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Growing Green Onions From Green Onions in Your Kitchen

by Mike Lieberman on October 8, 2010 · 29 comments

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Here is another quick and simple way that you can grow some of your own food. It’s not really growing, it’s more like regrowing.

You can grow green onions from green onions in your kitchen on the countertop. This ideas was give to me by Leah Stoltz, one of my friends on Facebook.

You don’t need a backyard, fire escape, balcony or sunny windowsill to do this. All you need is a cup, water and your green onions.

Once your green onions have about three to four inches left on them simply place them in about one inch of water and set on your countertop. After two days, dump out and refresh the water.

You should be able to see them start growing again. Cut and use as necessary. Repeat until they no longer grow.

By doing this, you’ll be able to save some money, grown some of your own and save some trips to the market.


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  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=687188148 Leah Stoltz

    After 4 or 5 rounds of growing, it gets wimpier and wimpier… then put it in one of your pots or garden to ward of pests.. they don’t like onions. thanks for sharing mike.

  • Mike Lieberman

    Thanks. I’ll use it as my light saber against pests.

  • http://nycgardening.blogspot.com/ Meemsnyc

    What an awesome tip!

  • Mike Lieberman

    Thanks. I love it and apparently you can do it with other veggies as well.

  • Praterclp

    This is interesting. I had some red onions that I pulled from the garden this summer and had them in the fridge to use as we needed them. However, no one noticed them in the back on the fridge in the plastic container. I noticed them the other day and they had formed lots of roots and green shoots were coming up. So I had this idea to let them get to room temp and plant them in the garden. Not sure if this will work, but I figure if they don’t, they will compost in the garden for something else to plant there. Thanks for this idea.

  • Mike Lieberman

    Word. Keep me updated on what happens.

  • jodie

    i have had similar success with regrowing basil from basil cuttings

  • Mike Lieberman

    Will have to try that as well.

  • Lentil Gurl

    Handy tip! Every busk you save on fresh, real food is a buck that can go someplace else!

  • http://www.UrbanOrganicGardener.com Mike Lieberman

    Exactly. No need to waste it.

  • http://twitter.com/talimum tali.mum

    i just tried that for the first time. it took less than a week for the little roots to start growing :) !!

  • http://www.UrbanOrganicGardener.com Mike Lieberman

    Sweet.

  • Garden Spot

    Interesting.

  • http://www.UrbanOrganicGardener.com Mike Lieberman

    Most definitely is.

  • Rhea Jonelle Brown

    You had me at ORGANIC Mike. I love this blog, love to cook, and I’m a local, organic grower and supporter. thank you!

  • http://www.UrbanOrganicGardener.com Mike Lieberman

    That’s what’s up! Glad to connect.

  • http://twitter.com/avalon_spa Avalon Spa

    Yay! I love it!
    Oopsies I just posted this accidentally as someone else, can you please delete it, and I will re-post, thanks!

  • http://twitter.com/avalon_spa Avalon Spa

    Yay! I love it! 

    Goodness, I did it again, so sorry. Why is there no way for me to delete my own post, yikes!

  • http://twitter.com/LiddleWorks Rina Liddle

    Yay, I love it! And yay, my post worked :)

  • http://www.UrbanOrganicGardener.com Mike Lieberman

    Me to.

  • http://www.facebook.com/kaitlin.beaumont Kaitlin Beaumont

    After reading this I actually took it a little further. I soaked the green onions for about 8 hours, then planted them in soil in tiny 3 inch clay pots. For the first few days, they wilted and had quite a bad case of shock. But then they stood back up and I’ve been snipping and eating them ever since. It’s been about two months since I transplanted them and four plants seem enough to meet our needs.
    They don’t need much sun (Jan – Feb in Alberta).
    I tried the same thing with garlic cloves from the store.. same awesome result!
    Thanks for the tips Mike!

  • http://www.UrbanOrganicGardener.com Mike Lieberman

    Ohhh I likes that. I’m sure they last longer that way too!

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=699565283 Gwen Young

    What a co-inky-dink I just bought green onions a few hours ago specifically to do this. I previously saw a post about re-growing lettuce so I wanted to see what else I could re-grow and save $$ and time from starting them from seed. So far this has worked on my lettuce, baby bok choy, and swiss chard. In addition to the green onions I also bought green leeks and a fennel bulb with the fluffy greens still attached. I am so excited about this process. I hope to post some pics soon. Oh… maybe I should post videos on YouTube.

  • http://www.UrbanOrganicGardener.com Mike Lieberman

    Get on that!

  • Anonymous

    I did this a few weeks ago. But I just stuck em right in the ground and they started growing almost immediately. Celery is supposed to do the same.

  • http://www.UrbanOrganicGardener.com Mike Lieberman

    Nice!

  • Samantha

    New here…what is up with the topless presentation?

  • Samantha_I_am_52

    New here…what is up with the topless presentation?

  • http://www.UrbanOrganicGardener.com Mike Lieberman

    I live in LA and it’s hot.