Unlock the secrets of sustainable gardening right in your kitchen by learning how to regrow vegetables from scraps.
This method isn’t just a cost-effective way to enhance your garden—it’s a proactive step towards reducing food waste and engaging in a rewarding eco-friendly practice.
Embark on this green journey and witness the magic of new growth from leftover vegetable parts. Let’s get started with the vegetables you can easily regenerate at home.
1. Lettuce: Regrow Fresh Leaves from the Stump
Don’t throw away the stump of your lettuce head! Instead, give it a new lease on life by placing the bottom part in a shallow dish of water. Make sure it’s about an inch deep.
Set the dish on a windowsill where it receives plenty of sunlight. Refresh the water every 1 to 2 days to keep it clean. Within 3 to 5 days, new leaves will begin to sprout.
When the roots appear and the new leaves are a few inches tall, transplant your lettuce into soil to continue thriving.
2. Celery: Revive from the Base
Celery can be regrown with similar ease. Cut off the base of the celery and place it in a bowl filled with a little bit of water.
Position the bowl in a well-lit area, ideally near a window that gets substantial sunlight. Change the water every other day to prevent bacteria buildup.
You’ll notice new leaves starting from the center of the base in about a week. Once these leaves thicken and the roots are established, plant the celery in soil to expand its growth.
3. Green Onions: Never Buy Again
One of the simplest vegetables to regrow, green onions can provide a perpetual harvest. Take the white root ends, with an inch or two of the green part still attached, and place them in a glass of water.
Ensure the roots are submerged and place the glass in a sunny spot. In just a few days, the green shoots will grow vigorously.
Cut what you need and let them grow back again. Change the water every few days, and you’ll never run out of green onions again!
4. Garlic: Sprout New Shoots
Garlic is known for its resilience and can be grown from just a single clove. Plant the clove in a pot with potting soil, pointed side up. Place it in an area that receives plenty of sunlight.
Keep the soil damp but not soaked. As the garlic begins to sprout, you will see green shoots; these can be cut and used to flavor dishes. For a full head of garlic, patience is key— it may take up to a year, but the results are worth the wait.
5. Bok Choy: Regenerate in Water
Like lettuce, bok choy can be regrown from its base. After you’ve cut off the leaves for cooking, place the root end in water. A sunny spot, such as a windowsill, is perfect for this green veggie.
Change the water every couple of days, and watch as new leaves start appearing in about a week. Once established, transfer your bok choy to a pot with soil to continue its growth.
6. Carrots: Grow Decorative and Edible Greens
Carrot tops can be used to grow a lovely green plant with delicate, lacy leaves that are also edible. Cut the top off a carrot, leaving about an inch of the root.
Place this in a dish with water, covering only the bottom part of the carrot. Keep the dish in a well-lit area, changing the water frequently. The tops will sprout greens that are great for salads or garnishing.
7. Basil: Propagate from Cuttings
To regrow basil, take cuttings of about four inches long from an existing basil plant. Remove the leaves near the base, leaving two to three sets of leaves at the top.
Place the stems in a glass of water and set it where there’s ample sunlight. Roots will develop in a few weeks.
Once the root system is robust, plant the basil in a pot with soil to enjoy a continual supply of fresh herbs.
8. Potatoes: Eyes to New Tubers
You can regrow potatoes using scraps that have ‘eyes’ or sprouts. Cut the potato into 2-inch pieces, ensuring each piece has one or two eyes.
Let these dry out overnight to prevent rotting. Plant these pieces in deep, fertile soil about eight inches apart.
Keep the area well-watered and in several weeks, the sprouts will emerge as new plants, ready to form potatoes beneath the soil.
9. Sweet Potatoes: Vines from Scraps
Sweet potatoes regrow a bit differently, focusing on producing vines rather than new tubers initially. Cut a sweet potato in half and use toothpicks to suspend it, cut side down, over a container of water.
Keep the top half of the potato exposed to air. Place this setup in a sunny location and change the water regularly to prevent mold. Roots and sprouts will appear in a few weeks.
Once the sprouts are about four inches tall, you can plant them in soil to grow your own sweet potato vines.
10. Cabbage: Sprout New Heads
Regrowing cabbage follows a similar method to lettuce and bok choy. Place the leftover bottom of a cabbage head in a shallow dish of water.
Situate the dish in a bright area, such as a well-lit windowsill. Refresh the water every two days to ensure it remains clean and clear of bacteria.
Within a week, you should notice new leaves beginning to form. Allow these to reach a few inches in height, then transfer the cabbage to soil to fully develop into a new head.
11. Lemongrass: Regrow Fragrant Stalks
Lemongrass is not only wonderful for its aroma but also easy to propagate. Take the root end of the stalk and place it in water.
A few inches of the stalk should be submerged. Position this in a sunny window and change the water regularly.
Roots will soon form and when they are about an inch long, plant the lemongrass in a pot with well-draining soil. It will thrive indoors or outdoors, provided it has plenty of light and warmth.
12. Mushrooms: Cultivate Fungi from Stems
Mushrooms are a bit trickier but immensely satisfying to regrow. Use the stems of mushrooms by planting them in soil enriched with compost.
Keep the soil moist and cover the stems completely, then store in a cool, dark place like a basement.
Spritz water regularly to keep the environment humid. Within a few weeks, new growth should begin, although success rates can vary widely with mushrooms.
13. Peppers: Germinate from Seeds
Don’t discard the seeds from your peppers; use them to grow new pepper plants. Scatter the seeds on a tray of moist potting soil, cover them lightly with additional soil, and place them in a warm, sunny location. Keep the soil damp but not waterlogged.
Germination can take 2-3 weeks, after which you can transplant the seedlings to individual pots or your garden.
14. Ginger: Cultivate More Roots
Ginger can be easily grown from just a small section of the root. Choose a piece of ginger rhizome that has visible buds.
Plant it in potting soil with the buds facing upward. Keep the soil consistently moist and in a warm, shaded place.
New shoots and roots will form within a few weeks, and as it grows, you can harvest small sections of the root without uprooting the entire plant.
15. Turnips: Regrow from the Top
Similar to beets and carrots, you can regrow turnips from the tops. Cut off the top third of a turnip and place it in a shallow dish of water.
New green shoots should sprout quickly. Once these shoots are robust, transplant them into soil. The new roots will develop, and soon you’ll have fresh turnips.
16. Beets: Harvest Greens from Tops
Don’t throw out the tops of your beets. Instead, cut them off, leaving at least half an inch of the beetroot attached. Place these in a shallow container of water in a well-lit area.
New green tops will begin to grow in a matter of days. Once these greens are robust, you can harvest them for eating or plant the beet tops in soil to continue growing more greens.
17. Onions: Regrow Full Bulbs
Onion bottoms are excellent for regrowing. Cut off the bottom of an onion, leaving about an inch of onion above the roots.
Plant this directly into potting soil and keep it well-watered. Place the pot in a sunny location, and new shoots will begin to emerge from the soil.
The onion will regenerate from the original base, and you can continue to harvest onions from this perennial setup.
18. Fennel: Sprout from the Base
Fennel can be regrown just like celery or lettuce. Place the leftover fennel base in a shallow bowl of water. Ensure it’s placed in a location that gets plenty of light.
Change the water every two days, and roots will begin to develop. Once the new growth is a few inches tall, plant the fennel in soil to continue its growth.
By following these simple steps, you can transform your kitchen scraps into a vibrant vegetable garden.
This process not only teaches you about the life cycle of plants but also contributes to a sustainable lifestyle by reducing waste.
Encourage your family and friends to join in this rewarding endeavor and share the joys of regrowing vegetables.