I've planted green onions with great success. I just leave the bulb with a bit of root, put it in soil with a bit of the cut leaves sticking out, and some plants have persisted for more than a year. I harvest the leaves when they're big enough.

I've tried planting garlic that has sent up sprouts, but they look poor so far. A few cantelope seeds have come up in my compost, but I don't think those are gonna work because it's way too late in the season for canteloupe.

Sure, people do it all the time.
There's even a book about it published in 1992 called "The After-Dinner Gardening Book" by Richard W. Langer and Susan McNeill.

There is also a thread on the subject here:

Here is a link that might be useful: Plant from the produce department?

Scallions are the greatest well the easiest anyway. Just put into the ground in the summer and they will be huge in the spring. They seem to grow all winter and are very winter hearty. At this time they have already seeded and germinated with new plants. I have a nice little patch of them. They like a good compost pile for strong growth. Mine do OK even in the shade.

the nice part about scallions is they come with roots.

I have 2 huge horseradish plants going from some chunks from the store this spring. wow. strong growers. The roots were going all bad and soft and they came on like gangbusters.

I tried garlic but they were not winter hearty for me.

I have done seeds from peppers and tomatoes. lots of peppers. potatoes, sweet potatoes, peach and nectarine trees work well as do Apricots.

oranges etc germinate and grow easy but do not live up in new england over winter. although I have keep them for a few years in a window. they make a nice indoor plant.

Probably my most common seeds come from hot peppers. this is so very easy. works like a charm.

What a great thread, sewobsessed. Thanks for introducing it. Someone on that thread made a reference to the produce man in New Orleans who sold vegetables from an open truck. Boy did that take me back to 1968 when I lived there. Our neighborhood had a man with a mule drawn cart and he would drive slowly around neighborhoods hawking his wares in a loud, clear voice. He'd sing, "I got freshhhhhh peaches, juuuuuuuicy apricots, and big yallow banaaaaaaaaaaaaanas! You wanna Merliton, I got a Merliton..." What wonderful memories.

My Dad always grew Chayote squash (Merliton)and I'd almost forgotten about it. I will remember to grow a vine of it in the spring to see how it will do here.

It is a subject that comes up often - usually as "can I save seeds from this store-bought __________ (insert name of fruit/vege) to grow more of the same?"

Depends on the produce in question and its variety (is it a hybrid or not?). I agree that garlic, onions, potatoes, some fruits, etc. are relatively easy if your growing zone will allow for that kind of crop. Just like oranges and avacados won't grow in NE, it is a challenge to grow hardneck garlic or rhubarb in the south. ;)

Other things like peppers and tomatoes can be much more complex, even impossible, because of varietal hybridization that often results in seed sterility or reversion to parent stock.

Local farmer's market are much better sources than grocery store chains as the FM tend to sell more OP/heirloom varieties that will breed true from saved seed.

Dave

I'm growing grape tomatoes from seed saved from grocery store produce. They just started fruiting :) Will keep you posted.
I say go for it, you lose nothing other than a little time, bit of compost and some space!

This year I have done taro root(elephant ear), a striped cherry tomato - labeled 'exotic' and avocado - no fruit of course but big and tropical looking.
In the past I have done red bell pepper, casaba(sp?) melon, ancho pepper and garlic.

LOL, little do the grocery stores realize that they are actually garden nurseries. If they ever figure it out they just might put a premium on their "plant" sales.

Yup, some things can do fine from grocery store seed or plants. You just don't

I think most of the dried beans work well from the grocery store...or so I've heard from folks who know more than I in the Bean forum. :)

I found two(2) large "sweet" onions sprouting in the vegetable bin of the refrigerator. I planted them among the annuals and got four(4) large white inflorescences.

I'm growing peppers from seeds collected from my Costco mini-peppers. They do seem to have reverted to a larger parental form, but they are spectaculary healthy and tasty, even surrounded by a muskmelon vine that has both powdery mildew and aphids. I couldn't be happier, but I agree in can be hit or miss with the F1 hybrids.

I don't think I would ever try a fruit tree from grocery produce, but am considering it from the farmer's market if I can find out it's lineage and if it hasn't been grafted to a rootstock.

dicot...

How sweet did yours turn out? I'm a few years into playing with a pepper which part of its lineage came out of one of those "costco-like super sweet peppers". It's not the same, but in the same ballpark.

I started some years ago that grew out and I've tinkered with crosses (one good, 2 bad), but the one good one has taken through 3 generations so far.

This is just a hobby for me to get a sweet pepper with semi-thick (or thick) walls that isn't the size of a bell pepper. I just don't use that much bell pepper. I still want the super-sugary taste, though.

Mine have developed over the years into a vigorous plant that sets a lot flowers/fruits. It's also got some pretty intense branching. How do yours look?

My only complaint so far, which is one of the main things im trying to breed for in order to change, is how long it takes to get ripened peppers. I'm looking at 80-90 days from transplant to "color breaking" ripe with what I'm working with. That's fine for bell peppers, but we're talking about 2.5-3" fruits here for the most part.

Actually one can grow an avocado indoors as a houseplant but forget the fruit. But if you are looking to spend $15-20 on some indoor exotic plant why not just grow one from your guacamole?

http://flickr.com/photos/roarksfork/2519851644/

Unfortunately my south view is little better then looking out a port window.