You can root or regrow all 15 of these kitchen herbs and vegetables in nothing but a mason jar and water on your windowsill. Most of them come from cuttings or scraps you would normally throw away. 🌿
Herbs that root and grow long-term in water:
- Basil — roots in about a week and keeps producing leaves for months
- Mint — one of the easiest, roots fast and grows aggressively
- Spearmint — same ease as mint, slightly sweeter aroma
- Oregano — roots reliably from a 4-inch stem cutting
- Tarragon — roots well in water, harvest leaves as they grow
Herbs that root in water but do better moved to soil:
- Cilantro — roots slowly and tends to bolt, transfer to a pot once roots form
- Parsley — slow to root but works, move to soil for a stronger plant
- Rosemary — can take 4 to 6 weeks to root and is prone to rot, change water often
- Thyme — the trickiest on this list, roots better in damp soil than standing water
Vegetables that regrow from kitchen scraps in water:
- Green onion — the easiest of all, just stand the root end in water and harvest new growth in days
- Watercress — semi-aquatic and thrives in water indefinitely
- Leek — regrows from the base in water for a few small harvests
- Celery — regrows some leaves from the base but will not produce full stalks without soil
- Romaine lettuce — regrows a few leaves from the core but gets thin and bitter quickly, best moved to soil
Starts in water but needs soil:
- Ginger — a piece of fresh rhizome will sprout in water but needs to be potted up to grow a real harvest
Change the water every 2 to 3 days to prevent rot. A bright kitchen window is all you need. 🫙🪴
