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Love fresh lettuce?
Good news! You can regrow iceberg lettuce from scraps.
It’s easy and fun.
In this article, you’ll learn 6 simple tactics to get started.
Let’s turn those scraps into a garden!
Gather Your Supplies
All you need are some leftover iceberg lettuce scraps, a shallow dish, and some water. If you want to get fancy, you can grab some potting soil and a pot as well.
But for the initial stages, water will do just fine. This is a low-cost, low-effort way to recycle those leftover bits instead of tossing them!
Prepare Your Lettuce Scraps
Cut the bottom 2 inches of the lettuce head. Make sure it’s a clean cut so that the base is easy to work with.
These are the parts that will regrow into a new plant. Try to use fresh scraps for the best results—old or wilted scraps might not grow as well.
Set Up the Water Bath
Place the cut ends of the lettuce scraps in a shallow dish of water. The water should cover about an inch of the base.
Change the water every day to keep it fresh and prevent mold. Put the dish in a sunny spot, like a windowsill, for best growth.
Watch Them Sprout
In just a few days, you should see some new growth. Tiny leaves will begin to form from the center of the scrap.
This is super exciting! Keep up the water changes and make sure they get plenty of sunlight.
Transfer to Soil
Once your lettuce has sprouted some decent leaves, it’s time to transplant it into soil. Fill a small pot with potting soil, make a hole in the center, and place your lettuce scrap in the hole.
Cover the base with soil and water it immediately.
Care for Your Growing Lettuce
Keep the soil moist but not waterlogged. Lettuce loves sunlight, so keep your pot in a sunny area.
Within a few weeks, you’ll have new, fresh lettuce leaves ready to harvest. Keep an eye out for pests and consider using some natural pesticide options if needed.
Enjoy your homegrown lettuce!