You can file this under "I didn't know that!"

A couple of weeks ago, we were watching the Food Network. Specifically, The Next Food Network Star". Each contestant was supposed to give a 30 second video tip for the budget conscious home chef. Melissa, who I think is going to win, held up a bunch of green onions and said that you can always have fresh green onions for your salads if you put the bottoms of the onions in some water after you've cut the green tops off. The green parts regenerate!

Of course I had to rewind and listen again to see if I heard right. I even said to DH "Did she say the greens will regenerate?" He said "I think so!" So I tried it. And it works. I cut the greens off about 3.5 inches above the bottom of the onions and set the roots in an inch or so of water in a narrow juice glass. They are sitting on my counter and have regrown the tops. Every 2 days or so I rinse out the glass and put the roots into fresh cold water.

Why did my mother or grandmother never tell me this? All of those times I was making salads or something and never had green onions handy and had to run to the store...

hmmm, very interesting!

I plant mine in the dirt outside, I have a huge patch of green onions now....just stick the roots in, and they grow like crazy.

I have always just cut them straight from the garden and they regrow.

Cool! I hardly ever use them but it's a great tip.

Tara, do they not freeze in the winter outside?

This is absolutely awesome and I can't wait to plant some! This old dog can learn some new tricks.

Of course, strictly summer gardening around here.

gdpszak, I agree- I love learning new things!

I'll toss in a couple of other similar ideas that were nifty projects back when I was a kid.

You can start a very nice plant from an avocado pit by sticking toothpicks around it, then propping it up in a glass of water. Once the roots form and leaves start to grow, you can pot it up into a nice house plant.

You can also start a nice plant from the top of a sweet potato. Cut about 2-3 inches off one end and place the cut end down on a saucer of water. Or if you prefer, you can use the toothpick-and-glass method of the avocado idea. Once the leaves and vines start you can either pot it as a house plant or, even better in the long run, plant it in a large pot or basket (a bushel basket is the right size) and put it outside to grow. You'll get a crop of sweet potatoes eventually for your efforts.

Just for a gee-whiz project for kids, you can grow a plant from a carrot top. Slice the top inch or so off a carrot and place the cut end on a saucer with water. A new set of top leaves will grow from it. No, it can't be planted to make a "new" carrot, but it's kinda neat to watch.

As for the green onion idea, yeah, that's why I keep a vegetable and herb garden. I use chives in a pot out on the deck most of the year for cutting into salads and soups when it's out-of-season for green onions.

Cut a fresh pineapple, save the top. Let it dry out for a week or so then plant it, in a few years you will have a pineapple baby. ALso, pineapples are theONLY edible Bromeliad.

oh you gals are just full of tricks!

For YEARS all my life, I tried to grow an avacado.

I FINALLY got 3 to grow, planted them in my rock garden outside my house. I was so damn proud of them. a few months later was when the house burnt and that was the wall they pulled down. LOL everything else except 2 walls actually burned TO the ground, and the flowers came back, but the side with my 15 sqft of aloe and my avacodos was smushed. LOL

To this day I havent been able to get another to grow.

Same as the sweet tater just use a regular tater.

Actually, when you plant taters, youtake taters withe eyes, cut them into 1/8ths and plant them eye up then cover them in dirt, a lant comes up and the taters go down.

Oh and if your ivy has a peice break off, simply put in a glass of water. OR stick in some soil. or when you trim them back. I have ivy plants that are as old as each of my children. They were all broken off a plant I was given when BR and I married. THEY were at my grandmother in laws when the house burnt, BUT, mine was at home. WE even made Bow one when he was born. I have ivys that are 10, 9 and 5 years old. Plus Bows is almost 2.

At one time thier runners were over 50 ft long. But my dad and I had the great idea to replant them in larger pots. They all died back, I was able to nurse them back, but I am still not happy with their size.

Leaf lettuce works the same but has to be grown in dirt. It can be grown inside though. You cut to an inch from the ground and it regrows. When I had a garden, we had lettuce until frost this way.

Oh wow... Im going to have odd veggies growing all over the house! I never knew this about green onions.. To be clear.. I can only use the greens above the bulb? Then stick the rest in water? Just leave it on the counter?

Make sure they have roots. Yes the green part, change the water daily, or it'll stink.

Yeah, my 22 year old is home for a visit and he's amazed. He says it's cheating. LOL

I just bought some green onions today for a salad. Im giving it a try and am very excited to see it work!