This post will provide you with a comprehensive list of plants that you can grow in water. This process is a convenient way to regrow a variety of plants.
Yes, you can regrow many vegetables and herbs in water. Some houseplants can even grow full-time in water without soil!
Whether you’re a seasoned plant enthusiast or just starting your gardening journey, we’ve got you covered. So, let’s dive in and discover plants that you can root in water or even grow indefinitely in the water.
Vegetables You Can Regrow in Water
Here are 11 vegetables to grow in water:
- Cabbage
- Scallions
- Leeks
- Carrot
- Lettuce
- Napa Cabbage
- Spinach
- Sweet Potato
- Bok Choy
- Beet Greens
- Garlic
- Onions
Don’t throw out these vegetable kitchen scraps. Instead, put them in jars of water to regrow them on your windowsill.
Yes, there’s no need to waste perfectly good carrot tops and green onions. Instead, try regrowing them in your garden or kitchen.
It’s a fun way to reuse parts of vegetables you typically discard, and it’s also a great way to get free produce.
Herbs That Root in Water
Almost any soft-stemmed herb will grow roots when placed in water. The key is to cut from the soft, green stem for the best results—not the woody stem.
However, woody-stemmed herbs may still thrive, but take care to place them in a sunny spot. Woody-stemmed herbs tend to get mushy before they start taking root.
Additionally, don’t forget to give your herbs plenty of indirect light. They need all the help they can get to thrive.
The roots will start sprouting from the stem in about 10 to 14 days. Start planting your herbs in the dirt once their roots reach 2 inches long.
However, with proper care, some herbs, like peppermint and basil, will continue to grow in the water without soil for as long as you like. If you want to keep them in water, you can always upgrade to a larger jar to give the little roots more room to grow.
Here are the 17 most common herbs you can root in water:
- Basil
- Lemongrass
- Mint
- Lemon Balm
- Oregano
- Cilantro
- Fennel
- Marjoram
- Sage
- Thyme
- Catnip
- Celery
- Ginger
- Rosemary
- Stevia
- Tarragon
- Lavender
Houseplants That Can Grow in Water
Some popular houseplants, like monstera or philodendron, can be grown in water. You can also keep many houseplant cuttings in water forever if you care for them properly.
Here are 23 house plants that you can grow in water:
- Philodendron
- Spiderwort
- Pothos
- Wandering Jew
- Dracaena
- Impatiens
- Spider Plant
- Arrowhead Plant
- Monstera
- Coleus
- Croton
- Begonia
- Caladium
- Paperwhite
- Lucky Bamboo
- Alocasia
- Hoya
- Chinese Money Plant
- Baby’s Tears
- English Ivy
- Prayer Plant
- Rubber Plant
- African Violet
Regrowing Plant Cuttings
The process of regrowing plant cuttings in water is simple. Take the cuttings of a well-established herb or plant and put them in water. The cutting will eventually produce roots.
After a period of time, you will be able to plant the rooted cuttings in the ground. The new plants will be exact replicas of the original plants.
The good news is that there are many plants that you can regrow from cuttings and scraps. Some of these will first need to be put in water to gain roots, while others can go directly into the soil.
Growing Requirements
If you want to put plants in water to grow, it’s not as hard as you might think. All you need is a watertight vessel to hold your cuttings or plants, and then you can add water.
Additionally, monitor your cuttings regularly to ensure that they’re getting enough light and air. And voila—in no time at all, you’ll have new growth.
Unchlorinated water is always best for plants. So, by letting tap water sit at room temperature overnight, your plants will get the most benefit from it. Plus, if you have rainwater straight from the sky, that’s even better [1].
Also, keep in mind that different plants need different levels of care. It all depends on the plant, the type of vessel, and the sunlight requirements.
Care and Maintenance
You can use almost any pot or container that will hold water. Choose a container, like a Mason jar, and you can easily create your own garden oasis. Just make sure the container is waterproof and that you avoid using any metal containers that might corrode.
Water really doesn’t have many nutrients in it. Therefore, since the plants can’t get access to the nutrients they would normally extract from the soil, you need to help them.
You can add liquid fertilizer to the water. Choose a formulation designed specifically for hydroponics. However, adding nutrients to the water is optional if you’re dealing with cuttings or scraps will later be transferred to the soil.
Planting in Soil
When you think the new plant is ready to be planted outside in the ground or in a pot with soil, do just that. You can then care for it as you would with any other garden plant.
So you will watch out for pests and plant diseases. You will also need to weed your garden to get rid of weeds that might compete for garden space and soil nutrients.
Fertilizing your plants according to their specific needs is also important. This will help boost their growth. And don’t forget about the right sunlight requirements.
See also: Shade-Loving Plants.
Takeaway
Growing plants in water is possible as long as you do the process correctly. Besides, it is a fun way to increase your plant collection and spruce up your home.
So, if you’re on a budget, consider regrowing your vegetables and herbs. You can also take cuttings from your neighbor’s garden and regrow houseplants.
It’s a great way to save money and get new plants. You won’t have to buy seeds or mature plants at the nursery when you can regrow from cuttings in water.
What kind of liquid fertilzer
This is an all-purpose one: https://www.arbico-organics.com/product/general-purpose-fertilizer-organic-agrothrive/Organic-Fertilizer?a=2031