Science and Celery

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Back when I was a new homeschooler I thought everything we learned had to be part of the curriculum.  Fortunately, I have a very “science hungry” child who finished her science curriculum long before I had planned for her to finish.  This meant I had to be creative with things to keep her science hungry brain occupied!

One of the activities that we have tried lately is a “grow again” garden.  Let me explain.  There are a number of fresh vegetables that will regrow from the pieces left over when you cut them up.  Not quite like starfish, but still fun to explore. 

Right now we are growing our own celery.  Did you know that if you cut the root end of the celery off and care for it properly you can grow your own celery?  Here is how you do it.

1.      Wash, then cut the celery stalks off of the root end a couple of inches from the end.

2.      Use the stalks as you would normally.

3.      Take the root end and place it root end down in a shallow saucer/bowl.

4.      Add tap water to the bowl, deep enough to just cover the end where the roots would grow.

5.      Place in a sunny window.

6.      Wait!

Within about a week you will see new leaf growth out of the bundle.  To keep the celery growing you will need to change the water regularly and trim off any pieces of the celery that becomes soft and mushy.  Eventually, roots will grow from the root end.  Once that happens you can plant it in soil.  Know that celery requires a lot of water to grow so keep the soil moist but not soggy.

The one thing we have found so far is that the stalks growing from our regrown celery plant do not produce the thick, firm stalks that you are used to purchasing commercially.  The stalks from our regrown celery are more tender and slim.  They are also very celery flavored.  One other thing that I like about our regrown celery is that we control the chemicals, additives, and fertilizers used in the growth meaning we can make it as organic friendly as we choose. 

There are other foods that work this way.  Onions, shallots, green onions, and fennel will all regrow by the same method.  If you have garlic cloves that begin to sprout you can also have your children regrow garlic, just plant the clove-green end up!  Interestingly enough you can also plant the end of a carrot it if has leafy growth.  The carrot will not regrow but it will produce carrot leaves which can be used as garnish and greens in salads.

I’ve even met a lady who keeps an oak barrel planter outside her kitchen door and tosses seeds from fruits into it as well as the vegetables I’ve mentioned.  She said that she never knows what her mini kitchen garden might be growing!

Learning how their food grows and growing some of their own food can be a very educational experience for children.  Hands-on science for kids should be fun and engaging, and in this case it can be pretty tasty as well!

 

Linda Warren is a writer and homeschooling parent of an only child who is just now beginning some high school courses.  They began their homeschooling journey using Time4Learning and Spelling City.  They are continuing their homeschooling journey with the new Time4Learning Interactive High School curriculum.