Have you ever thrown away herb stems after cooking, only to buy another bunch at the grocery store the next week? Here’s the thing: you might be tossing away what could become an endless supply of fresh herbs. Picture transforming your kitchen windowsill into a mini herb garden without a single bag of soil. It’s not magic, just a simple trick that takes advantage of how certain plants naturally regenerate. What if that bunch of basil or mint could keep providing fresh leaves for months, maybe even years? Let’s dive into the world of water propagation and discover which herbs will thrive in nothing but a glass of water.
Basil: The Kitchen Superstar That Roots in Days
Basil is one of the easiest herbs to grow in water, requiring only a healthy stem snipped just below a node and placed in a jar of water. This aromatic herb responds incredibly fast to water propagation. Basil cuttings typically start showing root growth within a week or two when placed in water, making it one of the most rewarding herbs for beginners.
The secret to success lies in choosing the right stems. Growing basil from cuttings is a fast, easy, and cheap way to maximize your crop of homegrown basil. You want stems that are roughly four to six inches long, preferably taken before the plant starts flowering. Once those white roots appear and reach about an inch or two in length, your basil cutting can either stay in water for months or transition to soil. Basil can last for several months in just water, developing quite large root systems.
Mint: The Unstoppable Grower
Mint cuttings can propagate very quickly, with new roots forming in as short as a few days. Honestly, mint might be the most forgiving herb you’ll ever grow in water. It’s almost impossible to kill.
Mint is a vigorous grower and thrives in water when you snip a few stems and place them in a container with water. The plant wants to grow, and it will reward your minimal effort with lush, fragrant leaves perfect for teas, cocktails, or desserts. Some herbs like mint form roots in days, while other herbs can take weeks or months to root. Some herbs can be kept fresh in water for weeks, while others like mint, lemon balm, and lemongrass last for many months.
Green Onions: The Regrowth Champions
Growing green onions in water is very easy, and they’re usually sold with stubby roots still attached to their bulbs. This makes regrowing these useful crops an incredibly easy endeavor. Green onion plants in water grow very quickly, with roots growing longer and tops beginning to sprout new leaves after just a few days.
The green tops sprout from the bulb in just a few days’ time, providing a steady supply of green onions for at least a month or more. Depending on how you’ve regrown your green onions, from purely water or replanted in soil, you can get between two to five harvests from one green onion. After about three rounds in water, they may lose a bit of flavor, so taking the old stubs and planting them in soil can revitalize them.
Oregano: Mediterranean Flavor on Your Windowsill
Oregano grows well in water and is a fantastic addition to Italian and Mediterranean dishes when you take a cutting from a mature plant, strip the lower leaves, and place the stem in water. This herb is a bit woodier than basil or mint, which means it takes slightly longer to develop roots, but patience pays off.
Oregano is fast-growing and perfect for a variety of dishes. Change the water every few days to keep things fresh and prevent algae buildup. Perennial herbs in the mint family like oregano produce roots fairly quickly when placed in water or sand. Once established, oregano in water can provide fresh leaves for months.
Rosemary: Worth the Wait
Let’s be real, rosemary takes its sweet time. Woody cuttings like rosemary may take longer to root, sometimes months, but you can enjoy the intense fragrance and flavor of the leaves all winter long. If it’s cold outside, you can take rosemary cuttings, put them in a jar of tepid water and place the jar somewhere that receives bright light, and after two or three weeks you will see roots.
The trick is selecting softer, greener growth rather than the woody stems. After four to six weeks you may notice roots forming in the water, with roots forming quickest on green stems, not those from woody growth. You can propagate rosemary by placing a stem cutting in a glass of water, just making sure the bottom node is submerged in water. While it requires more patience than basil, the reward is fresh rosemary whenever you need it.
Sage: The Aromatic Wonder
Sage can be propagated in water using younger, more tender stems, and when placed in a sunny spot, you’ll soon have a thriving herb. Sage is perfect for stuffing, roasted dishes, and herbal teas. This herb demands bright light and good air circulation to thrive indoors.
Take cuttings in spring from fresh, soft growth for the best results. Take soft cuttings of sage in the spring and root them in water, keeping only one or two plants because only very tiny amounts are needed to impart flavor. The leaves pack such a powerful punch that a little goes a long way in cooking.
Parsley: The Patient Performer
Parsley is easy to grow in water and grows fairly quickly when you snip a few stems and place them in a glass of water. Parsley can be rooted in water, though it may take a bit longer to root compared to other herbs, so patience is key.
Parsley’s bright, fresh flavor can be easily regrown from cuttings in water when you place the stems in a container and change the water every few days to promote healthy growth, watching as new roots and leaves develop. Perfect for garnishing everything from pasta to grilled fish, parsley deserves a spot on your sunny windowsill. Parsley is a beginner-friendly plant that is more forgiving than other herbs and can grow easily in water when placed in a jar under the windowsill.
Cilantro: The Tricky but Worthwhile Herb
Cilantro can be grown in water, though it might not last as long as some other herbs, so take fresh cuttings and place them in water near a sunny window to use in salsas, tacos, and curries for a burst of flavor. Cilantro tends to be more finicky than most herbs when it comes to water propagation.
The key is using very fresh cuttings and changing the water frequently. Herbs grown in water often show faster growth rates compared to those in soil because the continuous availability of water ensures that the plants don’t experience drought stress. While cilantro might eventually need to transition to soil for long-term growth, you can definitely enjoy weeks of fresh leaves from a simple jar setup. Some gardeners find cilantro challenging, but when it works, it’s incredibly satisfying to have this flavor powerhouse ready for your favorite dishes.
Now that you know which herbs will happily regrow in a glass of water, why not start your own windowsill garden today? All it takes is a grocery store trip, some clean jars, and a sunny spot. Before you know it, you’ll have fresh herbs at your fingertips without spending another cent. Have you tried regrowing herbs in water before? What’s been your experience?
