Grow store-bought vegetables from cuttings, and you'll have more than you can eat

Vegetables That Can Be Grown from Cuttings

Edible Andrographis (Andrographis paniculata)

(1) Choose a fairly thick, sturdy stem tip as the cutting.

(2) Bury the lower node in soil, place it in a cool, airy spot, and keep the soil slightly moist; in about two weeks you can pinch off the tips to eat.

(3) To keep the stems from becoming woody, keep pinching off the tips to encourage more side shoots.

Note: Throughout the year, except for providing a little shade at midday in the height of summer, give it plenty of light at all other times; especially in winter, while keeping it warm, place it in a sunny spot so it gets as much sunlight as possible.

Malabar Spinach (Basella alba)

The seedlings, young shoots and tender leaves of Malabar spinach are all edible; a quick stir-fry or a cold salad preserves its fresh fragrance, and it is crisp and refreshing; simmered in soup it can also clear heat, remove dampness and move the bowels, making it well suited to summer. Because it is cold in nature, people with a weak constitution should not eat it, and pregnant women should avoid it.

(1) Take a fairly thick stem from the lower part of fresh Malabar spinach and cut it into lengths of about 10-15cm, each with at least 3 nodes.

(2) Cut off most of the leaves and remove the growing tip, leaving only the top 2-3 leaves.

(3) Cut the base of the stem at an angle, making the cut where there is a bud, since this roots more easily. Finally insert it into the soil and water thoroughly.

Note: The rooting medium can be coarse sand; loose peat + perlite is even better. Keep the soil moist and mist regularly with water; new roots will appear in about 10 days.

Gynura bicolor (Okinawan spinach)

Tender, smooth and delicate in texture, with a distinctive fragrance; it is delicious as a cold dish, quickly stir-fried, or in soup. It is relatively easy to grow and is basically free of pests and diseases.

(1) Take a sturdy stem about 15-20cm long for the cutting, trim off the excess leaves and leave only the 2-3 tender leaves at the top.

(2) Cut the lower part of the stem, where there are side buds, at an angle, and it is ready to plant.

(3) Insert it at an angle, firm the soil and water thoroughly, then shade it and keep it moist. Remove the shade after 7 days.

Note:

A loose, well-drained, moist and fertile sandy loam is best;

The plant will grow fine roots about 10-15 days after cuttings are taken; at this stage avoid damaging the fine roots with fertilizer, and wait until the plant has grown more roots (about 14-20 days) before starting to feed it, then feed it once after every harvest to replenish nutrients.

Water Spinach (Ipomoea aquatica)

Low in calories and crisp in texture, it is delicious simply stir-fried with a little minced garlic. A pot about 25cm deep is enough to grow it; the bigger the pot, the better it holds water, which is good for growing.

(1) Choose a fresh stem of water spinach (about 10cm), then remove the leaves and the tip. The leaves must be pinched off rather than pulled off, so that a little of the leaf stalk remains. (There is a bud between this leaf stalk and the main stem, which also makes it easier for new shoots to grow)

(2) Cut off a small part of the bottom of the stem, cutting at a joint, so that the bottom will not rot after being inserted into the soil.

(3) Insert the prepared stem 2-3cm into the soil; more water makes success more likely. It usually sprouts in 7-10 days.

Note:

▪ Sandy or clay soil that contains organic matter and drains well is more suitable.

▪  It likes a warm, humid environment and grows better in a spot with plenty of sunshine. If daylight hours are short, growth will be slow and it will tend to flower, losing its value as a vegetable.

▪ The more fertilizer, the faster the plant grows. Usually once it has grown 4-5 leaves you can feed it, and after that you can feed it again every 8-10 days.

Sweet Potato Leaves

Do not cook them too long, as this destroys the chlorophyll and nutrients. When growing in a pot, choose a container more than 30cm in diameter, because it will grow very fast later on.

(1) Cut a length of vine about 10cm from a sweet potato vine, choosing one with a medium-thick stem.

(2) Insert the cut stem into the potting soil, water it well, and put it in a cool, shaded spot for about three days; it usually starts to root in 7-10 days.

(3) Remove the lower two or three leaves, which effectively reduces water loss and makes it easier for the cutting to survive and root.

(4) In autumn you can even harvest sweet potatoes.

Note:

▪ It adapts well to soil and does best in deep, loose, organic-rich sandy soil; if you use ordinary garden soil or leaf mould, you can add some sand to improve aeration.

▪ It likes a hot, humid environment, so keep it in full sun when growing; in summer water it thoroughly every day and keep drainage good, and in early autumn hold back on water a little.

▪ Sweet potato leaves spread very quickly, so when harvesting tender leaves to eat you can also prune or pinch off the tips to encourage side shoots, giving you even more tender leaves.

Things to Note

Leafy vegetables grown in pots should all be protected from the blazing sun in midsummer, while fruiting vegetables prefer sunshine, so peppers and tomatoes, for example, are suited to a spot with plenty of sun.

Choosing the Right Medium and Fertilizer

The medium used must be clean, free of pests and diseases, and thoroughly sterilized. Generally you can use peat, vermiculite, perlite, spent mushroom compost and clean river sand.

You can use sesame residue, peanut cake and the like as organic fertilizer, or a fully rotted organic fertilizer made mainly from cow and sheep manure and composted with fermenting bacteria.

Pest and Disease Control

Pick off bugs by hand. Always keep an eye on the top and underside of the leaves and the surrounding soil, watching for signs of pests.

Make your own natural insecticides. There are many simple and effective recipes, such as asparagus juice, which can kill the nematodes that harm tomatoes; garlic can sterilize and repel insects, so grind it into powder or squeeze out the juice and spray it on the vegetables; horseradish helps purify the soil; and plants such as orange peel, chili, sage, rosemary and nasturtium can all be used to make insect repellents.

Wash them off with water. Spraying water from a watering can knocks spider mites off the leaves and also deals with aphids.

Scatter plant ash. Sprinkling a ring of plant ash or limestone powder around the vegetables protects them from cutworms, but never sprinkle it on the vegetables themselves~