JackLord · Post by **JackLord** » Wed Mar 02, 2011 11:54 am

Trying some Cherimoya seeds. We'll see what happens.

canadianplant · Post by **canadianplant** » Wed Mar 02, 2011 12:08 pm

thats a really nice tree actualy. I hope you can get them to germinate....

I forgot to mention, my Pommegranate was attacked by red spider mites. ( so was the parade rose, my musella (starting to look like a velutina now

), and brug seedlings. Blasted them with safers soap, twice, so far no big outbreaks at all. The lady bugs will have some food in the summer

Longer story short. Within a week, it grew 4 inches, and is branching like mad. Fast growing when happy (this is growing hydroponically in my aerogarden)

willy1der · Post by **willy1der** » Sun Mar 06, 2011 6:19 pm

lucky1 wrote:willy1der,

That's quite the list, well done.

Had to look up the Moso...http://www.completebamboo.com/Pic%20Ass ... t_moso.jpg
Look at the stem on that bamboo!
Man, that's beautiful.

Barb

Looks nothing like that picture yet,dont think it will make it indoors,I will try outdoors come spring and will have better luck,it took me around 10 shoots to finally get a root @ around 2$ each so worth the try!!

willy1der · Post by **willy1der** » Sun Mar 06, 2011 6:29 pm

canadianplant wrote:Awsome willy!

You can grow sugar cane the same way as the lemon grass. Sugar cane is usualy sold in specialty asian/south american markets. Did you get the Moso roots in the market too?

Ive tried sugarcane lately but it just rotted over a few weeks,I tried growing under soil and also in water but no roots,they sell it cut and packaged and also the whole cane(around 5ft) ,I tried the packed sugercane.I did find the moso in the market,they have around 4 varieties that Ive seen,the moso looked to be cut a little below the soil line so there were nodes where the root will grow like you would find on the lemon grass

Cameron_z6a_N.S. · Post by **Cameron_z6a_N.S.** » Sun Mar 06, 2011 7:37 pm

Here are some new pics of my macadamia plants. There are 7 in total. The leaves are pretty weird, they're kind of a combo of droopy-looking, wavy, and spiny!

Cameron.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sun Mar 06, 2011 7:47 pm

Cool.

Resembles holly somewhat.

Macadamia nuts would NEVER make it into potting soil here!

Yummmmm.

canadianplant · Post by **canadianplant** » Mon Mar 07, 2011 5:15 am

Willy

THats a GOOD find at a market. We dont have many specialty markets here like that. VERY few and far between. Ive found some good finds at the superstore here, taro, long bak eggplant, yucca cassava, lotus root..... havnt seen any moso roots.

You have to be careful with them down there. They arent exactly 100% hardy. They will probably stay a bit smaller, and youll probably have to ben them down to keep them covered. Their hardy to zone 6 or 7, so your on the edge of its harniness. Im not sure if it will top kill there or not. Mabey Paulont cant give you some more insight ( he lives closer to you then me). But really, at 2 bucks a root... gotta try ! My advice, they root a lot more then we think, make sure its in a big pot untill it goes in the ground.

I didnt think you had 7 macadamia plants LOL. Arent those yogut cups the best pots ever?? LOL

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Mon Mar 07, 2011 7:56 am

I just bought some lettuce,I am trying to root some of the leaves
but they keep falling over for some reason,I think if I keep trying
maybe they will really get moving/next up,planting watermelons
like a coconut

canadianplant · Post by **canadianplant** » Mon Mar 07, 2011 9:28 am

you can root lettuce leaves??

canadianplant · Post by **canadianplant** » Mon Mar 07, 2011 12:29 pm

I should check things more then once a day apperantly. I now have a key lime seedling.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Fri Mar 25, 2011 9:06 am

Key limes never germinated for me.
Wonder if they're irradiated as they cross the border?
Probably just my inexperience with them.

But the Avocado is taking off.
This ladybug may call the split seed home ...

<img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5026/555 ... 20216d.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="DSC04615" />

<img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5062/555 ... 1cc772.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSC04616" />

Barb

canadianplant · Post by **canadianplant** » Fri Mar 25, 2011 10:20 am

citrus seeds cant dry out at all. After reading that, i cleaned them and planted them right after taking them out of the fruit. Out of 5 3 seeds germinated.

I have to get me some more avacado to try. LOL

My pomegranate tree is over a foot. It looks like an olive tree at thsi stage. Nothing from the apricots or hazlenuts though...

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Fri Mar 25, 2011 2:27 pm

Re citrus drying out. That could've been why mine failed.
I'm up to the rafters with seeds/seedlings this year, so limes will have to wait.

Since I have a 6 foot grapefruit tree, I'm not anxious to get more thorny stuff (ouch, the thing is as deadly as a Phoenix).

Re your next avocado try, just lay it sideways on soil, push it halfway down, cover with a baggie (after misting), warm spot.
Forget about it for 3 weeks. POOF...1 foot tall plant in no time.

Got pics of the pomegranate?
Barb

canadianplant · Post by **canadianplant** » Fri Mar 25, 2011 2:53 pm

Thats what im going to have to do. Tomorrow is grocery day.

Ill have to charge my batteries. I have to take some pics anyways.

canadianplant · Post by **canadianplant** » Fri Mar 25, 2011 5:04 pm

Here ya go barb

Sexy little tree if you ask me...

PalmsNorth.com

Grocery store gardening

Grocery store gardening

Avocado sprouted