The Short Version: You can regrow green onions from grocery store scraps in just a few days — trim the bunch an inch above the roots, place the white ends in a glass of water or pot of soil, and new green tops will start growing within 24 to 48 hours. Grown in soil, they'll keep producing for months.

By Nicole Johnsey Burke: Founder of Gardenary and Author of Kitchen Garden Revival

Can You Really Regrow Green Onions from the Store?

What this question is really asking is, are you ready to experience a little garden magic? Because regrowing fresh and delicious food from kitchen scraps is nothing short of magic.

I can't promise that you'll never have to buy green onions from the grocery store again. You will, however, get more fresh green onion stems to eat (hey, that's more bang for your buck, right?). Whatever the results, this is a fun indoor gardening project that'll teach you a bit more about plants and how they grow.

Like, for instance, how incredibly easy green onions are to grow in the garden.

Follow these super simple steps to regrow green onions that you bought from the grocery store.

HERE'S WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

• One bunch of organic green onions with roots still attached
• A tall glass filled with one inch of room-temperature water (or a small clay pot filled with organic compost)
• A clean pair of pruners or scissors
• A dibber or butter knife

How to Regrow Green Onions: Step by Step

Follow these simple steps to turn your kitchen scraps into free green onion plants.

STEP ONE

Make sure your bunch of green onions still has all the roots attached. Look at one green onion closely. The white part is the very first plant part you'd see above the soil line as green onions are growing. Notice how the color gradually darkens as you move toward the tip of the tall leaves. It's not until the section where the leaves begin to turn green that the growth happens. Leaves branch out from the center piece above the base where white becomes green.

Trim each green onion an inch or two above this center piece. Keep the top portion of the chopped green onion to eat and enjoy in the kitchen.

STEP TWO

Option A: Grow in water

• Place the white root end in a tall glass with about 1 inch of room-temperature water
• The glass should be tall enough to support the leaves and keep them upright
• Make sure only the roots and white base are submerged — wet green tops get slimy fast
• Change the water every 2 to 3 days
• Best for: quick results and a fun windowsill project
• Limitation: flavor and nutrition fade after 1 to 2 weeks as the plant runs out of nutrients

Option B: Grow in soil

• Use a dibber or butter knife to make a hole as deep as the white section
• Slide the roots in gently — they're fragile at this stage
• Bury the entire white section and press soil around the base
• Water well and keep in filtered light
• Best for: long-term harvests with full flavor and nutrition
• Benefit: plants can keep producing for months when grown in nutrient-rich compost

I recommend starting with water so you can watch the roots develop, then transfer to soil once you see new growth. Best of both worlds.

STEP THREE

Get ready for some magic!

Within a day or two, you'll notice the tip of the green onion will start to grow upward.

If you're growing in water, change out this water every two to three days.

If you're growing in soil, you'll need to watch your plants closely to make sure the soil doesn't dry out.

STEP FOUR

If you're growing in water, give your plants one to two weeks to regrow. Then, cut the new growth and start over with fresh bottoms. (Like I said, the old ones will be in need of fresh nutrients at this point.)

If you're growing in soil, continue to harvest from your new green onion plants.

You'll find that the size of mature green onion plants makes them ideal for container growing. You don't even need a very large pot, and you can keep this container on a porch or patio or inside on a windowsill.

What Regrowing Green Onions Teaches You About Gardening

With this method, you can have green onions growing forever! Along the way, you'll learn three reasons green onions are basically your garden BFFs.

Reason one: Green onions are low-maintenance

Every friend group has that one high-maintenance person — the one with a long list of restaurant requirements, who needs the temperature just right and the plans locked in two weeks in advance. Green onions are the opposite of that friend.

They don't care if it's cold. They're hardy enough to handle light frost and keep going. They don't care if it's hot — as long as you give them some water, they're fine. A little too dry, a little too much rain — green onions hang in there when more demanding plants would give up entirely. For a beginner gardener still figuring things out, that kind of easygoing nature is everything.

Reason two: green onions deter pests

We all need a BFF who will fight off any bullies for us, who will take up for us if someone tries to harm us. That's what green onions do for our gardens.

If you're gardening organically outdoors, you will eventually have pests in your space. The great thing about green onions is they release a strong odor that repels most of the garden pests that attack our plants, especially our leafy greens (lettuces, cabbage, kale, etc.). Green onions are tiny enough to be tucked anywhere you need in your garden to protect your vulnerable plants. It's not a foolproof method of pest control, but it definitely helps.

Reason three: green onions keep giving and giving

Green onions will continue growing throughout most of the year. You could start green onions indoors during winter, plant them out as soon as the ground softens, and enjoy fresh harvests throughout spring, summer, and fall, and even into winter.

If you live in a milder climate, you can keep your green onions growing year-round. Cut from them, and they'll just keep growing for you. What a pal!

Try It!

Here's what I love most about this project: it asks almost nothing of you and gives you something real in return. A bunch of green onions from the grocery store, a glass of water, and two days later, you're watching something grow that you made happen.

Keep your green onions on the patio or windowsill, cut from them whenever you need fresh flavor, and enjoy that moment when a simple dish becomes something special because of one thing you grew yourself.

If regrowing green onions has you curious about what else you could grow, Kitchen Garden Revival is where I'd start — it's a complete guide to building a beautiful, productive kitchen garden from scratch.

Thanks for helping me bring back the kitchen garden — one green onion at a time.

Frequently Asked Questions About Regrowing Green Onions

How long does it take to regrow green onions?

You'll see new growth within one to two days. Green onions grown in water are ready to harvest again in about one to two weeks. Green onions grown in soil will continue producing for months with regular harvesting.

Is it better to regrow green onions in water or soil?

Both work, but soil produces better results long-term. Water-grown green onions lose flavor and nutritional value after one to two weeks because they run out of nutrients. Soil-grown green onions can keep producing flavorful, nutritious stems for months.

How many times can you regrow green onions?

In water, you can regrow green onions two to three times before the roots lose their vigor. In soil, green onions will keep producing indefinitely as long as you harvest regularly and the plants have access to nutrients from compost-rich soil.

Do regrowing green onions need sunlight?

Yes, but not direct harsh sunlight. A bright windowsill or filtered light is ideal. Avoid a south-facing window that gets intense direct sun — consistent bright indirect light produces the best growth.

Can I plant regrown green onions outside?

Yes — once your green onions have regrown indoors, you can transplant them outside into a raised bed or container once the weather is suitable. Green onions are cold-hardy and can go outside earlier in spring than most other crops.