16 Kitchen Scraps You Can Regrow on Your Windowsill

There’s a simple pleasure in placing a leftover stem or root in a glass instead of sending it straight to the compost.

These 16 kitchen scraps can regrow fresh leaves, roots or shoots indoors, though they’re best for small harvests and a closer look at plant growth—not endless supermarket vegetables.

Start with spring onions or lettuce; both show progress quickly and need very little equipment.

Spring Onion Ends: The Quickest Water Regrow

Keep the white base and roots from your spring onions or scallions, leaving about 2–3 cm (¾–1¼ in) of green attached.

Rinse away any loose soil, then stand the roots in a clean glass with just enough room-temperature water to cover the roots. The white base should stay mostly above the waterline, otherwise it can turn soft and slimy.

Place it in your brightest comfortable window and change the water every two days. Fresh green shoots may appear within a few days, which is rather satisfying for such a scruffy little leftover.

Snip the tops for noodles, eggs or soup, but expect thinner regrowth over time rather than an endless supply.

Once roots fill the glass, move the base into a small pot of free-draining mix for a longer-lasting plant.

Leek Roots: Keep the White Base Below the Waterline

Leek roots are worth saving when you’ve used the white and pale-green portion.

Leave a sturdy 3–5 cm (1¼–2 in) base attached to the roots, rinse it well and set it upright in a shallow dish or small jar. Add only enough water to cover the roots and the very bottom of the base; the cut white section should remain above the waterline.

Give it bright, indirect light and refresh the water every few days. New green leaves should push from the centre, though you’re more likely to harvest a modest handful than grow a full-sized leek indoors.

When roots begin to form or the base looks crowded, pot it into free-draining mix, keeping the leafy growth above the soil. A reused saucer works beautifully, provided it doesn’t become a tiny swamp.

Celery Bases: Grow Fresh Leaves from a Shallow Dish

After using the stalks, keep the celery base intact and cut it cleanly about 4–5 cm (1½–2 in) above the bottom. Rinse it, then place it cut-side up in a shallow dish or saucer containing about 1–2 cm (½–¾ in) of room-temperature water.

The base should sit in the water, while the central leaves remain dry and well above the surface.

Set it in a bright window and change the water every day or two, especially if the dish becomes cloudy.

New leaves usually appear from the middle, and fine roots may follow. Once roots develop, move the base into a small pot of free-draining mix.

Expect crisp-looking fresh leaves and perhaps a small second harvest, not a whole new bunch of celery. Keep it away from heaters, which can dry the leaves and empty the dish rather quickly.

Romaine or Cos Lettuce Bases: Expect a Small Leafy Second Harvest

Save the firm base from a romaine or cos lettuce head, leaving about 2–3 cm (¾–1¼ in) of the stem beneath the leaves. Stand it cut-side up in a shallow dish with roughly 1 cm (½ in) of water.

Keep the water below the leafy centre, where trapped moisture can encourage rot, and change it daily or whenever it looks cloudy.

Place the dish in bright light, but avoid harsh hot afternoon sun through glass. New leaves should unfurl from the centre within several days, although the result is usually a small second harvest rather than another full head. Snip the tender inner leaves for a sandwich or wee salad.

If roots appear, pot the base into free-draining mix, but don’t be disappointed if it eventually stalls—water alone supplies very little nutrition.

Bok Choy Bases: Move Rooted Regrowth into a Pot

Keep the firm root end and about 2–3 cm (¾–1¼ in) of the pale stalks attached after cooking. Rinse away any scraps, then stand the base cut-side up in a shallow dish with roughly 1 cm (½ in) of room-temperature water. The bottom should touch the water, but the leafy centre must stay above it so it doesn’t turn into a slimy little swamp.

Place it in bright, comfortable light and change the water every few days. Small leaves should push from the centre within a week or two, and fine roots may follow.

Once roots are visible, move it into a small pot of free-draining mix, keeping the crown just above the surface. Expect tender leaves and perhaps one modest second harvest, not a new full head.

Cabbage Stumps: Encourage New Leaves, Not a Full Head

Save the solid cabbage stump with the central growing point intact, leaving about 3–5 cm (1¼–2 in) beneath the remaining leaves.

Set it cut-side up in a shallow dish containing 1–2 cm (½–¾ in) of water. Keep the inner crown above the waterline and use a clean container—a saucer or takeaway tub with drainage holes is perfectly adequate.

Give it bright light and refresh the water every few days. New baby leaves may appear from the middle within a week or two, but the plant is unlikely to rebuild a supermarket-sized head.

If roots develop, pot the stump into free-draining mix, keeping the crown level with or just above the soil. Snip the young leaves for stir-fries or garnish, and discard the base if it becomes soft, slimy or foul-smelling.

Fennel Bases: Root the Bulb End for Fragrant New Growth

Keep the bottom 2–4 cm (¾–1½ in) of a fennel bulb, including the flat basal plate where the roots were attached. Stand it root-side down in a shallow dish with about 1 cm (½ in) of water.

Only the base should be damp; don’t submerge the whole bulb, or the layered sides can soften before the roots have a chance to form.

Place it in bright light and change the water every day or two. Fresh, feathery fronds should rise from the centre, often within one to two weeks. Once roots are established, move the base into a small pot of free-draining mix, leaving the growing point above the soil.

Harvest the anise-scented fronds as a garnish, but don’t expect another swollen bulb—the windowsill can provide a wee handful of greenery, not a second fennel shop.

Carrot Tops: Regrow Edible Greens, Not Another Carrot

Choose a firm carrot top with the leafy crown attached, leaving about 2–3 cm (¾–1¼ in) of orange root beneath it.

Sit the cut end in a shallow dish with roughly 1 cm (½ in) of clean, room-temperature water. Keep the leafy crown above the surface and change the water every day or two, especially if it turns cloudy.

Bright light encourages the new, feathery leaves to thicken, although harsh afternoon sun through glass can scorch them. When roots appear, pot the crown into free-draining mix with the orange piece just covered and the greens exposed.

The honest outcome is edible carrot foliage for pesto, soup or a garnish—not another orange carrot. The original storage root has already done its job, but its green top still has a little encore left in it.

Beetroot Tops: Harvest the Fresh Leaves as They Return

Beetroot tops are worth saving for their leaves, not because they’ll grow another swollen beet. Keep a firm crown with about 2–3 cm (¾–1¼ in) of root attached, then sit the cut side in a shallow dish with roughly 1 cm (½ in) of clean water.

The leafy centre should stay above the surface, or the whole affair can become a rather sad, slimy puddle.

Give it bright light and change the water every day or two. Fresh leaves may return within a week or so. Once roots appear, pot the crown into free-draining mix with the top just above the soil. Harvest the young greens for sautéing, soup or a handful of colour in a salad.

Discard the scrap if it turns soft, mouldy or foul-smelling. It’s a small harvest, but a useful one from something that might otherwise have gone straight to the compost.

Garlic Cloves: Plant Healthy Cloves for Green Shoots

A garlic clove that has started sprouting is already halfway convinced it wants to become a plant.

Choose a firm, healthy clove and leave its papery skin in place. Plant it pointed end up in a small pot of free-draining mix, with the flat root plate down and the tip level with or just beneath the surface. A reused yoghurt pot works well if you add drainage holes.

Place it in bright light and water lightly when the top 2–3 cm (¾–1¼ in) of mix feels dry. In a few weeks, you can snip the green shoots like mild garlic chives.

Growing a full bulb indoors is a much longer project and may require a period of cold, so I’d treat this as a fresh-shoot experiment rather than a replacement for the garlic drawer. If the clove is shrivelled, mouldy or has been treated to prevent sprouting, it may simply sit there looking unimpressed.

Ginger Pieces with Buds: Use Free-Draining Mix for New Shoots

Choose a firm piece of ginger with visible little buds, sometimes called eyes. Those knobbly points are the useful bit; a smooth, shrivelled piece is less likely to make the effort.

Lay the rhizome horizontally in a small pot of loose, free-draining mix, with the buds facing upwards, then cover it lightly with about 2–5 cm (¾–2 in) of mix. Don’t bury it in a heavy, wet compost soup.

Keep the pot warm and evenly but lightly moist while you wait. Once green shoots appear, move it to your brightest comfortable window, avoiding harsh afternoon sun through glass.

Ginger can take several weeks to wake up, so label the pot with the date and resist digging it up every other morning. Expect attractive leafy growth first; a useful new rhizome takes a long, warm growing season and isn’t a quick windowsill harvest.

Turmeric Pieces with Buds: Bury the Rhizome Shallowly

Turmeric grows from a rhizome much like ginger, so look for a firm piece with several rounded buds or eyes. Use a wide pot with drainage holes and a loose, free-draining mix.

Lay the rhizome flat with the buds pointing upwards, then cover it shallowly with about 2–4 cm (¾–1½ in) of mix. The growing point needs a little breathing room, while the rhizome should never sit in standing water.

Keep the pot warm and only lightly moist until shoots appear. Then give it bright light, protecting the young leaves from fierce afternoon sun and chilly draughts.

Turmeric is a patient plant, taking weeks to sprout and many months to form a larger harvestable rhizome. On a windowsill, its broad green leaves are often the main reward. If the mix stays soggy or the rhizome smells sour, take that as a clear sign to compost the experiment rather than negotiate with it.

Sweet Potato Slips: Root Shoots in Water Before Potting Up

When a sweet potato sends out leafy shoots, you can gently twist or cut them away and give each one a chance to make roots. Place the lower stem in a clean glass of room-temperature water, keeping the leaves well above the waterline.

A bright spot is helpful, although I’d avoid fierce afternoon sun through the glass while the slip is still rootless.

Change the water every few days and watch for fine white roots. Once they’re a few centimetres long, pot the slip into a small container of free-draining mix, burying the rooted lower stem while keeping the leaves above the surface.

Expect a promising young vine rather than an instant sweet-potato harvest; forming new storage roots takes warmth, space and time.

Potato Pieces with Healthy Eyes: Plant the Growing Points in Mix

Choose a firm potato piece with at least one plump, healthy eye—the little dimple or sprouting point that can become a stem.

Cut larger potatoes into chunks, leaving some flesh around each eye, and let freshly cut surfaces dry for a short while before planting. Place each piece in a small pot of free-draining mix with the eye facing upwards and cover it lightly.

Keep the mix just moist, never sodden, and give the pot bright light. A takeaway container with drainage holes or a reused pot is perfectly adequate for this scruffy little experiment.

You may see leafy growth, but a windowsill pot rarely produces a sizeable crop. Grocery potatoes can also be treated to delay sprouting, so failure isn’t necessarily your gardening technique having a wee sulk.

Basil Stems: Root Leafy Cuttings Below a Node

Basil is one of the more willing kitchen herbs to root from a cutting. Choose a fresh, non-flowering stem and trim just below a leaf node—the small joint where leaves meet the stem.

Remove the lower leaves, then stand the bare section in a clean glass of water. Keep the leaves above the waterline, because submerged foliage quickly turns into a soggy nuisance.

Place it in bright, gentle light and refresh the water every few days. Fine white roots may appear within a week or two. When they reach about 3–5 cm (1–2 in), move the cutting into a small pot of free-draining mix.

Keep the soil evenly moist while it settles, then pinch growing tips to encourage bushier leaves rather than one lanky basil stem leaning dramatically towards the window.

Coriander or Cilantro Stems: Try Fresh Cuttings Before They Wilt

Coriander, called cilantro in the United States, is worth trying quickly because the stems lose freshness rather smartly.

Select firm, green stems with no slimy or blackened ends, trim the base cleanly and place them in a small jar with only the lower stems submerged. Keep the delicate leaves above the waterline and give the jar bright, indirect light.

Change the water every few days and look for fine roots along the lower stems. If roots develop to roughly 4–5 cm (1½–2 in), pot the cuttings into free-draining mix and keep them lightly moist while they adjust.

This is a hopeful experiment rather than a reliable way to recreate a full bunch. Some stems root, some wilt, and some simply decide their culinary career has finished.

Choose three scraps from your next meal—spring onion, celery and garlic are a tidy starting trio—then rinse them and give them a bright spot. Reuse a saucer, jar or small pot you already have, label each one with the date, and see what happens over a week or two.

Even a handful of fresh green leaves is worthwhile. The real charm is turning a small kitchen leftover into something living, while learning which corner of your home gives plants the best chance.