Growing plants indoors doesn’t have to start with a trip to the garden center. In fact, your next houseplant might be hiding in your kitchen right now.
Many common vegetables and herbs can regrow from kitchen scraps, offering an incredibly budget-friendly, sustainable, and satisfying way to expand your indoor garden.
In this article, you’ll learn how to grow five amazing indoor plants using food waste you’d normally throw away. No fancy tools or expensive supplies—just creativity, patience, and a sunny windowsill.
Why Grow Plants from Kitchen Scraps?
Repurposing kitchen waste into new plants is:
- Completely free
- Eco-friendly and reduces household waste
- Beginner-friendly—great for kids and new plant owners
- Practical—some of these plants are edible or medicinal
- Quickly rewarding—many show visible growth within days
These plants don’t just survive—they thrive indoors, and they can even produce ongoing harvests in the right conditions.
What You’ll Need to Start
Before we get to the list, here are some basic items you’ll want to have ready:
- Clean jars, cups, or shallow bowls
- Fresh water
- Toothpicks or skewers (optional)
- A sunny windowsill or well-lit countertop
- Small containers or pots with soil for later transplanting
Now let’s explore the top 5 kitchen scraps that can become beautiful indoor plants.
1. Green Onions (Scallions)
Why it’s great:
- Incredibly fast-growing
- Requires only water at the start
- Continues regrowing after multiple harvests
How to grow:
- After cutting the green tops, leave about 2 inches of the white bulb end.
- Place the bulb root-down in a glass with enough water to cover the roots.
- Set it on a sunny windowsill.
- Change the water every two days.
- In 3–5 days, new green shoots will begin to grow.
What’s next:
You can harvest once the tops reach 4–6 inches. For stronger growth, transplant into soil after two weeks in water.
2. Basil (and Other Soft-Stemmed Herbs)
Why it’s great:
- Easy to root in water
- Grows lush indoors with enough light
- Can be propagated endlessly
How to grow:
- Snip a basil stem that’s at least 4 inches long, with a few sets of leaves.
- Remove the bottom leaves, leaving only the top 2–3 pairs.
- Place the stem in a glass of water so the nodes (where leaves were) are submerged.
- Keep in bright, indirect light.
- Roots will appear in 7–10 days.
What’s next:
Once roots are about 2 inches long, transplant to soil and continue to grow as a houseplant or kitchen herb.
Bonus: This method works for mint, oregano, thyme, and even rosemary (though rosemary takes longer to root).
3. Celery
Why it’s great:
- Grows quickly in water
- Makes a unique-looking indoor plant
- Easy to propagate and fun to watch grow
How to grow:
- Cut the stalks off and save the base (the round root end).
- Place the base in a shallow bowl with about 1 inch of water.
- Set in a sunny location and change the water every other day.
- New leaves and small stalks will begin to grow from the center in 4–7 days.
What’s next:
After about 10 days, you can transplant to a pot with soil. Celery will continue to grow leafy greens indoors, though full stalks require more time and light.
4. Garlic
Why it’s great:
- A single clove can grow into a whole new bulb
- The green shoots (garlic scapes) are edible and flavorful
- Doesn’t need much space
How to grow:
- Use a clove that’s starting to sprout—a green tip is a good sign.
- Plant it root-down in a small pot with soil, leaving the top just below the surface.
- Water lightly and keep near a sunny window.
- Shoots will emerge within a week.
What’s next:
You can harvest the green garlic shoots like scallions. For a full bulb, it takes several months of growth, so this is more for long-term reward.
Tip: Don’t water too much—garlic prefers dry conditions between watering.
5. Avocado
Why it’s great:
- A fun project to watch from seed to sprout
- Makes a striking indoor foliage plant
- Offers a long-term relationship with your plant
How to grow:
- Remove and clean the avocado pit.
- Insert 3 toothpicks around the sides and suspend the seed over a glass of water, with the bottom (wide end) submerged.
- Place in bright, indirect light and change water weekly.
- Roots appear in 2–4 weeks; the stem sprouts soon after.
What’s next:
Once the sprout is 6–8 inches tall and has a good root system, transplant into a pot with rich soil. Avocado plants won’t fruit indoors, but their large leaves make a great decorative statement.
Bonus tip: Cut back the main stem at 6 inches to encourage bushier growth.
Extra Kitchen Scraps Worth Trying
While the five listed above are the easiest and most reliable, here are a few honorable mentions you might also enjoy trying:
- Sweet Potatoes: Sprout from water and make beautiful trailing vines.
- Pineapple tops: Can root and become spiky, decorative plants.
- Lettuce: Like celery, grows new leaves from the base in water.
- Lemon seeds: With patience, they can sprout and grow into decorative trees.
Each of these has its quirks, but they’re all possible indoor companions if you’re willing to experiment.
Creative Displays for Kitchen Scrap Plants
You can turn your propagation efforts into a beautiful, living display:
- Use mismatched jars or mugs for rooting cuttings
- Group growing scraps on a windowsill shelf for sunlight
- Label jars with chalkboard stickers or handwritten tags
- Set cuttings in colored water or clear containers to show root growth
Not only are you growing plants, you’re also creating budget-friendly home decor in the process.
Final Tips for Success
- Be patient—some scraps sprout faster than others.
- Always use fresh, healthy scraps (no mold or rot).
- Start small and track which methods work best for your home.
- Don’t worry if some attempts fail—it’s all part of the learning.
- Transition plants from water to soil gradually to avoid shock.
Final Thoughts: Grow Beauty and Food from Waste
There’s something incredibly satisfying about turning waste into life. With nothing more than a few jars, some water, and a little light, you can create a thriving indoor garden full of useful, decorative, and edible plants—without spending a single cent.
So the next time you’re prepping a meal, take a second look at those leftovers. With a little care, they might just become your next favorite houseplant.
Passionate about plants and smart solutions, this space shares practical tips for caring for indoor plants on a budget. With a focus on saving money, reusing materials, and accessible methods, the content helps beginners and plant lovers maintain green, healthy, and sustainable environments. Perfect for anyone looking to cultivate beauty and well-being at home—even with limited resources.