Author: Tara Philipp

Propagating herbs is easy and one of the fastest ways to get your garden started.

Gardening for me started with my obsession of rooting herbs in water. I was amazed by the tiny roots that took off from simply sticking a cutting in water. Rosemary, basil and mint are all herbs that I have had instant success rooting in water.

I would ask the gardener in your life if they have a rosemary or basil plant you can have a cutting from, to get started. Most stores carry small potted basil plants for cooking. Consider purchasing one the next time you grocery shop and propagate it for friends, family or even neighbors.

Propagating Herbs In Water

Step 1: Take a cutting from a mother plant by cutting approximately 5 – 7′ stems off. Try not to cut into any woody pieces as this will take longer to root. Make sure to avoid stems with flowers, or remove the flowers from the stem before propagating.

Step 2: Remove any lower leaves that may sit in the water. The roots will grow from where the leaves were.

Step 3: Fill a glass mason jar with water and place your cuttings in the water. Place your cutting jar in a window sill for proper sunlight.

Step 4: Clean out the jar of the old water and add clean water every 3 – 5 days. This will allow the roots to get fresh oxygen.

Step 5: After your cuttings have rooted and are taking over the jar, plant your cutting. You may use a pot and a bag of potting mix or plant them into the ground. Don’t forget to water them weekly.

Step 6: When your cutting has turned into a large flourishing plant, don’t forget to take a few cuttings and share.

This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. 

Propagating Herbs With A Rooting Hormone.

I’ve had the best success propagating lavender with a rooting hormone. We use Take Root.

Step 1: Take a cutting from a mother plant by cutting approximately 5 – 7′ stems off. Try not to cut into any woody pieces as this will take longer to root. Make sure to avoid stems with flowers, or remove the flowers from the stem before propagating.

Step 2: Remove approximately 2 – 3′ of the lower leaves. The roots will grow from where the leaves were.

Step 3: Prepare a pot with potting mix and set aside.

Step 4: Dip the end/bottom of your cutting with removed leaves, inside your rooting hormone. I have used both liquid and powder rooting hormones and I personally prefer the powder. I feel like it doesn’t wash away as quickly with waterings. I can also give it a thicker coat of the hormone, then with a liquid one.

Step 5: Place your cuttings with the rooting hormone inside your prepared pot.

Step 6: Water your cuttings 1 – 2 times a week.

Step 7: Once your cuttings have grown and roots are established, you may transplant each of them into different pots or directly into the ground.

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Would you like to learn how to start a garden from seed?

Growing your own food is one of the most rewarding experiences and it’s a lot easier than you think. I will be sharing the supplies needed to get started, helpful tips and answering some frequently asked questions along the way.

This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. 

Supplies

• Seedling Starter Trays or Plastic Plant Nursery Pots
• Plant Growing Trays
• Organic Seed Starter Potting Mix
• Plastic Pail or Bucket
• Seeds
• LED Shop Light
• Organic Fertilizer

Step 1

Bring a pot or kettle of water to a boil. Place your seed starter potting mix inside of your bucket & pour the boiling water in, mixing as you go. You want to make sure you only add enough water to dampen the soil and kill any insect eggs inside of your potting mix. Let it sit, until it’s cool enough to work with.

Step 2

Going through your seed packets, decide what seeds you’d like to start. Be sure to check the back of the package for more in-depth planting information. For example: when to start your seedlings, how deep to plant them and spacing, for when you plant them into your garden.

Step 3

Fill your seedling starter trays or nursery pots with the dampened soil. Do not pack the soil down. This light weight soil gives the seeds an easy time growing roots with its spongey softness. After your trays are all filled to the top, be sure to tap them on your table to allow any air pockets to fill with soil.

Step 4

Begin making indentations in the soil with your finger tips or a pen/pencil to plant your seedlings in. Depending on there germination rate, plant 1-3 seeds in each hole. *Keep in mind, if they all germinate you will have to kill off all but 1 healthy plant. Or you can always thin them out once they are a little more established. What I mean by that is, carefully separating each plant into its own container.

Step 5

Now cover your seeds with the remaining seed starter soil and place them inside your plant growing trays. This is how you will be watering your seeds. Place a quarter inch to 1/2 inch of water into your plant growing tray and allow the soil some time to soak up the water. Dump out any remaining water and place your trays under a LED grow light.

Step 6

As a general rule we water our seedlings once a week. If they look dried out or wilted we will water them more often. Following the directions on the back of your fertilizer, fertilize your plants approximately once every two weeks.

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Our kitchens are full of fruits and vegetables that can help you get started growing a garden today.

Most of the food we buy on a weekly bases gets used up and any scraps or left overs are tossed in the trash! What if I told you that you could create a garden using up those scraps, that you likely would’ve thrown out.. I’m here to tell you that YOU CAN! I have listed a few examples below, that can help you get started with your garden today.

Lettuce

Romaine lettuce heads are a great option! To get started cut the lettuce using up the leafs. Instead of throwing out the bottom, simply place it in a small dish of water and watch it grow over the next few weeks. Harvesting the greens as you need them. What I love most about lettuce is how easy it is to grow and the returning leaves it continues to provide.

Green Onions

If you happen to have any green onions in your fridge, with roots still intact, then you can regrow them. Place the white part of the onion & roots in a small glass of water. Harvest as needed & watch them grow!

Basil & Rosemary

Basil is a great rooting plant! If you have a few stems, pluck off the lower leaves and place the stem in water. In a matter of days you’ll see roots forming. Rosemary is another great rooting herb, simply do the same. Plucking any lower leaves and placing the stem in water.

Carrots Greens

Did you know you can regrow carrots greens in water? Assuming you buy full carrots and not baby carrots. Cut the tops off, placing them in water and in a matter of days you’ll watch there little green leaves reappear. I have never done this but I’ve heard carrot top greens go well in a salad bowl. Makes since because I do love a few diced carrots in my salad for extra color and flavor.

Celery

A lot like lettuce, celery will regrow just by placing the bottom in a small dish of water. Celery will take longer than lettuce to grow back its full stalks, but it’s very resourceful and fun for kids to watch.

Onions

I have regrown onions two ways but because of a full schedule, I never fully followed through with either, but I am excited to this year. If you have onions that have gown way past there prime for cooking and are shooting out greenery from the top, I have good news! Don’t throw them away, simply place them in a pot covering them with soil and in a few months you’ll be amazed at the beautiful white flower the emerges holding lots of new onion seeds. We did this last year and now I’m kicking myself for not collecting the seeds.

If you are working with cookable onions don’t worry, I have a way that you too can regrow them. Save there bottoms and place them in a small dish containing just enough water to cover the roots. I have heard that you should let them dry out a day or two before placing the roots into water, but I was a little too impatient. I’ll keep you posted on the progress. Once the onion starts making great growth, you can plant them into your garden and await your new onions.

Garlic

Is another great option. Take a bulb of garlic that is starting to grow and separate each clove. Space them evenly apart and watch them grow. Harvest when all the leaves look like they have died off.

Potatoes

Have you ever grabbed a bag of potatoes expecting to use them for dinner, only to realized they have grown a little too old to use? I hope I’m not the only one who forgets to use there’s potatoes. This year we will be planting a few potatoes in the ground (I’ve heard they do well planting in March with the colder temperatures, because they are under the ground safe from any frosts) and seeing how many potatoes we can grow for our family.

A Little Family Experiment

Chad and I (him more than me) eat a lot of organic lunchbox peppers. He enjoys them with hummus and I make a delicious pepper chicken cabbage wrap. A few weeks ago Chad saved approximately 30 seeds and decided to try growing lunchbox pepper plants from those seedlings. We are currently overloaded with pepper plants. I may not have done the best job at labeling all the plants during there repotting, but we will definitely be doing more planting from seeds that we harvest from store bought foods. Some examples could be tomatoes, peppers, melons and squashes.

Share Your Kitchen Garden Regrowth Stories With Us Below!

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