How to Grow Green Onions in Water

Learn how to regrow green onions at home from cuttings — no experience required!

What Are Green Onions?

Green onions, or scallions, are a kitchen staple. These peppery alliums can be used raw to add a bit of zesty crunch to finished dishes, or sautéed for their mild, oniony flavor. But the best part? Like most root vegetables, you can regrow green onions almost indefinitely on your kitchen counter with just a glass of water.

We at Green Chef love the idea of recycling your veggies. Fresh food and minimized waste? Yes, please! We ship our root vegetables with the bulbs intact. So the next time you receive scallions in your shipment, use this handy tutorial to make it a gift that keeps on giving!

Regrow and Reuse Scallions in 5 Easy Steps

Step 1

Using a diagonal (or bias) cut, cut the scallion where the light green stem starts hitting the dark green leaves.

Step 2

Place the bulb in a glass of regular, cold tap water with just a little bit of the green showing, and place that glass on a sunny windowsill. (Onions love sun)

Step 3

Change the water every 4 days or so — cloudy, slimy water can stunt growth — once you see about 2 inches of green growth, you can transplant your scallion into well-draining soil, marbles, or river rock.

Step 4

After about a week, when the dark green leaves are about the length of your palm, it’s ready to harvest. Enjoy!