How to Regrow Vegetables From Scraps on Your Windowsill propogate scallions green onions lettuce celery

How to Regrow Vegetables From Scraps on Your Windowsill

/5 Comments/in , , , /by Mary Hunt

Got veggie scraps? Don’t toss them. Regrow them! Learning how to regrow vegetables from scraps is one of those simple, satisfying tricks that’s both budget-friendly and surprisingly fun. Whether you’re looking to pinch pennies or just love a good kitchen experiment, turning leftover produce ends into fresh greens is practical, rewarding, and a great way to cut back on waste. From scallions to celery, your windowsill can do more than catch sunlight. It can grow groceries!

How to Regrow Vegetables From Scraps on Your Windowsill propogate scallions green onions lettuce celery

Key Points

  • Learn how to regrow everyday vegetables like scallions, lettuce, celery, and herbs using only water and a sunny windowsill. No soil required.
  • Reduce food waste and grocery costs by turning scraps into fresh, usable produce right from your kitchen counter.
  • Get step-by-step instructions and trusted tips from the Everyday Cheapskate community to make your regrowing efforts simple, successful, and budget-friendly.

At our house, we’ve gotten a lot better at using up produce before it goes soft and sad. Rotten fruits and veggies hardly ever make it to the trash anymore.

Lately, I’ve taken it one step further by actually regrowing vegetables from scraps. Right there on the kitchen windowsill! It’s easy, kind of fun, and makes a noticeable difference when you’re watching every dollar.

And let’s face it, groceries still aren’t cheap. As of June 2025, food prices are up more than 17% compared to just a few years ago. That $100 grocery run from early 2022? It now costs over $117.

Regrowing a few green onions or herbs may seem small, but it adds up, especially when it means one less trip to the store (and fewer impulse buys while you’re there).

How to Regrow Scallions (Green Onions)

How to Regrow Scallions (Green Onions) vegetables

Let’s start with scallions (aka green onions or what I like to call the lazy man’s onions). They’re incredibly useful, deliciously versatile, and dirt cheap. Still, I somehow either forget to use them before they go limp in the fridge, or I end up making a “quick” grocery run that turns into a cartful of unplanned purchases. Sound familiar? Not anymore. Now I’ve got a steady little crop of fresh scallions growing right on my kitchen windowsill and it couldn’t be easier.

Here’s how to do it:

  1. Stand the white ends of your used scallions, root-side down, in a glass or jar.
  2. Add enough water to cover just the roots.
  3. Set the glass in a sunny window.
  4. Change the water every day or two to keep things fresh.

In about a week, depending on how much green you started with, you can begin snipping what you need for cooking. You can harvest up to 70% of the green top and the plant will keep regrowing.

And while scallions are hands-down the easiest veggie to regrow, they’re just the beginning…

Regrowing Lettuce From the Stem

Regrowing Lettuce From the Stem glass jars with fresh leaves in windowsill

Don’t expect to grow a whole new head of lettuce, but you can coax out enough fresh leaves to top a sandwich, fluff up a wrap, or garnish a plate. It’s not exactly a salad bar, but it’s still pretty satisfying.

Here’s how to do it:

  1. Take the base of a head of lettuce (romaine works especially well), leaving 2–3 inches of the stem intact.
  2. Set it in a shallow dish of water, cut side up.
  3. Place it in a sunny windowsill.
  4. Change the water every day or two to keep it clean and oxygenated.

Within a few days, you’ll see new green leaves pushing up from the center. While it won’t grow indefinitely, you can usually get a couple rounds of usable greens before calling it quits and composting what’s left. Not bad for something that would’ve otherwise ended up in the trash.

How to Regrow Celery Without Soil

How to Regrow Celery Without Soil glass jars with water

You won’t grow a whole new bunch, but you can regrow a few tender, flavorful stalks, just enough to toss into a soup, add crunch to a tuna salad, or sauté with onions for the start of something delicious.

Here’s how to do it:

  1. Cut the base of the celery bunch, leaving about 2 inches of the root end.
  2. Set it in a shallow dish of water, cut side up.
  3. Place it near a sunny window.
  4. Change the water every day or two to keep things fresh.

For even better results, poke a few toothpicks into the sides of the base and rest them on the rim of the dish. This suspends the celery slightly so the bottom doesn’t sit directly on the dish, giving the roots more space and better airflow.

In a week or so, you’ll see new growth emerging from the center.

Bringing Fennel Back to Life

Bringing Fennel Back to Life regrowing vegetables at home how to

If you love the mild licorice flavor of fennel, good news: you can bring those bright green fronds back to life, even after you’ve used the bulb in cooking.

Here’s how to do it:

  1. Cut off the bulb, leaving about 2 inches of the root end intact.
  2. Set the base in a shallow dish of water, root side down.
  3. Place it in a sunny windowsill.
  4. Change the water every day or two to prevent odor and bacteria.

In several days, you’ll notice feathery green shoots emerging from the center. These fronds make a beautiful garnish and add flavor to salads, fish dishes, or homemade broths.

How to Regrow Herbs from Cuttings

How to Regrow Herbs from Cuttings cilantro basil dill

Many common herbs regrow beautifully from scraps, making them perfect for windowsill gardening. Basil, mint, oregano, thyme, and even rosemary can bounce back from cuttings if you give them a little water and sunshine.

Here’s how to do it:

  1. Snip a healthy 4-inch stem from the herb, ideally just below a leaf node.
  2. Strip off the lower leaves (anything that would sit in water).
  3. Place the stem in a small glass of water.
  4. Set it in a sunny window and change the water every couple of days.

Within a week or two, you’ll likely see roots forming. Once the roots are an inch or two long, you can either keep the herbs growing in water or transfer them to soil for longer-term success.

Handy Tools to Make Regrowing Even Easier

You don’t need fancy gear to start regrowing veggies from scraps, but a few simple tools can make the process a little neater, easier, and more enjoyable. These are a few favorites I keep on hand:

  • Pint-Sized Ball Mason Jars: Just the right size for holding scallions, celery, and other veggie bases upright without tipping over. Bonus: they’re reusable and work great for food storage, too.
  • Glass Test Tube Propagation Station: Perfect for herbs and smaller cuttings. Plus, it looks pretty cute sitting on the windowsill.
  • Herb Keeper for the Fridge: Great for keeping herbs like mint, cilantro, or rosemary fresher, longer, especially if you’re not quite ready to move them into soil yet. Also works for asparagus!
Ball Glass Mason Jar, Regular Mouth, Pint Size, 16 OZ (Pack of 3)
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Save $2.00 Renmxj Plant Propagation Station, Plant Terrarium with Wooden Stand, Plants Pots for Hydroponics, Small Birthday Gardening Gifts for Women Mom Plants Lovers Unique - 5 Glass Test Tubes Vases
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vacane Herb Keeper for Refrigerator, Fresh Herb Saver Herb Storage Containers, Cilantro Container for Fridge Asparagus Container, Dishwasher Safe
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Cut Waste, Grow Food, and Save Money

Curious about what else you can regrow from scraps? You don’t have to stop at scallions and lettuce. If you’re ready to take things a step further, I highly recommend checking out 20 Vegetables You Can Regrow from Scraps from the folks over at Rural Sprout.

They’re a small but mighty group of gardeners with real-life experience and a passion for helping others grow, whether that means a backyard homestead or a few potted herbs in an apartment window. Their guide will walk you through even more ways to turn kitchen castoffs into fresh produce.

 

Question: What’s the weirdest thing you’ve tried to regrow from scraps? Did it sprout or sputter?

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5 replies
  1. Ellen says:

    I have west and north facing windows in my kitchen. I use a “grow light” tape for my indoor plants in the winter as the light is not enough for my violets. I am sure that a grow light tape would work for others who don’t have enough light. Tapes come in several sizes, are inexpensive to buy and use. Plus, the spectrum of the light is really pretty!

    Reply
  3. Heather says:

    Some have posted on Facebook that they have tried this with the scallion, but they start to lose their flavor. Are they doing something wrong? I am curious because I want to try.

    Reply

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