Gardening and planting are an essential spring pastime for those with backyards or those who just love to fill their home with pots and greenery. March is the perfect time to start sprouting those seeds. If you don’t want to spend money on buying seeds or you’re still new at this, try using the seeds of fruits that are already in your kitchen.
Early spring planting can start from your own kitchen. You don’t need to be a pro. There are some easy-to-follow steps for sprouting seeds from fruits you already have in your kitchen.
Avocado
Start by removing the pit from the fruit, without puncturing or cutting it; wash and dry it. Next, push four toothpicks into the middle of the pit, forming a cross/plus sign. Rest the toothpicks on the rim of a small, shallow container with the fatter end of the pit down. Fill the container with enough water to cover the end of the pit about an inch. Change the water every four to five days, allowing six to eight weeks for roots to grow and a stem begin to sprout. Then, remove the toothpicks, plant the seed in a pot or in your front yard and attend to it with the rest of your plants.
Peach
Peach pits are very easy to plant. All they need is a bit of time and patience! If you don’t have the outdoor space for a full peach tree, keep it indoors in a pot as a green, living decoration; it might not produce a fruit, but it will keep growing, adding variety to your indoor plant collection. So, start by removing the peach pit, then washing and drying it. Wrap it in a dry paper towel; be sure that it remains dry, or else the pit will mould. Place the wrapped seed in the fridge and leave it stored for two to three months. When the pit starts to sprout, move it into rich soil, either outdoors or indoors, and water it regularly with the rest of your plants.
Kiwi
Kiwi might be a little more demanding than avocado or peaches. But it’s a lot of fun to plant!
To start, scrape out the seeds from a kiwi and clean as much flesh from them as you can. Bury the seeds in a small pot of soil, cover it and keep it in the fridge for two to three weeks. Then, move the seeds into another pot of soil and alternate temperatures; for example, place the pot in a sunny corner by the window during the day and in a cooler place, perhaps outdoors, at night. This will artificially create the perfect climate for kiwi seed germination. It’s the perfect seed to start growing in March.
more on gardening and planting
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4 Gardening apps for your green thumb
How to grow a garden without a yard
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