Keep Your Green Onions on Your Windowsill

The kitchen whisperer has been doing this for years and has done it both indoors (in just a jar of water that she changes regularly) and then when the weather breaks, in a pot outside. She regrows hers for 3 full growths in water and plants them in soil. She found that by the 5th regrow the bulbs and roots can get slimy to the point it’s too hard to clean them. Plus, onions need nutrients from the soil.

The leaves on green onions can start to get tough and fibrous when they grow above about 12 inches (30.48 cm)—but if you leave them a little longer, the bulbs will grow bigger.

FMM: For my own purposes, I would probably place my newly purchased green onion in water so that they live longer than they would in the refrigerator. I especially use a lot in the summer for salads and other summer dishes.

1. Pick out a container.

Green onions can be kept in water or soil at room temperature and they will continue to grow. If you want to keep them in water, you will need to find a glass or jar that is tall enough and heavy enough to keep them upright. If you want to keep the onions in soil, you will need a flower pot that will fit on your windowsill and that is at least 6 inches (15 cm) deep. Green onions will last a long time stored in either water or soil on your windowsill. Deciding between the two is based mostly on personal preference.

2. Prepare your container.

If you are using a glass, put 1–2 inches (2.5–5.1 cm) of water in it. Like the refrigerator method, this allows the roots of the green onions to absorb water up into the plant. If you are using a pot, put at least 5 inches (13 cm) of potting soil in it. This will allow the green onions to be planted deep enough to stand up on their own.

3. Place your onions in the water or soil.

Stick the root end of your green onions into your container of water. If you are keeping your onions in soil, stick the root end into the soil and then press the soil down around them to help the onions stand up. Green onions should be placed 2 inches (5.1 cm) apart when planted in soil.

4. Place the container on your windowsill or in another sunny spot.

In order for your green onions to continue growing, they need to be exposed to sunlight. Place the container or pot in a sunny spot that gets 6 to 7 hours of light every day. Having your green onions continue growing is a perk of storing them in the sunlight, as opposed to in the fridge. Green onions stored in the fridge will not continue growing. Typically, a sunny windowsill in your kitchen is a great place to store green onions or scallions. This makes it easy for you to remember to use them when you are cooking a meal.

5. Change out the water in the glass or water the soil every few days.

The green onions that you store outside of the refrigerator will need a bit of care. For green onions stored in water, be sure to switch out the water every few days. This will ensure that mold doesn't accumulate on the surface of the water. If the outer sheath becomes slimy (this will happen), gently peel it off. If your green onions are stored in soil, you should be sure to water the soil when it begins to dry out. Green onions should be kept in moist, but not overly wet, soil.

6. Snip off what you need, and watch them regrow!

Green onions that are stored outside of the refrigerator will continue growing. Clip off the new growth with scissors and keep the white root section intact. If you do this, the onions will continue to regrow. Cut the onion back to where the roots, bulb, and 1" of the white part is preserved. Going all the way to the bulb may cause the onion to not regrow. Do not submerge though. You want at least 1/2" sticking out of the water. If there are sections of the green part of the onion that go brown and shrivel, simply trim those off or leave them. Once you trim the greens the tips tend to brown and the onion will grow a whole new green sprout. If they grow faster than you can use them just cut them back and preserve the cuttings.