Regrow Kitchen Scraps Indoors – Zero-Waste Gardening for Beginners
When I first discovered that I could regrow vegetables from kitchen scraps, I felt like I had unlocked a secret superpower. Imagine keeping your spring onions alive forever, using coriander roots to grow new leaves, or watching a lettuce base sprout again—all inside a small kitchen.
This isn’t full gardening. It’s simple, fun and perfect for beginners, small apartments or anyone experimenting with zero-waste gardening. Many scraps grow surprisingly fast, and some can be harvested again and again.
This guide includes exactly what I regrow at home, how long each one takes, and the mistakes I made so you don’t have to repeat them.
Why Regrowing Scraps Is Perfect for Small Homes
Regrowing scraps has so many benefits:
- You reduce kitchen waste
- You get free herbs and greens
- Plants make your kitchen look and feel fresher
- It’s extremely beginner-friendly
- You don’t need expensive soil or pots
If you’re also building a small indoor garden, check out my Low-Light Indoor Plants Guide for plant ideas that grow well beside your scrap jars.
1. Spring Onions – The Easiest Plant to Regrow
This is the fastest and most satisfying kitchen scrap to regrow. Spring onions regrow almost endlessly and require very little care.
How I regrow them:
- Cut the greens and keep the white base with roots
- Place in a glass with 1–2 cm water
- Keep near a bright window
- Change water every 2 days
New green shoots appear within 2–3 days. After a week, you can start snipping again.
2. Coriander Roots – My Favourite Indoor Regrow
Coriander roots are magical. Most people throw them away, but they grow beautifully in water and later in soil.
How I do it:
- Choose stems with healthy-looking white roots
- Place them in a glass with shallow water
- After 4–6 days, new leaves appear
- Shift to a small pot for full growth
If your coriander always dies, you might find my Why Indoor Plants Die guide helpful.
3. Lettuce or Cabbage Bases
Leafy vegetable bases grow surprisingly well indoors with almost no effort.
Steps:
- Cut the leaves and keep the round base
- Place in a shallow dish with water touching only the bottom
- Keep in bright light
- Change water daily
New leaves sprout from the center within a week.
4. Mint Stems – A Must-Try
Mint grows aggressively and loves regrowing from stems. This method gives you a full plant for free.
Method:
- Cut stems right below nodes
- Place in glass with water covering the lower half
- Roots appear within 4–7 days
- Shift to soil once roots reach 1–2 cm
5. Basil Cuttings – Keep Your Basil Alive Forever
If your basil plant becomes tall and thin, take cuttings and root them in water.
- Cut below a leaf node
- Remove bottom leaves
- Place in water
- Keep in bright light
Basil roots grow quickly and form beautiful bushy plants when shifted to soil.
When to Move Scraps from Water to Soil
Although most scraps start in water, they grow stronger in soil. I normally shift them when roots reach 1–2 cm long.
Use a simple soil mix like:
- 3 parts potting soil
- 1 part cocopeat
- 1 part compost
This is the same mix I use for all my indoor plants in my Potting Mix Guide.
Common Mistakes (I’ve Made Them Too)
- Keeping scraps in deep water: Causes rotting. Always keep shallow water.
- Placing scraps in dark kitchens: Light is essential.
- Never changing water: Leads to fungus and bad smell.
- Using damaged scraps: Fresh, firm scraps work best.
Why Regrowing Scraps Is Worth Trying
Regrowing scraps isn’t about saving big money. It’s about building a small daily habit that feels rewarding, sustainable and surprisingly calming.
Your kitchen becomes greener, your cooking becomes fresher, and you start noticing how much food we normally waste without thinking.
Once you get comfortable, you can expand into herbs using my Grow Kitchen Herbs Indoors Guide.
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