Indoor Gardening with Kitchen Waste

What You Need:

• 2–3 carrot tops, cut about 1” from the top
• Shallow bowl
• Pebbles (optional)
• Sand
• Water
• 1 fresh pineapple
• Pot of damp soil

What You Do:

1. Start with the carrot top plants. Ask your child to fill the shallow bowl about 1/2” deep with sand. Invite them to decorate the edges of the sand with pebbles.
2. Have your child carefully trim off any leaves from the carrot top so they're no longer than 1/2”.
3. Get your child to push the carrot tops into the sand so the bottoms are close to the bottom of the bowl.
4. Ask them to fill the bowl with lukewarm water to the level of the top of the sand.
5. Leave the bowl in a sunny area. Have your child water the carrot top plants every day to make sure they don’t dry out.
6. Leaves should start sprouting within a week. After a few weeks, the plants should be quite tall!
7. Now make the pineapple plant. Have your child cut the top off the fresh pineapple, trim off any flesh, and strip off any lower leaves. They should be left with about 1 inch of exposed stalk. Let the stalk and leaves dry for a week.
8. Ask your child to put the stalk in a glass of water. Make sure none of the leaves are touching the water.
9. Place the plant in a spot that doesn't vary too much in temperature. Encourage them to check on its progress periodically and change its water every two days.
10. After a few days, you should see roots growing from the bottom of the pineapple.
11. Once they see roots, invite them to plant the pineapple plant in the pot of soil. Make sure the pot is large enough to accommodate the roots and gives them enough room to expand.
12. Keep the plant in a warm, sunny place. Encourage your child to water it once a week.

Have your child brainstorm other parts of plants that would normally get thrown away that could be replanted. Root vegetables such as turnips, parsnips, and beets work well. You can also use this activity to start a conversation about recycling and reusing.