Free Seeds and Starter Plants

Wherever you live in Southern Vermont, you will find that free seeds and starter plants for your vegetable garden happily live in your refrigerator and pantry. Plant a potato and you’ll harvest a bagful; plant a single horseradish root, and you’ll grow a field of the eye-watering spice.

Theoretically, every fruit or vegetable seed in your kitchen can germinate and deliver baby produce. But some store-bought veggies are hybrids and produce offspring that look nothing like their parents. Others are irradiated to prevent insect infestation, or sprayed with anti-sprouting chemicals to prevent spoilage, which wrecks their ability to go forth and multiply.

Your best bet is to shop for produce in an organic market. Seeds (and tuberous roots) from chemical-free produce yield plants that sprout readily and look like their folks.

See the complete article to look at some kitchen leftovers you can plant this spring.