I wasn’t planning to grow vegetables. That’s not a thing I do. I kill basil. Like clockwork. But then I forgot a potato in the pantry, and by the time I remembered it, it had these long creepy eyes. They looked… alive. Like, crawling-out-of-the-dark alive. I didn’t want to touch it.
I also didn’t want to waste it. So I googled something like “can you plant a potato that’s sprouting?” expecting the answer to be “no, it’s poisonous now.” But it turns out? Yes. It’s how you’re supposed to start them. People do this on purpose.
And that’s how it began.
Potato
You just chop it. I mean, not randomly—each chunk should have at least one or two eyes. Let it sit for a day or two (mine sat longer, I forgot again). It scabs over, which sounds gross but apparently helps. Stick it in dirt. Water it sometimes. That’s it. Green stuff came up eventually. I haven’t dug under yet. Might be nothing. Might be a potato family.
Lettuce
Romaine works. I cut off the base and stuck it in a shallow dish. Half an inch of water, maybe? Put it near the window. Nothing happened for two days, then—suddenly—tiny leaves in the middle. I stared at it like it had spoken. That was the moment I got hooked, I think.
I never even got it to soil. It grew about three inches, then kind of gave up. But still. From trash.
Celery
It’s like lettuce but chunkier and less cooperative. Took over a week before anything green showed up. But it did. Pale, stubborn little stalks. Transplanted to a pot. Forgot to water it. It’s alive, somehow. Looks angry.
Garlic
This one’s weird. You bury a clove. Just… drop it into soil, pointy side up. Water. Wait. Little green spears come out. I snipped them and threw them in eggs. Tasted like garlic. I kept doing it.
I guess if you leave it long enough, it turns into a full bulb again? Mine never has. I keep snipping. We have an arrangement.
Onion
You know when onions sprout in your drawer and you get annoyed? Don’t. That’s a gift. Cut off the bottom—like an inch with roots. Plant that. Shoots come up in a week or so. They look like scallions. I cut them. They grew back. We’ve been doing this back-and-forth for a while now.
Mint
I stole a cutting from a friend’s yard. (She said I could. After the fact.) Stuck it in a glass. Roots everywhere. Planted it in a cracked teacup I couldn’t throw out. It exploded. Took over half the windowsill. I kind of love it. But also, help.
Basil
Same thing, more dramatic. You have to baby it. Light, water, encouragement. Sometimes it sulks. But when it works, it works. Snip a stem, water it in a jar until it roots. Transplant. Hope. Don’t drown it. (I drowned three.)
Pineapple
This is the long con. You twist off the top—don’t cut—peel a few bottom leaves off so the little stubs show. Let it dry for a few days or it’ll rot. Then plant it. It sits there. Nothing happens. Then it grows. Slowly. You probably won’t get fruit. But you will feel accomplished every time you see it alive.
Ginger
Plant it sideways. I didn’t know this. Took a chunk, saw the little knobby buds, stuck it in soil, buds up. Forgot about it. Then one day—green shoot. It grows horizontally, so give it room. I keep pulling off a piece and replanting it. It’s eternal, apparently.
I didn’t think I was this person. I used to throw out lettuce ends without a thought. Now I’m cheering for them like they’re kids at a science fair.
My counter’s covered in jars and mismatched mugs. Little roots swirling in cloudy water. A lot of it doesn’t make it. Some of it does. And honestly? That’s enough.
Anyway. That potato is still growing. I haven’t dug it up yet. I kind of like not knowing what’s under there. Feels like possibility.
