The premise behind regrowing vegetable scraps in water is simple: plants are generally built to harness energy from the sun and nutrients from the earth. A small glass or dish of water won’t provide the same nutrients as hearty soil, but plants can still use it to grow new tasty shoots or soil-ready roots.
Plants that will grow roots
Let’s say you have access to a pot of soil or two, but don’t have the patience (or the green thumbs) to grow veggies from seed. Good news: water and sunlight can also encourage veggie scraps from your kitchen to grow roots that will sustain the larger plant in soil. Develop these strong, healthy roots in H2O first, then transplant the vegetable into some nice dirt.
Herbs
It only takes one sprig of cilantro, thyme, basil, or another herb to regrow a whole plant. Next time you’re using your favorite herb in the kitchen, set aside a healthy shoot with a few leaves growing on it—the stem below the lowest leaf should be a few inches long. Then use a toothpick or bent paperclip to suspend this sprig in a small glass of water. Submerge the bottom of the stem, but keep the leaves dry. You should soon see roots start to sprout underwater. When the roots are more than an inch long, transfer the mini plant to soil—the part that was underwater should now be under dirt. With diligent watering, sunlight, and patience, your little herb can grow into a full-sized plant.
