Growing Grocery Store Produce

[chicken stalker]

While reading the thread on raising horseradish from a grocery store's produce department, I began to wonder what else can be grown.

Here's what I know of...
Organic Potatoes
Garlic
Horseradish

What elso can we start from the grocery store?

 

[patandchickens]

Some fruits you can get seeds to grow from (though many things will have immature or unviable seeds, and those that *do* come from seed may not come reliably true to variety, but if it's just a Project then who cares <g>)

I've grown, what, clementines and kumquats and chili peppers from seed, you should be able (SOMEtimes) to do ripe red peppers (or other colors, as long as they are fully ripe or overripe), also tomatoes, presumably other things are possible (I'd guess some melons at least). Dried beans and grains, too.

You can, as a project, grow "sorta" carrots (very small) from a carrot in very good fresh condition with some green sprouts left on it, by cutting it near the top so that a thin slice of root is included in the crown and then rooting it as you would a cutting. In time it will grow multiple smallish roots you can eat. I have read this can be done repeatedly from the same carrot, tho have not done that myself.

Presumably jerusalem artichokes could be planted as with potatoes, tho have not done it myself.

(edited to add grade-school flashback: sweet potato and avocado, of course! )

Pat

 

[chills]

i have no previous experience, but about a week ago i planted some organic garlic i bought at the grocery store, under my roses ..

 

[injunjoe]

While reading the thread on raising horseradish from a grocery store's produce department, I began to wonder what else can be grown.

Here's what I know of...
Organic Potatoes
Garlic
Horseradish

What elso can we start from the grocery store?

First off lets welcome you and say I like your intent to grow!

I have Papaya that started from a the store. I get nice fruit from them.

I would like to hear about others growing from the store.

Joe

 

[obsessed]

Joe what zone is your papaya rated to. Would I be able to grow on here in 8A with out too much winter work?

 

[TillinWithMyPeeps]

There is actually a whole book about this subject:

http://www.amazon.com/Dont-Throw-Grow-windowsill-kitchen/dp/1603420649

 

[injunjoe]

Joe what zone is your papaya rated to. Would I be able to grow on here in 8A with out too much winter work?

You can grow it but I say you need a dwarf plant so it can be covered when needed, it would be a challenge. There is a way to dwarf them but first you need a tree to work with!
So one step at a time.

Eat a Papaya clean and try some seeds! What is there to lose?
They freeze easy! but in a pot you could enjoy a cool tree for some time. They are very short lived anyway, in nature that is.

Joe

 

[vfem]

HI!!!!

*Waving and welcoming*




Ok, I just want to say, just about anything that is 'organic' will most likely grow... some things... like Pat mentions are picked too immature to get a quality seed from though.

In most cases you are going to get an inferior product as well because these places messed with nature too much with chemicals and playing god with their climate conditions so they won't give you a good healthy fruit/veggie in return from you plant. Garlic, shallots, potatoes will not go over well if at all. The garlic can be small and brittle and probably won't store well. Some store bought potatoes will not do so great either... I've tried and gotten miniture spuds which were prone to more disease.

Go for healthy starts if you can, buy organic like you said and then save seed each year from your own and you will KNOW you get quality and more quanity to boot!!!

I made a lot of mistakes last year just testing things out... but I was also rewarded with a wealth of seeds for the things that did outstandingly!!!!

 

[ducks4you]

Sweet and Hot peppers from the store WILL grow for you. I took a rotting sweet pepper, put it in some OLD soil in a pot, kept it watered and got, like 50 plants from it. That was 2008, and almost ALL of them grew to produce fruit. However, there was not guarantee about the color: green, yellow, orange and red, no purple.
If you wanna go cheap, you can buy from the store and plant. Myself...I'm trying my hand at some of the de-weeding methods we're talking about on this forum next year, like using newspaper, so I can save money on herbicides and spend it on the type of seeds I want to buy, instead.

 

[Broke Down Ranch]

I have successfully grown potatoes and garlic from store bought stuff. Right now I have elephant garlic doing very well. I have managed to get peppers to grow but they were weak plants that did not make it past seedling stage. Tomatoes I have bought from the store had such yucky flavor and texture I do not even try those (I am a tomato perfectionist). Most dried peas and beans I think would do OK as long as they aren't ancient.