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How to grow veg from your store cupboard

If you want to grow your own veg using things you have at home, Chief Horticulturist Guy Barter has some top tips for budget growing

With the cost of living continuing to rise, alongside the price of gardening goods, it’s worth considering what you can grow from both your store cupboard and using supermarket supplies. Potatoes, tomatoes, herbs, and even tasty and unusual microgreens, are all within easy reach. So if you want to stretch your budget, have a look in your cupboard for treasures you can grow.


Is it worth sowing old seeds?

Some seeds last better than others. The one thing that’s certain, is that it won’t grow in the packet
Pre-germinate seed at home to check its viability, so you can be sure it will grow in the ground
Most seeds remain viable for a few years if kept cool and dry. Some, such as cabbage family seeds, can last more than 7 years, but others such as lettuce, parsnip and sweetcorn are best bought fresh each year. Test seeds on some damp kitchen towel in a plastic tray placed in warmth to see if they germinate before sowing, to avoid potential disappointment.

Can I grow anything from what I already have at home?

Many herbs, such as fenugreek, can be sprouted to make tasty microgreens
Many seeds can be found in the kitchen cupboard: marrowfat peas (for pea shoots), chickpeas, coriander, dill, fennel, fenugreek and mustard all make good sprouts or microsalads – or can be grown on as herbs or vegetables.
 

Seeds offered for bird or pet food, wheat and sunflower seeds, for example, should not be used for sprouting as they may not be food grade and potentially harmful. Sweet potatoes, fresh ginger and yams can be potted and sprouted in a warm place and the resulting shoots rooted as

cuttings and used to grow crops of these roots. Many similar crops are found in stores that stock Asian, Caribbean and African foods.

Are seeds from supermarket tomatoes viable?

Ripe shop-bought tomatoes can yield growable seeds
If you run out of plastic pots, make paper ones instead
Very ripe tomatoes, especially ‘vine ripe’ ones, yield viable seeds. They are mostly hybrids that may not come true but RHS members report that acceptable plants usually result. The same is often true for red and chilli peppers. Pumpkins and squashes yield abundant viable seeds which, although they may not come true to the original, generally produce very acceptable fruits.

​Can any container be used to grow veg?

Old metal cans and containers can make ideal pots for growing veg and herbs
Boxes, tubs, crates and even plastic sacks such as old compost bags can be used, especially if they have been used to pack foodstuffs – the polystyrene boxes used for broccoli or fish for example. However, those used to hold petroleum products, paints, wood preservatives and other industrial materials should be avoided.

Can I grow potatoes from potatoes?

Leave potatoes to sprout in a bright place before planting to get them off to a flying start
If you want to have a go at growing potatoes on a budget, supermarket potatoes will grow and produce a crop. Really thrifty people plant potato peel - the ‘eye’ or bud on the peel will grow into productive plants if planted shallowly in a pot and set out later. Cut large potatoes into segments, each with at least one eye or shoot, and plant in the usual way. New potatoes won’t grow well, as their buds or ‘eyes’ are not fully developed. 

Leaving tubers in the light to chit (as in the photo above) is useful but not at all essential. Tubers can be planted as they are, they will just be a little slower to bulk up and mature. Avoid planting potatoes with long pale white shoots that have been left too long in the kitchen cupboard: they’ll have been weakened and won’t make good plants.

As your potatoes grow, you might see distorted, curled, narrow or mosaic-patterned foliage – this is due to potato virus. Virus diseases will reduce your yield but usually not drastically, and the potatoes are still safe to eat. Buy British to avoid accidentally bringing new viruses or pests into the country. Seed potatoes sold to gardeners are certified free of virus and always preferable. 

About the author - Guy Barter

Guy Barter is the Chief Horticulturist of the RHS and author of RHS How Do Worms Work, RHS Can Anything Stop Slugs, and, to be published in April 2024, RHS What’s That Weed?: Know Your Weeds and Learn to Live with Them. He, alongside the RHS Gardening Advice team, answers a range of gardening questions for thousands of gardeners each year.

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