Extension Communications
3614 Administrative Services Building
Ames, Iowa 50011-3614
(515) 294-9915
11/18/02
Contacts:
Richard Jauron, Horticulture, (515) 294-1871, rjauron@iastate.edu
Jean McGuire, Continuing Education and Communication Services, (515) 294-7033,
jmcguire@iastate.edu
Yard and Garden Column for the Week Beginning Nov. 22, 2002
By Richard Jauron
Extension Horticulturist
Iowa State University
Waste Not, Want Not -- Houseplants from Kitchen Scraps
Houseplants are an integral part of our indoor environment. They provide color, warmth, beauty and help clean the air. Houseplants are typically purchased at greenhouses, garden centers and other retail establishments. Although it may seem a bit odd, the kitchen counter is another possible source. Several interesting houseplants can be produced from kitchen scraps.
Avocado Tree
Each avocado fruit contains a large seed or pit. Although avocado seeds are normally discarded, they are also easy to sprout.
To sprout the seed, remove it from the center of the fruit and wash in water. For propagation purposes, the broad end of the seed is considered to be the bottom. The pointed end is the top. Insert three or four toothpicks into the sides of the seed. They should be placed about halfway up the pit. Then suspend the seed in a glass of water. The bottom one fourth of the seed should rest in water. The seed should sprout within a few weeks. During this time, periodically add water to maintain the initial water level. If the seed doesn't sprout within 2 months, discard it and begin another. The roots are usually the first to emerge from the seed. The stem appears later. Pot the seedling when the root system has become well developed; the roots should be at least 2 to 3 inches in length.
Remove the toothpicks and plant into a 6- to 8-inch-diameter pot by using a commercial potting mix. Position the seed in the center of the pot. The top of the seed should be level with the soil surface. After potting, water thoroughly, and then place the plant in a brightly lit location. A location near an east or west window is ideal. Water the plant regularly. Keep the soil moist, but not wet. To encourage branching, pinch out the growing point when the avocado seedling is approximately 12 inches in height. Fertilize once or twice a month during the spring and summer with a houseplant fertilizer.
Pineapple Plant
Select a large, fresh pineapple at your local grocery store. At home, cut off the top of the pineapple about 1 inch below the cluster of leaves. Trim away the outer portion of the pineapple top leaving the tough, stringy core attached to the leaves. Also, remove a few of the lowest leaves. The pineapple top should then be allowed to dry for several days. The drying period allows the moist core tissue to dry and discourages rotting. After drying, insert the pineapple top into perlite, vermiculite, or coarse sand up to the base of its leaves. Water the rooting medium. Keep the rooting medium moist, but not wet, during the rooting period. Finally, place the pineapple top in bright, indirect light. Rooting should occur in 6 to 8 weeks.
When the pineapple has developed a good root system, carefully remove it from the rooting medium. Plant the rooted pineapple in a light, well-drained potting soil. Water well and place the plant in bright, indirect light for 2 or 3 weeks.
After 2 to 3 weeks, the plant can be placed in a sunny window. Keep the potting soil moist with regular watering. Using a soluble houseplant fertilizer, fertilize the pineapple once or twice a month in spring and summer, but only once a month in fall and winter. The plant can go outside in late May, but must come back indoors before the first fall frost.
Pineapples are slow growing plants. Most plants should mature in 2 to 3 years. At maturity, pineapples are capable of blooming. To encourage flowering, place the pineapple plant and an apple in a plastic bag for 3 or 4 days. The apple gives off ethylene gas, which stimulates flowering. Flowering (hopefully) should occur within 2 to 3 months of the treatment.
Sweet Potato Vine
If you have an uncooked leftover sweet potato, place it in a glass of
water. When sprouting a sweet potato, its position or orientation is critical.
Sweet potatoes are thickened, underground, food storage structures referred
to as tuberous roots. Tuberous roots lack nodes and internodes. Shoots
are produced at the proximal end (where the tuberous root was attached
to the vine), whereas roots develop at the opposite end. Roots should
develop within days when the distal end is placed in water. Shoots should
emerge a few days later. Train the sweet potato vines to grow on a trellis,
along a shelf, or around a window.
Other plants that can be grown from kitchen scrapes include citrus (orange,
lemon, grapefruit) and date palms. Both can be grown from seeds.
Although the aforementioned plants may not be as beautiful as some houseplants, they are unique. They're also great fun, especially for children.
-30-
ml: isugarden
Extension programs are available to all without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, or disability.