Can Plants Grow in Water From Seeds?

Growing Seeds

• Sprouts from seeds are common food items in the produce aisles, particularly those of mung beans and alfalfa. Varieties of vegetables are edible in the sprouting seed stage, and you can grow these indoors in a jar of water or between two moistened paper towels. Add them to soups, salads and sandwiches for fresh, living organically-grown food.

Bean Sprouts

• Use 1 tablespoon of seeds to a 1/4 cup of water in a quart canning jar with a wide mouth. Purchase a screen for the mouth of the jar at a health food store, or use an old stocking or a piece of cheesecloth secured with a rubber band. Rinse and drain the seeds through the screen three times a day to prevent them from turning sour. Once the seeds begin to sprout, you can eat them or plant them in soil to grow.

Avocado

• The pit of the avocado is the seed of the tree. Suspending the avocado pit half-immersed in a jar of water causes it to begin sprouting. Do this by inserting three toothpicks into the pit and using these to balance it on the edge of the container above the water. You can also plant it directly into soil, but germinating it in water enables you to watch the roots start to grow.

Sweet Potato Vines

• The sweet potato is the "fruit" of the plant, and is known as a seed tuber. A sweet potato vine can be grown in a jar of water by inserting toothpicks into a sweet potato and suspending it in a jar, half-immersed in water in the same way as the avocado pear. Position the sweet potato so that the tapered end is in the water. Place it where it gets full sunlight and change the water at least once a week. The potato will begin putting roots down into the water and shoots will start growing upwards from the plant. You can continue to grow it in the water or you can plant it out into soil.

Nuts

• A variety of nuts can be sprouted indoors using water. Nuts and larger seeds take a little longer to sprout than beans, and should be soaked for at least 24 hours in water. After rinsing and draining they can be kept moist between two paper towels for two to five days to begin sprouting.