Rosemary From a Clipping

I got a cutting from an existing rosemary plant and put it in a cup of water on our front porch.  It took about a month but it did finally sprout roots.  I took the sprout to the backyard.  I was planning on putting it next to the peppermint and cilantro to start creating a herb area.  Of course, that space was already taken by grass.  My old nemesis.  I had some cardboard that I have been using to prepare space for my winter garden and I figured out a way to use it to help me plant my rosemary.  I pulled the grass and weeds right around a small hole that I put the rosemary in.  Then, I planted the rosemary, you know, like you do and put the cardboard over it with the rosemary leaves peeking through a slit.  Like so:

I had to weigh the cardboard down with rocks to keep it in place against wind and also to compact the grass underneath so it was low enough for the rosemary.  Hopefully it will take and soon I’ll have a front of rosemary to battle my front of mint.  Oh expansive plants…

Accidental Sprouting of the Peas

I’ve been having some adventures in sprouting as well as enjoying sugar snap peas.  I didn’t mean to combine the two.  I had some of the last sugar snap peas of the season in a plastic bag in my fridge.  I took out a handful today to share with the minion and noticed a few of them had sprouted!  I don’t recommend actively trying to sprout peas this way but I thought it was interesting that it happened.  Science!

A Quick List of Things You Can Sprout

• mung beans (these are standard bean sprouts)
• lentils
• alfalfa
• sunflower seeds
• chickpeas
• fenugreek (check it out breastfeeding mamas!)
• barley
• peas
• broccoli
• radishes
• quinoa
• peanuts

Please note I have not personally tried each of these.  Have you sprouted anything I didn’t list?

The Sprouts Have Sprouted

I have been trying to sprout some mung bean sprouts in my windowsill recently.  They went from looking like this:

To looking like this:

In just 3 days!  This is a great project to do with kids also since it doesn’t require much attention span.

First you take 1/4 cup of whatever you’re sprouting (beans, alfalfa, lentils, ect.) and put in a bowl with 1/4 cup white vinegar and 1 cup water.  Let this sit while you take a large canning jar, lid ring, and a square of cheese cloth and boil them to sterilize.  Let them boil for about 10 minutes.  Take them out carefully, they will be hot.  Then drain your sprouting medium and put it into the jar and fill with water.  Cover the jar opening with the cheesecloth and screw the ring on.  Let this sit overnight.

Next morning, drain the liquid out through the cheesecloth at the opening of the jar.  Now you will have to fill the jar and swish the water around 3-4 times per day.  Be sure you fully drain it after each swirl.  That’s why our jar is propped in a bowl in the photos.

After about 3 days they will be ready to eat.  If you want to remove the seed coats, empty the jar into a pan of water and the seed coats will surface.  We didn’t do this and just ate the seed coats too.  These will store in the fridge for a week and you can freshen them right before eating by rinsing them in cold water and draining.

Multiplying Tomatoes

If you have 3 sisters and they have 5 tomatoes each, how many tomatoes does your family have?

Ok, not that type of multiplication, I’m talking about taking the pruned branches of tomato plants and  using them to sprout additional plants.  I tried to do this with a branch from my grape tomato plant, but I didn’t really know what I was doing.  I just stuck the branch in the ground and hoped it would sprout.

Apparently, you’re supposed to put it in water and wait for it to sprout roots before planting it in the ground.  So I’m trying again with another branch.  It is currently in a jar of water on my front porch.  I’ll keep checking it and waiting for roots.