Don’t compost your food scraps just yet! 

Learn simple tricks to re-grow staples in the fridge, such as carrots, lettuce, and herbs. This is a great way to reduce food waste, save money, and kick-start your home garden. 

Garlic, Onions, Green Onions, & the Allium Family

Photo & tips from A Piece of Rainbow. 

Save the shallow roots (from the bulb or stem) of allium vegetables. Place them in a shallow container of water, and watch new material grow! The new sprouts of green onions can be harvested once sufficiently grown. Transplant the new roots of garlic and onions to soil for new bulbs to grow.

Celery

Photo and tips from The Spruce.

Cut off the stemming base of celery from its ribs, place it in a shallow container of water, and leave it in a warm and sunny spot. New leaves and young stalks will form from the centre outwards. Transplant sprouting celery to soil for a full-grown plant.

Lettuce 

Photo and tips from Getty Stewart.

Similar to celery, cut off the stemming base of lettuce from its leaves, place it in a shallow container of water, and leave it in a warm and sunny spot. New roots and leaves will form, and as always, transplant lettuce to soil for longevity. 

🌟 PRO TIP: The same technique works for bok choy, cabbages, and similarly grown vegetables.

Carrots, Turnips, Beets, & Root Vegetables 

Photo and tips from Gardening Know How. 

Keep the green tops that connect the root to leaves. Place the tops in a shallow container of water, and watch new green tops form in a few days! The leaves can be harvested and eaten; transplant to soil for new roots.

Basil, Mint, & Herbs

Photo & tips from The Café Sucre Farine.

Propagate cuttings of your herbs! Place a stem (with a few leaves intact) into a glass of water, such that the leaves are not submerged in water. New roots will grow, along with new leaves. Transplant the sprouting herbs to a pot or backyard garden.