Grow Your Groceries: 40 Hacks for Growing Plants from Supermarket Foods

by Simon Akeroyd

Hacks on how to grow plants from your supermarket shop.

Have you ever wondered if you could grow plants from the food you buy? Could you do something with those leftover apple pips? What about growing your own kiwi plant? And what if you could make more plants from the herb sprigs you buy?

This simple, fun and easy-to-follow approach shares the best 40 hacks to help you save money and grow plants. It encourages everyone to give growing a go without having to buy an actual plant! Ideal for anyone with just a windowsill or a few containers, use the tips and tricks to get long-term plants from your short-term shop.

From food growing ideas (like saving seeds from raspberries and growing them on) to simple plant care ideas (such as how to water plants when you're on holiday), this exciting and addictive approach to growing food and plants will help you get so much more from your weekly shop.

Genres: Gardening, Nonfiction, Cooking, Reference, Food

192 pages, Hardcover

Published March 25, 2025

About the author

Simon is an author having written over 30 gardening books, and contributes to national gardening magazines and newspapers. He has also featured as a TV presenter and on radio. He was previously Garden Manager for both RHS and National Trust. He was also a BBC producer.

He currently lives in South Devon.

Reviews

[Jayne Hood · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a fantastic book, really helpful and useful for turning your groceries into your own crop of plants.

[Mairo Dilworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous book! I’m going to keep coming back to this one - and filling the house with plants along the way. Love his practical style and the fact that everything is recycled, reused etc. So inspiring.

[Leigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun book! I learned a lot! I've already started to experiment. It's easy and super simple to follow.
If there was discussion about cross pollination and sterility of grocery store produce, maybe I missed it. Had to look that up cuz I remember being told that grocery store produce like avocado pits and apple seeds would not grow mature fruiting plants. It seems like it works if the food is organic and the conditions are suitable.

[Ligaya · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fun book but I thought several hacks were a bit misleading. If you are looking to eventually harvest apples, plums, mangoes, and avocados from the seeds you've germinated, it's very, very long wait with no guarantee that your seeding is the same as the parent plant. Also, I wonder how many lentil and chickpea plants I need to have in order to harvest enough to make a side dish or a bowl of hummus? This is a fun book, but do curb your expectations.

[Suzie Q · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great little book on how to regrow veggies from your grocery shopping. New lettuce, celery, cabbage from cut ends started in water.

Garlic bulbs from cloves.

Tomatoes, squash and berries from the seeds they have

Potatoes from sprouting eyes.

Herbs from the cuttings or seeds

[Sandi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good photographs. I am trying the green onions now. I have grown pineapple plants and mango in the past but no fruits from either. Fun to try.

[Wanda ❣️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great resource!! Need to get it on my shelf by the end of the year!

[Stevie Yannucci · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly informational, easy to follow, great pictures.

Can't wait to start growing my own food!

[Natalia · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a great resource for novice growers like me. There were beautiful photos throughout. Learn how to grow some common grocery items from the items themselves. Turn your "garbage" into food!