13 Easy Planting Hacks to Grow Vegetables for Free

Sheri Dorn is a versatile homesteader and culinary artist with a strong focus on organic and heirloom gardening. Holding a Master's degree in Culinary Arts, she combines her love for cooking and gardening in a unique way. Sheri is an active contributor to online gardening communities and enjoys quality outdoor time with her family and pets.
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Follow these crazy, unconventional, and Easy Planting Hacks to grow your food at zero cost. Follow them today and get burgeoning edible plants tomorrow!

If you don’t like the hassles of seed sowing or don’t want to spend money on buying seeds–Read this post till the end to learn our 13 Easy Planting Hacks to grow vegetables for free from the vegetables you have in your home!

Check out some awesome seed starting hacks here


Easy Planting Hacks

1. Cucumbers From Cucumber

Easy Planting Hacks
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Make a cut in cucumber and scoop out its seeds with the help of a spoon and add these seeds to a glass filled with water. The seeds that settle in the bottom of the glass are the ones to pick. Transfer them to the soil, and soon you’ll have fresh home-grown cucumbers!

Learn growing cucumbers vertically here.

2. Grow Lavender Easily

Do you know a lavender flower can provide you with a bunch of seeds? Rub the lavender bloom in your palm to get the tiny little seeds out.

Spread and wrap them on a paper towel, spray water and leave them overnight. Transfer to the soil, and within 8-10 weeks, you will have new lavender plants!

Check out our post for growing lavender in pots here

3. Eggplants, Anyone?

Easy Planting Hacks 2

Make a cut on the bottom of the eggplant, microwave for two minutes, peel it, remove seeds, add to a glass of water, and strain. Now take an eggshell, fill it with potting mix, sow seeds, and transfer to the pot. Also, thin the seedlings when they start to grow more.

In just 12-14 weeks, you can enjoy fresh home-grown eggplants!

Learn how to grow eggplant in a pot here

4. Grow Ginger at Home

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Cut small pieces from ginger rhizomes that have buds, plant them in potting soil, making sure the cut side is down. Do not bury too deep. Water thoroughly, and keep it in an area with filtered sunlight. You will have new ginger plants in no time!

5. Potato Hack

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Take a sprouting potato and cut it into two parts. Fill a pot with a potting mix, plant the potato cut-side down and eye side up, and water the plant. You’ll soon have fresh potatoes for fries!

6. Squash Time!

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Cut the top of the squash, scoop out the seeds, spread them on a potting mix, and cover with a layer of soil and water well. You can do this indoors as well as outdoors when the temperature is above 60 F (15 C). This trick works well with gourds and cantaloupes.

7. Have More Capsicums

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finmail

Cut the capsicum and collect its seeds in a bowl. Now take a pot, fill it with potting mix, spread seeds, water well and place it where it gets indirect light. The seeds will germinate within a couple of weeks.

8. Tomato Slices

Here’s a straightforward hack to grow luscious tomatoes at home. Make 1/4 inch thick slices of fresh tomato and lay them on top of the container. Cover the slices with a thin layer of soil, spray with water to make the surface moist, and wait–you will soon have new tomato plants!

9. Onions Sprouts

Easy Planting Hacks 12
pinterest

You must have seen the onions growing a bit of sprout when they are stored. All you have to do is to plant it in the soil to have fresh green onions. Do not bury too deep. Water well and place it where it gets partial sunlight.

10. Grow Lemon in a Cup

indiagardening

The next time you squeeze fresh lemons on your food, just throw some lemon seeds in a cup, having a potting mix. Water well, and keep it on a kitchen counter or windowsill. You will soon have a new plant within a few weeks.

11. Marigold

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shutterstock/Chamille White

Dried marigold flowers have seeds in them, which you can use to start a new plant. Rub dried flowers with your hands over the planting bed or pot. Marigold petals and seeds with them will fall down and germinate soon! If they are too much–thin or transplant them to other spots.

12. Bittermelon

shutterstock/Rainbow_dazzle

Overripe bitter melon is also a great option to start a new plant. You can either cut it open, take out the seeds, and sow them, or you also have an option to plant the entire bittermelon in a pot, too. This way, you’ll have many seedlings.

If you’re too lazy for both things, toss that bittermelon somewhere where you want it to grow–you’ll soon see many plants growing, thin them, and save a couple of stronger ones.

13. Pineapple

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Pineapple is quite easy to grow and not as hard as you might think. All you have to do is to chop the head off a fresh pineapple and grow it in a pot filled with a fresh potting mix. It will form roots in 2-3 weeks, and soon you will have a new plant.


Watch this video for more information

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