Blog article and photos by Michelle Schlegel, UC Master Gardener-Solano County
How many times have you gone to use the green onions and found them already rotten? Like me, probably too many! Occasionally, I watch a lady online from the South who invites us into her world of cooking and gardening. She suggested that you don't throw away the bottom bulb and roots of your green onions but instead start them re-growing in your garden. I tried this and found it easy, fun and a nice distraction from our dreary winter.
I put these green onion scraps into pots in the greenhouse. In six days, buds had already started to emerge.
In another week and a half, they grew this much more.
Above is a picture of the growth in less than two months. This is the quick growth I got in a cold greenhouse in winter. Subsequently, I have found articles showing the same idea but growing the onion scraps hydroponically on a sunny windowsill. They achieved full-grown plants in their warm house in a month. The only caution for growing these hydroponically is NOT to use chlorinated water. I live almost 10 miles away from the nearest grocery store. Having these on hand sure is nice!