Want to grow onions at home without seeds? Discover how to regrow onions from kitchen scraps with this simple, eco-friendly gardening hack. Whether you’re a beginner gardener or looking for sustainable ways to reduce food waste, follow these trending steps to grow fresh onions from an onion bottom—indoors or outdoors!
1. Prepare Your Onion Cutting
Chop about 1 inch (2.5 cm) from the root end of a fresh onion. Peel off the outer layer and let the bottom dry on a flat surface for 12–24 hours until it’s calloused. This helps prevent rot and boosts your chances of growing healthy onion roots.
2. Root the Onion in Water
Insert four toothpicks around the onion base to suspend it over a small bowl of water, root side down. Make sure just the bottom touches the water. Place the setup near a sunny window. In 3–4 days, you’ll see tiny white roots sprouting—your onion is ready for planting!
3. Plant in Well-Draining Soil
Fill a pot (or garden bed) with well-draining soil. Once roots appear, plant the onion cutting in the center and cover with soil, leaving 1–2 inches (2.5–5 cm) from the top. Water thoroughly to help the roots settle. For bigger onions, divide the base if it has multiple shoots, ensuring each piece has roots and a sprout.
4. Feed and Water for Growth
Onions love moisture and nutrients. Water your plant so the soil stays damp but not soggy, aiming for about 1 inch (2.5 cm) of water per week. Mix in a nitrogen-rich fertilizer every two weeks to boost growth, but stop fertilizing once the bulb starts to show above the soil.
5. Maintain and Harvest
Keep your onion bed weed-free and check for pests regularly. Avoid chemical weed killers—hand-pull weeds and use natural pest sprays if needed. When your onion plant starts flowering (usually after 90–120 days), it’s harvest time! Gently loosen the soil and pull the onion from the base of its green stems.
Growing onions from kitchen scraps is a sustainable gardening trend that saves money and reduces waste. With just a little effort and patience, you can enjoy fresh, homegrown onions in your favorite recipes—all from a single onion!
