Follow these steps to regrow romaine lettuce from its stem end. A fun way to use kitchen scraps.regrow romaine lettuceIf you love growing things and fun kitchen experiments, here's an experiment for you – regrow lettuce from the stem. Works best for romaine lettuce, simply will piece of work for any lettuce with a singled-out stalk end still intact.

Also Try: Regrowing Dark-green Onions, Regrowing Celery

Have a look at my You Tube video and proceed reading below. Yous'll encounter information technology's super piece of cake and you have nothing to lose!

Regrow Lettuce from a Stem
On the left is a full grown leaf from a store bought romaine lettuce, on the right are 12 leaves regrown from a romaine stem afterwards nigh 4 weeks

Dissimilarregrowing green onions or regrowing celery, yous won't be able to regrow a total head of lettuce. You'll simply regrow a few leaves two-4 inches long. Enough for a sandwich. Regrown lettuce will bolt (send out a seed stalk) earlier it grows a full head of lettuce. But don't let that stop you lot – it'southward such a absurd experiment.

Steps for How to Regrow Lettuce from a Stem

  1. Eat your purchased lettuce, cutting the leaves at about 1 inch from the bottom.
  2. Place remaining stalk in a shallow dish of water (about ane/2 inch).
  3. Place on a window sill or under grow lights.
  4. Change water in bowl every one to 2 days.
  5. Watch your lettuce grow.  Information technology is truly remarkable how rapidly the new shoots start.  Y'all may besides observe that roots volition start to grow on the bottom.
  6. After x-12 days, your lettuce is going to be equally big equally information technology will likely ever get. It's not going to exist a total head of lettuce, it'll but be enough to height a sandwich or brand a small-scale salad. But how cool is that!
  7. If y'all get out your lettuce beyond this point, it will become spindly and bitter as it attempts to produce seed. Information technology won't exist pleasant to consume at this indicate. Yous'll know information technology has reached this indicate when the leaves start turning a blue green color and/or the chief stalk shoots up and leaves become less dense. Trust me, swallow information technology when it'south like the photo beneath.regrow lettuce

Here's a photo journeying

cut off stem 1 to 2 inches from bottom

put stem in water

regrowing lettuce on windowsill

romaine lettuce finished

lettuce ready to harvest
Leaf lettuce on the left, romaine on the right. The romaine is ready to harvest!

Does Regrowing Lettuce E'er Work?

Not e'er, results will vary!  I've tried growing lettuce from the refrigerator at least xx times by now. Not every lettuce will piece of work perfectly. Sometimes it won't grow at all, sometimes information technology will commodities (go to seed) very quickly and other times it volition grow for a few days and then wither abroad. On some occasions you may even get weird chocolate-brown spots. So, if the first lettuce yous try doesn't piece of work, don't requite up – try over again. Really, what have you got to lose? Here are some various results.

four samples of lettuce from stem
Four different samples grown at same time.
harvesting regrown lettuce
If you lot notice brown spots starting, harvest right abroad. Cutting around dark-brown spots.

I have also tried potting my romaine lettuce, just I have not had great success with the plants thriving and turning into a full caput of lettuce for u.s. to enjoy. I've had much more success in this regard with celery and green onions.

planting romaine lettuce stem
This is lettuce that is bolting – it is shut to producing flowers and seeds. The leaves gustation bitter. Information technology did non survive for very long after planting in soil.

In conclusion, don't expect a full head of romaine lettuce to make full your salad bowl. Regrow lettuce for fun, for topping a sandwich and to get more than acquainted with the food yous eat. Enjoy the process!

How and When to Harvest Regrown Lettuce?

After almost 12-15 days, or until it'due south the size in the photos below, your lettuce will be ready to harvest. Do not wait much longer, hoping information technology will go bigger or better. At some signal the lettuce will turn bitter, commodities or get-go to spoil.

compare regrown lettuce to store bought
Don't expect a full sized caput of lettuce. These mini-me's are gear up to harvest.

Merely cut or break the leaves from the plant and add together to a salad, sandwich or wrap.

lettuce cut
That's four heads of lettuce! Better than nothing!
enjoying lettuce in wrap
Enjoying my lettuce for dejeuner in a falafel wrap.

What Else Can I Regrow From Stems?

i.Celery

I have had great success regrowing celery from stalk ends. I have even been able to successfully transplant celery to the garden.

Growing Celery from Stalks

celery with rootsHither'due south a video on how to regrow celery from stalk ends.

2.Light-green Onions

Green onions are another highly successful vegetable to grow from the root ends. And yes, these can be transplanted outside equally well. You can harvest repeatedly.

Growing Green Onions from the Refrigerator

regrowing green onions

3.Other Kitchen Scraps

I've tried regrowing avocado from the pit and pineapple from the crown, but I wasn't besides impressed. Sure I got greens to grow, but it would exist years before you'd always get anything you tin can eat! I'thou non that patient, nor exercise I have a lot of room to grow bigger plants. It's like the fourth dimension my kids planted a seed from an apple – we got a sprout, but that poor little seedling never actually had a promise!

Herbs are a unlike story. Those you tin clip, grow roots and regrow with much success. Basil, mint, cilantro, thyme, rosemary and oregano are all great contenders. I 24-hour interval, I may write more than about that.

Have y'all ever tried regrowing any stalk ends? I'd love to hear about your experience.

If you endeavour regrowing romaine and you lot're on social media, take a photograph and tag #getgettys so I tin see it and like it!

Getty Stewart is a Professional Home Economist,  speaker, frequent media guest and writer dedicated to putting skillful food on tables and agendas.  She is the author of several recipe books on enjoying and preserving fruit, Founder of Fruit Share, a mom and veggie gardener.  Sign up to get manufactures past Getty delivered to your inbox. You'll go recipes, practical tips and great food information like this.

This post has been updated from when it was initially posted in 2014.