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This Instructable outlines how to grow fresh onion plants from discarded onion bottoms that would otherwise be thrown in the trash. You can theoretically create an endless supply of onions without ever having to buy bulbs or seeds, and if you're as big of an onion lover in the kitchen as I am, you'll have a full bed of onions in no time.
3 Week Update:
New roots have formed on the example onion used in this Instructable, and the starts of leaves are forming which can be seen by the two distinct rises at the top of the onion. This onion will more than likely form two plants just like fully formed example on this Intro page.
4 Week Update:
New leaves are forming above the soil, and it's clear that this plant will be able to be divided. It has now gone through a hard freeze in its pot sitting on a growing table.
3 Week Update:
New roots have formed on the example onion used in this Instructable, and the starts of leaves are forming which can be seen by the two distinct rises at the top of the onion. This onion will more than likely form two plants just like fully formed example on this Intro page.
4 Week Update:
New leaves are forming above the soil, and it's clear that this plant will be able to be divided. It has now gone through a hard freeze in its pot sitting on a growing table.
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Signing UpStep 1Materials
You will need:
- Onion
- Clean Knife
- Cutting Board
- Starter Pot with Potting Soil (optional)
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Aren't plants amazing? Yet, I still can't figure out how to start potatoes...
just wondering if you know how far apart to grow these onions. I don't have a yard and will have to resort to a container, so i'm just thinking about what size pot to consider.
thanks!
I'll be very interested to see how it goes. Do you plan on taking pics?
Yellow & red Peppers-Let them dry in a glass or ceramic bowl on a windowsill before planting.
Cantalope-easy to germinate, just plant the seeds as they are removed from the fruit, no need to clean. Spead them out because it seemed every one sprouts! They need lots of room to grow
Potatoes-easy
cucumbers- Let them dry first need to climb easy to grow
Mango & avocado- More difficult-use the small round HAAS avacados not much luck with Mangos
Watermelon-Easy to grow except the "seedless" variety:-)
I save seeds also. After they've dried keep in plactic ziplock snack bags. I put the date and what they are and store them in a drawer. Toss them out after 2 years, not worth the time, just save more!
Has anyone tried to grow pomegranite seeds?
Reproduction of seed versus 'organic':
The use of organic growing technique has no direct relation to the viability of hybrid, or non-hybrid seeds. Non-hybrid seeds are also known as heirloom seeds, open-pollinated, or heritage seeds. Hybrid seeds can be grown with organic methods and they will still not breed true. The use of organic growing methods, or not, has almost no effect upon fertility of the seed. Could there be non-organic produce in markets containing seeds which will reproduce? Certainly, just as organically grown hybridized produce could show up in a farmers market. But the chance of finding reproduceable heritage seed vegetables is much higher in the farmers markets with organic crops. It is a growing philosophy among small farmers.
Remember, viability is related to fertility or the ability of sprout, and the concept of reproduceability is related to the idea of "breeding true" and getting the same characteristics in the following generations of plants.
And of course, hybridization is done to marry desireable traits from seperate species such as toughness, quality and quantity of fruit, and other factors for ease of handling and quality of final product. For example, machine farming of tomatoes was made possible by engineering a tougher tomato.
First, it is exceedingly rare that two different species will have any offspring at all. Second, the two individuals being mated in these cases of hybridization are not different species anyway, they are simply different varieties of the same species. Such hybrids are NOT sterile. Almost ALL store bought fruit will have viable seeds. The issue is not that hybrids can not have offspring. The issue is that hybrids can not reproduce, by which I mean they will not likely create offspring with the same traits as the parents. This is in contrast to heirloom varieties, where the traits are stable across generations.
Think in terms of people. Take two individuals whose families have been blonde for generations and let them have offspring. Those offspring will also be blonde. Contrast that to two blonde individuals whose families have varied hair colour. Their offspring will likely include numerous brown-haired children.
The same is true of hybrids. If two heirlooms are crossed so as to produce larger, more colourful, disease resistant fruit, there is no guarantee that the fruit of ITS offspring will have any of these traits.
And since it came up, the creation of "seedless" varieties involves the cross breeding of varieties which contain "self-incompatibility" genes, which prevent them from crossing with varieties different from themselves. Such plants, however, display a large degree of "parthenocarpy," the ability to generate fruit without fertilization. As such they have fruit, but no seeds, as the eggs never get fertilized by pollen.
"it is exceedingly rare that two different species will have any offspring at all."
What part of this statement are you claiming is the opposite of true? Are you claiming that cross species hybrids are common? You would be gravely mistaken.
More importantly, EVERY thing I said about the generation of seedless fruit is 100% accurate. Please detail exactly what you are claiming is "quite the opposite" of true.
If you are claiming that plant hybrids are sterile, I can GUARANTEE you that you are wrong. First, I grow plants from hybrid seed all the time; so do lots of people. Second, again, hybrid crosses are NOT from different species, they are varieties of the SAME species. Thus your horse/donkey/mule analogy is entirely off base.
FTR, my field of study is microbiology and neuroscience.