Gardening expert Simon Ackeroyd has shared a simple hack you can do with onion scraps – and it saves you from having to throw them away. Here’s all you need to know
Green-fingered gardeners eager to grow their own produce at home this year should start with a simple and manageable project. Horticulture expert Simon Ackeroyd suggests keeping hold of the onion base you’d typically bin when preparing one from the shops.
“Instead, place the base of the onion in shallow water,” he recommended, showing how he accomplishes this using a small dish as an example. He shared that results will appear before long.
Simon continued: “After a few days, it will start to send out shoots and roots”. Once you spot development, Simon directs you to “place the onion in compost”.
After burying your onion in compost and gently covering it, let it rest for seven days. Then, “after a week, it will produce long green onion shoots”.
Wondering how to use the shoots? Simon added: “These onion stems taste delicious in stir fries and salads”.
They taste even better knowing that you’ve grown them yourself – and they’re completely free too!
Viewers flocked to the comments to share their reactions after discovering the trick. One woman jokingly revealed: “I usually do this by buying an onion and ignoring it at the bottom of my fridge’s veg draw for about three months”.
A viewer wondered whether these resembled “chives”, prompting Simon to reply: “Not quite, but from the same onion family. Chives sort of taste similar to the green shoots I’ve grown in this video though.”
Another individual wanted advice on watering frequency, to which Simon advised: “Start it off in shallow water, and after a few days, place it in compost and water every one or two days. It will be ready in about 10 days.”
The idea seemed to spark excitement among the audience, with one enthusiast exclaiming: “I’ve got to try this!”
More things to do with onion scraps
1. Compost
Onion scraps are rich in nutrients and can be added to your compost pile. They break down and contribute to the overall fertility of your compost.
However, use them in moderation. Too many scraps can create a strong odour and may attract pests, so be sure to mix them with other compost materials.
2. Turn them into fertiliser
Soak onion scraps in water for a few days to create a mild liquid fertiliser. Strain out the scraps and use the water to feed your plants. This adds trace minerals to the soil.
3. Deter pests
Chopped onion scraps can be sprinkled around plants to help deter pests like aphids and some animals (such as rabbits) that dislike the smell.
4. Mulch
While not the most common use, you can chop onion scraps and use them as part of your mulch layer. They will break down and add nutrients to the soil.