What Happens When You REGROW Veggies From the Store?
Have you ever looked at the stub of a green onion or the base of a romaine lettuce and wondered: Can I regrow this? The answer is yes—and it’s one of the most satisfying, budget-friendly, and eco-conscious gardening experiments you can do at home. Regrowing vegetables from kitchen scraps is not only possible, it’s surprisingly easy. But what really happens when you try to regrow veggies from the store?
The Basics of Regrowing
Many common vegetables can be regrown from the parts you’d normally throw away. Think of green onions, celery, garlic, leeks, carrots (the leafy tops), romaine lettuce, basil, and even potatoes. The process often starts with a glass of water on a sunny windowsill. Roots emerge, shoots grow, and in just days, you’ll see signs of life. After that, you can transplant the sprouting veggie into soil for better growth.
From Scrap to Plant
Take green onions, for example. After using the green part, place the white root end in a jar with a little water. Within 2–3 days, green shoots will begin growing again. After a week, you can snip and use the regrown greens. Celery and romaine hearts regrow in a similar way. Just keep the base of the plant, place it in water, and wait for the center leaves to grow. In a week or two, you can transfer it to soil for a sturdier, healthier plant.
Garlic cloves, if starting to sprout, can be planted pointy side up. With care, they’ll eventually produce more bulbs. Potatoes with “eyes” can be cut and planted to grow entire new plants. Even scraps from ginger, turmeric, and sweet potatoes can regenerate with the right conditions.
Pros of Regrowing Store-Bought Veggies
Regrowing food scraps is a great way to reduce waste, save money, and teach children or beginners about plant life cycles. It also gives you access to fresh herbs and vegetables year-round, especially if you don’t have a garden. For urban dwellers, windowsill regrowing can be a small but satisfying form of food independence.
But There Are Some Caveats…
Not all vegetables regrow equally well, and store-bought produce isn’t always ideal for regrowing. Many are treated with growth inhibitors or pesticides, or have been in storage long enough to weaken their vitality. Organic produce typically performs better when regrown. And while you can regrow from scraps, most of the time, you’re not going to get a full-sized, grocery-quality vegetable. For instance, romaine may regrow a small rosette of leaves but not a full head.
Also, regrowing in water works for a time, but most plants need to be transplanted into soil for long-term health. Water alone lacks the nutrients plants need for strong development. And light matters—indoor regrowing often leads to leggy, pale growth unless you have a bright spot or supplemental lighting.
The Bottom Line
Regrowing vegetables from the store is more about fun, sustainability, and supplementing your grocery bill than producing full harvests. It’s a great step toward food awareness and a greener lifestyle. With low investment and big satisfaction, regrowing veggies is a habit worth cultivating—even if your celery never quite makes it back to store size.
