An expert gardener is demonstrating how the tangle of roots at the bottom of a versatile vegetable is the key to easily growing your own supply at home.
The scoop
TikToker Simon Akeroyd (@simonakeroydgardener), who has nearly 700,000 followers, showed his viewers how to keep leek scraps from going to waste.
@simonakeroydgardener Grow your own leeks from Supermarket scraps. Grow them either outside directly in the soil or in a pot. Or if you don't have a garden you can grow them inside on your window sill. It's very easy. #growyourown #gardeningforbeginners #gardeninghacks #fyp #foryou #foryoupage ♬ I'm So Excited - The Pointer Sisters
All you need to do is remove the base of a leek, trim the roots, and place the root side of the base in a small bowl of water.
After the roots quickly grow out, fill a pot with peat-free compost, plant the vegetable after making a small hole in compost with a stick, and give the leek a drink of water.
"If you don't have a garden, you can grow them inside on your window sill," Simon explains in the video's caption. "It's very easy."
How it's helping
This accessible hack empowers people to reap the mental and money-saving benefits of growing their own food without a large garden or an initial monetary investment.
Multiple studies have found that gardening reduces stress and improves physical health, while activities such as raking and digging support joint strength and flexibility, according to Rutgers' New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station.
Repurposing grocery scraps is great for the environment, too. Around one-third of food in the United States is thrown away every year. When that waste rots in landfills, it produces methane, a planet-warming gas that's 28 times stronger than carbon dioxide.
Hauling food from where it's grown to the store also contributes to unhealthy air quality linked to health issues such as asthma and lung cancer.
According to a study published by Nature, almost 20% of pollution from the food sector is from transportation. Fruits and vegetables are major contributors to this issue, with transport of the items generating nearly double the amount of pollution released during production.
What everyone's saying
Other TikTokers were curious to learn more about the hack.
"Can I do this anytime of year?" one person inquired. Simon confirmed the method would work during any season but said spring is "the best time."
Another commenter seemingly encouraged the original poster to continue sharing his wisdom.
"Keep going, Simon," they wrote.
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