Save Scraps and Start
an Indoor Garden
Propagating Vegetables Is a
Quick and Thrifty Way to
Grow Your Own Food
By Richelle Boyd | April 10, 2025
Read more of the Home & Garden 2025 cover story here.
Lately, when I walk into the grocery store and peruse the aisles, my eyes widen. With prices going up, I’m always searching for the most affordable option, and if I can’t find one, I change my meal plans and go without.
Like many Americans, I don’t have a dedicated garden where I can grow my own food, and most of my living space is indoors only. But I prefer having an “ingredients-only household” over a fridge full of frozen meals, so in an effort to save money and be more eco-friendly, my roommates and I have started propagating our own vegetables.
It may sound like a complicated process, but it’s actually a lot easier than planting seeds and waiting months for results. All you have to do is save the root, or bulb, of your store-bought vegetable, place it in a bowl or glass, and keep it watered for at least three weeks. This method works for a variety of veggies, like garlic, ginger, potatoes, carrots, lettuce, and leeks, to name a few. Right now, we’re re-growing green onions.
In general, week one is very slow, and you may see little to no progress with only tiny sprouts growing from the top plant or dainty, unsure roots forming at the bottom. But don’t get discouraged. Keep your plants inside where it’s humid, near a window where it’s bright, and refresh the water every two to three days to keep the roots submerged.
By week two, you should start to see some real results. There won’t be a full new head of lettuce or a regrown carrot on your windowsill, but you should see more root activity and fresh, leafy growth. Try to avoid direct sunlight, though — you don’t want to cook your veggies before they can grow.
On the third and final week, you should have fully fledged roots ready to plant. We use small pots filled with well-draining soil and give it a good initial watering. Then, it’s just a matter of snipping off what we need and saving on ingredients for future grocery store runs.
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