5 Common Kitchen Plants You Didn’t Know You Can Regrow at Home

 Ever chopped off the end of a veggie and tossed it without a second thought?

You’re not alone — but you might be throwing away more than just scraps. What if that celery base, onion root, or garlic clove could actually grow into a fresh, usable plant again?

The truth is, you don’t need a garden or even a balcony to grow vegetables at home. In fact, your kitchen scraps are hiding in plain sight — just waiting to sprout. Here are five overlooked but surprisingly easy kitchen plants you can regrow right on your windowsill.


1. Green Onions – Regrow from Kitchen Scraps

Forgot to buy scallions again? You might already have what you need in your fridge.

If you cook with green onions (also called scallions), you may be tossing out one of the easiest plants to regrow indoors. After using the green tops, save the white root ends.

How to regrow green onions:

  • Place the root ends in a glass of water with the roots submerged.

  • Keep the glass near a window for natural sunlight.

  • Change the water every few days.

  • Harvest the green shoots as they grow — they’ll regenerate again and again.


2. Celery – Grow Fresh Stalks from the Base

That crunchy celery base you usually toss? It’s actually full of life.

That bottom part of celery you usually discard? It’s actually the start of a new plant. Regrowing celery indoors is straightforward and works well even in small spaces.

How to regrow celery indoors:

  • Cut about 2 inches from the base of a bunch of celery.

  • Place the base in a shallow dish of water, cut side up.

  • Put it in a sunny spot like a kitchen windowsill.

  • Once new leaves appear (in about a week), transfer it to a pot with soil.


3. Garlic Greens – Use Sprouted Garlic to Grow Edible Shoots

Sprouted garlic in your pantry? That’s not waste — that’s your next garnish.

Have you seen green shoots growing out of garlic cloves? Instead of throwing them out, plant them. While this won't give you a full bulb again, you can grow garlic greens — which have a mild, slightly sweet garlic flavor.

How to grow garlic greens from cloves:

  • Use sprouted cloves and plant them in a small pot of soil, sprout side up.

  • Keep the soil lightly moist and place the pot in sunlight.

  • In a couple of weeks, you’ll have green shoots that you can trim and use like chives.


4. Mint – Grow a Hardy Herb Indoors

Love mint in your tea or mojito? You’ll love how easily it grows at home.

Mint is one of the easiest kitchen herbs to grow indoors. If you’ve ever bought a bunch and had it wilt in the fridge, try growing your own from a cutting.

How to grow mint at home:

  • Snip a stem from fresh mint and place it in a glass of water.

  • When roots appear (about 5–7 days), transfer it to a pot with soil.

  • Keep the pot in indirect sunlight and water regularly.


5. Onions – Grow Green Shoots or New Bulbs

Next time your onion sprouts, consider it a head start — not a sign to throw it away.

If you’ve found sprouting onions in your pantry, don’t toss them. You can grow them into fresh green onion tops or even develop a whole new bulb over time.

How to regrow onions from scraps:

  • Cut the onion to leave about 1 inch of the root base.

  • Place it root-down in moist soil in a small pot.

  • Water lightly and keep in a sunny area.

  • The greens will sprout quickly, and with patience, new bulbs can develop.


Simple Indoor Gardening with Big Flavor Benefits

Growing plants from kitchen scraps isn’t just a fun project — it’s an easy way to bring fresh, homegrown ingredients into your daily cooking. You don’t need much space or experience to get started. With a little sunlight and regular care, these five plants can thrive right in your kitchen.

If you’ve ever thought about starting a small herb garden or wanted to grow vegetables at home, this is a low-effort, high-reward place to begin.

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